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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
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Results for prison administration
74 results foundAuthor: Atabay, Tomris Title: Handbook on Prisoners with Special Needs Summary: This handbook aims to support countries in implementing the rule of law and the development of criminal justice reform. Specifically, this handbook covers the special needs of eight groups of prisoners, which have a particularly vulnerable status in prisons, including: prisoners with mental health care needs; prisoners with disabilites; ethnic and racial minorities and indigenous peoples; foreign national prisoners; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) prisoners; older prisoners; prisoners with terminal illness; and prisoners under sentence of death. Details: Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2009 Source: Criminal Justice Handbook Series Year: 2009 Country: Austria URL: Shelf Number: 115356 Keywords: Correctional InstitutionsPrison AdministrationPrisoners |
Author: Aitken, Jonathan, Chair Title: Locked Up Potential: A STrategy for Reforming Prisons and Rehabilitating Prisoners. A Policy Report by the Prison Reform Working Group Summary: This report provides a comprehensive analysis of and 70 policy recmmendations for the U.K. failing prison system, including: prison management and governnance; overcrowding; mental health and substance abuse; prisoners' families; personal development through education, training, work and the arts; prisoners and their victims; resettlement, and three proposed new Acts of Parliament. Details: London: Centre for Social Justice, 2009. 273p. Source: Breakthrough Britain Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118165 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrisonsRehabilitation |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Reducing Prison Violence: Implications from the Literature for South Africa Summary: "Few would argue that prisons are violent places and South Africa is no exception. The consistently high number of deaths and complaints of assaults recorded by both the DCS and the JICS over several years indicate that violence is a “normal” feature of the South African prison system. Amongst all the strategic objectives towards transformation of the prison system and the distractions, the most important objective of any correctional system is to detain prisoners under safe and humane conditions. This, very explicitly, means that individuals, when imprisoned, must not only be safe but they must also feel safe. Regrettably this is not the case and thus the need for this paper to take a closer look at violence in South Africa’s prison system. This is done by reviewing the literature on prison violence to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and also to establish whether there have been any effective measures implemented elsewhere to reduce prison violence. Based on these a number of recommendations are made to improve prison safety in South Africa." Details: Bellville, South Africa: Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative, 2009. 39p. Source: Internet Resource; CSPRI Research Report No. 17 Year: 2009 Country: South Africa URL: Shelf Number: 119384 Keywords: InmatesPrison AdministrationPrison ViolencePrisons (South Africa) |
Author: Northern Ireland. Criminal Justice Inspection Title: Report of an Announced Inspection of Magilligan Prison: 29 March - 2 April 2010 Summary: This report presents the findings of a full announced inspection of Magilligan prison at the end of March 2010, at which time the prison held some 450 low and medium risk prisoners. Since our last inspection in 2006, when we criticised – amongst other things – some inadequate and unsuitable facilities, two new living units and a new health care building had opened. These physical changes had been complemented by a number of improvements to other areas of the prison. However, many of these developments needed to be consolidated and better integrated, and the entire regime was being adversely affected by ongoing industrial relations problems. Safety had improved, with few reported incidents of violence and most prisoners reporting that they felt safe. However, some prisoners still said they had been victimised, particularly because of their offence, and there was scope for further work to reduce bullying and support the vulnerable. Care for those at risk of self-harm was good. The segregation unit operated well and staff rarely had to resort to the use of force, although recording practices were poor. Security was now more proportionate, with a more appropriate emphasis on dynamic security, but further improvements were required, including a need to combat drug use more thoughtfully and effectively. The new buildings were a significant improvement but the physical environment remained marred by oppressive fencing and the continued use of the H-blocks which were difficult to supervise and had poor sanitary facilities. There was still no personal officer scheme, but relationships between staff and prisoners were generally positive. Diversity arrangements were underdeveloped and needed to be more comprehensive, although progress had been made in monitoring outcomes by religion and addressing issues that arose. The chaplaincy provided an effective service but still without a dedicated area in the prison for faith activities. In an important and progressive development since our last inspection, both the commissioning and delivery of prison healthcare had become NHS responsibilities. While most services were good, there was insufficient primary mental health provision to meet the evident need. This illustrated the necessity of conducting regular and comprehensive health care needs analyses to ensure that services kept abreast of the health problems in the prison population. At the time of the inspection, industrial action by the Northern Ireland Prison Officers’ Association (POA) was seriously limiting prisoners’ time out of cell and access to purposeful activity. Nevertheless, records suggested provision was usually reasonable, with enough activity places for the population. However, a more strategic approach to learning and skills was needed to ensure a coherent approach to meeting the needs of prisoners and to make sure that capacity and attendance were maximised. Some restrictive agreements with the POA also meant that not all potential education and training places could be used, which was a waste of valuable resources. Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, 2010. 130p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2010 at: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/1a/1af49281-b68c-4e0a-9cda-96a531dea3bd.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/1a/1af49281-b68c-4e0a-9cda-96a531dea3bd.pdf Shelf Number: 119788 Keywords: Medical Care, InmatesMental Health, InmatesPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrisons (Northern Ireland) |
Author: Atabay, Tomris Title: Handbook for Prison Managers and Policymakers on Women and Imprisonment Summary: The present handbook forms part of a series of tools developed by The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to support countries in implementing the rule of law and the development of criminal justice reform. It is designed to be used by all actors involved in the criminal justice system, including policymakers, legislators, prison managers, prison staff, members of non-governmental organizations and other individuals interested or active in the field of criminal justice and prison reform. It can be used in a variety of contexts, both as a reference document and as a training tool. The main focus of the handbook is female prisoners and guidance on the components of a gender-sensitive approach to prison management, taking into account the typical background of female prisoners and their special needs as women in prison. Details: New York: United Nations, 2008. 117p. Source: Internet Resource: Criminal Justice Handbook Series: Accessed September 22, 2010 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/women-and-imprisonment.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/women-and-imprisonment.pdf Shelf Number: 113390 Keywords: Correctional InstitutionsFemale InmatesFemale PrisonersPrison Administration |
Author: Victoria. Ombudsman Title: Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001: Investigation into Conditions at the Melbourne Youth Justice Precinct Summary: This report investigates the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre and the Melbourne Youth Residential Centre at Parkville that draws conclusions about: unacceptable conditions; improper conduct; inadequate quality of care; and non‐compliance with operational and legislative provisions, including human rights responsibilities and working with children checks. The report makes 27 recommendations, all of which have been accepted by the Department of Human Services. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer, 2010. 97p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 14, 2010 at: http://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/Investigation_into_conditions_at_the_Melbourne_Youth_Justice_Precinct_Oct_20101.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/Investigation_into_conditions_at_the_Melbourne_Youth_Justice_Precinct_Oct_20101.pdf Shelf Number: 119961 Keywords: Corrections OfficersJuvenile CorrectionsJuvenile Detention FacilitiesPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrison Contraband |
Author: California. Office of the Inspector General Title: Special Report: August 2009 Riot at the California Institution for Men Summary: The purpose of this special report is to identify the conditions and circumstances leading up to the riot and to evaluate the institution's and the department's actions in addressing the riot and re-establishing normal operations in the riot's aftermath. The report concludes that despite being warned of the inherent risks of housing reception center inmates in the open dormitories of the California Institute for Men in Chico's Reception Center West (CIM), the department took no substantive action to alleviate the security risks in that facility's design. Additionally, the report concludes that although the institutions heeded warnings from past reviews and audits by enhancing its emergency medical preparedness, there are still areas in thich CIM and the department could have improved their performance. Details: San Francisco: California Office of the Inspector General, 2010. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2010 at: http://www.oig.ca.gov/media/reports/BAI/reports/Special%20Report%20on%20the%20California%20Institution%20for%20Men%20August%202009%20Riot.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.oig.ca.gov/media/reports/BAI/reports/Special%20Report%20on%20the%20California%20Institution%20for%20Men%20August%202009%20Riot.pdf Shelf Number: 120177 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison RiotsPrisons (California) |
Author: Northern Ireland. Criminal Justice Inspection Title: Northern Ireland Prison Service Corporate Governance Arrangement: An Inspection of Corporate Governance Arrangements within the Northern Ireland Prison Service Summary: The vast majority of prisoners in Northern Ireland will be released. What happens inside a prison has a real impact on what happens outside a prison. The extent to which behaviours are challenged, prisoners are given purposeful activity, assisted with resettlement into the community and the nature of officer/prisoner engagement, all make a major contribution to reducing reoffending and helping to increase public protection against criminal activity in the future. The estimated cost of re-offending in the United Kingdom is around £11 billion, in Northern Ireland it is in the region of £80 million. The Prison Service is not a bit player in the criminal justice system, it is an essential component of the success of the system overall. The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) is shaped by the legacy of the past. Its culture, ethos, working practices and management processes reflect in many ways a different era, and a different agenda for what we want our prisons to do. It has remained largely untouched by the reforms of the criminal justice system. The NIPS is a relatively well resourced public service in Northern Ireland. Certainly its operating budgets are higher than comparable institutions elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Management within the Prison Service recognise the need for change and have made efforts in the past number of years to deliver a more cost-efficient and effective organisation. The Prison Service has embarked on a series of changes to try and develop a new approach to prison management – with a clear emphasis on promoting a secure and humane environment that challenges offending behaviours. The Prison Service can rightly point to a series of initiatives (for example, development of the prison estate) that provide evidence of a new approach. The recent inspection of Magilligan Prison shows that local management can make a difference and change the ways in which the regime operates. Throughout the inspection work undertaken by CJI we have continually made reference to the many committed staff we have seen as part of the different inspection reports and have noted the important contribution they make to the positive work of the NIPS. At the same time the level of scrutiny of the Prison Service has been intense. CJI and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) inspection reports – the 2010 Magilligan inspection report excepted – have shown a series of deep problems around delivering better outcomes for prisoners in terms of time out of cell, access to work, education and other purposeful activity, and a need for a more constructive form of engagement between prisoners and prison officers. Other reports have shown a major disconnect between the strategic intent of the Prison Service and its capacity to deliver real change on the ground. There is real dissonance therefore between the stated intent of the Prison Service – the initiatives that it highlights – and operational activity as it exists on the ground. This picture is confirmed by other work that has been completed on the Prison Service including that undertaken by the Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI) and the Pearson Review Team. The purpose of this inspection was to examine why this should be the case and to highlight those aspects of Prison Service operations that have an impact on delivering the Prison Service of the future. As the Prison Service itself recognises, the devolution of policing and justice has altered the landscape and the future financial environment will create its own dynamic that will fundamentally require change in all aspects of Prison Service operations. Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, 2010. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2010 at: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/3d/3ddfc1cc-64b9-43da-ad86-88950db136ee.PDF Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/3d/3ddfc1cc-64b9-43da-ad86-88950db136ee.PDF Shelf Number: 120528 Keywords: CorrectionsPrison AdministrationPrison ManagementPrisons (Northern Ireland) |
Author: Shelden, Randall G. Title: The Prison Industry Summary: This report summarizes numerous prison topics to include information about: ◦incarceration in the United States versus worldwide incarceration rates ◦prisons as a market for profits ◦the prison-building frenzy ◦cashing in on crime ◦and matters revolving around privatization of prisons. Details: San Francisco, CA: Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice, 2010. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 2, 2011 at: http://www.cjcj.org/files/The_Prison_Industry.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.cjcj.org/files/The_Prison_Industry.pdf Shelf Number: 120665 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison PrivatizationPrisons |
Author: Great Britain. HM Inspectorate of Probation Title: A Joined-Up Sentence? Offender Management in Prisons in 2009/2010 Summary: This report is the first to be published from our joint Prison Offender Management Inspection programme and reflects our findings from the first 13 establishments inspected. In these inspections we have examined how well prisoners are being managed under Phases II and III of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Offender Management Model. We have also examined a number of cases which fell outside the model. Although in this report we have aggregated our findings, we found that practice varied widely. This is perhaps inevitable given the different nature of the establishments, and it is worth adding here that these 13 were not necessarily representative of all the prison establishments in England and Wales. Nevertheless, some common themes emerged. • The NOMS model envisaged that offender managers in the community would be responsible for assessing the prisoner and for driving the management of the case. In practice we found that this was rarely happening. Offender supervisors were often expected to take on this role but some lacked the appropriate training and little guidance was available. For those who were prison officers, other operational duties sometimes took priority. • Some prisons had worked hard to ensure that all relevant prisoners had an OASys assessment, even where these should have been prepared by the offender manager. The quality of these assessments varied, and they were rarely seen as a key document within the establishment. Sentence planning was often driven more by the availability of activities than by the assessment. Objectives were rarely outcome-focused and this meant that progress was measured by the completion of activities rather than by evidence of change. • We were disappointed to find that few establishments made strategic use of the OASys database to identify and provide for key areas of need in the prisoner population. • Information about prisoners was held in different locations within the establishment. Worryingly, public protection information was sometimes kept separate from offender management. The fragmentation of records impeded the safe and effective management of prisoners. P-NOMIS had the potential to act as an integrated recording system, but implementation had been delayed and there needed to be a culture shift to ensure that it was used routinely to record significant events and contact with prisoners. • Despite these criticisms, we found some Offender Management Units which were well integrated into the establishment and where core custodial functions sat effectively alongside offender management. However, there needs to be considerable progress across the custodial estate before the NOMS vision of a ‘joined up sentence’ is realised and Offender Management Units operate as a hub within the establishment. Details: London: Criminal Justice Joint Inspection: 2011. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Prison Offender Management Inspection 2: Accessed March 16, 2011 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-probation/docs/A_Joined_Up_Sentence-rps.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-probation/docs/A_Joined_Up_Sentence-rps.pdf Shelf Number: 121039 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrisonersProbation (U.K.) |
Author: Rengifo, Andres F. Title: Context and Impact of Organizational Changes in State Corrections Agencies: A Study of Local Discourses and Practices in Kansas and Michigan Summary: Over the past five years, the states of Kansas and Michigan engaged in a comprehensive re-examination of their correctional systems, aiming for a better allocation of resources and more effective interventions to reintegrate offenders into the community. In Kansas, this process was largely known as the Kansas Offender Risk Reduction and Reentry Program (KOR3P); in Michigan, a similar set of reforms was developed as the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI). While research has documented the nature of such large-scale institutional reorganizations in corrections (Austin & Fabelo, 2004; Jacobson, 2005), little is known about the specific contexts in which corrections reforms are planned and executed (for exceptions see Zimring, Hawkins & Kamin, 2001; Clarkson & Morgan, 1995). In some jurisdictions, initiatives have been primarily motivated by state-wide efforts to reduce public spending. In other jurisdictions, reforms have emerged from within corrections through more substantive collaborations between corrections managers, staff, and key external partners—governors’ offices, legislatures, and agencies of technical assistance. The knowledge of "what works" in the process of planning, implementing, and executing of these system-wide reforms — as well as their challenges and pitfalls — has traditionally been limited to those directly involved in specific initiatives. From a broader perspective, it remains unclear to what extent the form and content of reform efforts are sensitive to the local social and institutional contexts in which corrections managers and staff operate. Such context may alter the structure of reforms, depending on levels of commitment and interest of key decision-makers. Local contexts can also alter the content of reforms via challenges in the implementation and execution of strategic programs. More generally, the sustainability and integrity of reforms depends on the relative availability of a wide range of internal and external resources – including leadership, technology, financial resources, and political and social support – that vary significantly across jurisdictions. This project documents the dynamics and context of organizational change within the Departments of Corrections (DOCs) of Kansas and Michigan, focusing on how these internal and external factors shaped the recent reforms. We conceptualize these two jurisdictions as laboratories of corrections policy innovation in which measures to control prison populations and enhance service delivery were implemented despite challenging institutional and social environments. As such, our study seeks to provide an empirical foundation for the development of more general propositions regarding the relationship between effective processes of organizational change within corrections and the social context in which these changes are implemented. Documenting the source, content, rationale, and context of these changes is important for disseminating policy innovations and expanding the existing framework for understanding corrections reform. The present report is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 provides a brief history of corrections policy in Kansas and Michigan since the early 1980s. Chapter 2 examines the immediate context, and process of design and planning of the KOR3P and the MPRI in the early 2000s. Chapter 3 documents the process of implementation of these and other reforms guided by Evidence-Based Practices (EBP), including the realignment of internal processes as well as the overhauling of inter-institutional relations and community outreach. Chapter 4 then briefly examines the continuing internal and external challenges confronting KOR3P and MPRI. It discusses the impact of changing resource levels, staff resistance and fatigue, and evolving goals of other stakeholders on the sustainability of reforms. The last section of the report provides several recommendations for sustaining reform efforts in both Kansas and Michigan and other states. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Corrections, 2010. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 24, 2011 at: http://static.nicic.gov/Library/025241.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://static.nicic.gov/Library/025241.pdf Shelf Number: 122898 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCorrectional Institutions (U.S.)Corrections ReformPrison AdministrationPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Peet, William Title: Regina Provincial Correctional Centre: Escape, August 24th 2008 Summary: On August 24th 2008 six inmates escaped from Unit 3A within the Regina Correctional Center. The Six inmates, all who were remanded on very serious charges engineered their escape over a period of approximately four months. This report presents the findings of an investigation of the events surrounding the escape, as well as prison management policies at the Regina Correctional Center. Details: Regina: Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing, 2008. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 28, 2011 at: http://www.cpsp.gov.sk.ca/EITReport.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Canada URL: http://www.cpsp.gov.sk.ca/EITReport.pdf Shelf Number: 122931 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison Escapes (Canada)Prison Management |
Author: Gendreau, Paul Title: Managing Prisons Effectively: The Potential of Contingency Management Programs Summary: There has been increasing interest in the prison management policy area to promote a course of action that holds inmates more accountable for their actions. It has been proposed that inmates need more structure and discipline and engage in activities that will demonstrate they truly earn privileges leading to early release. This study draws attention to a long forgotten prison treatment literature known as contingency management (e.g., token economies) which has the potential to meet the goals of an “accountability” management perspective. The contingency management (CM) literature was reviewed to assess its potency for improving inmates’ performance (e.g., prison adjustment, educational/work skills) and to generate a list of principles nominated by experts in the area for managing CM programs effectively. First, it was found that CM programs produced large positive gains in the range of 60%-70% which surpassed the effectiveness of other types of interventions. Secondly, the list of principles tabulated for delivering CM program were categorized as to how to implement them and deliver the service (i.e., strategies for what to do, not to do and problematic issues). It was concluded that following the course of action recommended by experts for running CM programs with fidelity placed tremendous demands on all of the prison stakeholders. Unless a number of conditions were met, CM programs should be approached with a great deal of caution given the nature of prison settings. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2011. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Corrections Research: User Report 2011-03: Accessed October 25, 2011 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cor/rep/_fl/2011-04-mpe-eng.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cor/rep/_fl/2011-04-mpe-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 123140 Keywords: Correctional Administration (Canada)Prison AdministrationPrison ProgramsPrisonersTreatment Programs, Prisoners |
Author: Bastick, Megan Title: The Role of Penal Reform in Security Sector Reform Summary: Penal reform activities have been carried on in Europe and the United States since at least the late eighteenth century. Security sector reform (SSR), a much newer concept, is a governance-driven approach that looks to strengthen the roles of both state and non-state actors to deliver security to individuals and communities. As such, attention to the penal system is important in any comprehensive SSR process. However, much SSR programming overlooks penal elements, and lessons learnt through long experience in penal reform have not been applied to other SSR activities. There is limited discourse between the penal reform community ofpractice and the wider SSR community. This paper seeks to initiate a dialogue concerning the relationship between penal reform and wider security sector reform and governance. It is based on desk research and a number of interviews with penal reform practitioners. Details: Geneva: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), 2010. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: CDAF Occasional Papers No. 18: Accessed November 15, 2011 at: http://www.dcaf.ch/DCAF-Migration/KMS/Publications/The-Role-of-Penal-Reform-in-Security-Sector-Reform Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.dcaf.ch/DCAF-Migration/KMS/Publications/The-Role-of-Penal-Reform-in-Security-Sector-Reform Shelf Number: 123352 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationPrison AdministrationPrison ReformPrisons |
Author: Hollist, Dusten R. Title: Montana State Prison: Analysis of the Impact of Treatment Programs on Inmate Misconduct and Recidivism Summary: The purpose of this research is to examine the effectiveness of two therapeutic treatment programs currently available at the Montana State Prison (MSP): Intensive Treatment Unit Chemical Dependency (ITU CD) and Intensive Treatment Unit Sex Offender Programming (ITU SOP). Program effectiveness is measured using the rate of inmate misconduct while in MSP and the three-year recidivism rate of released inmates. The study was designed to allow for the comparison of misconduct rates before and after treatment and the comparison of after-treatment misconduct rates of those receiving treatment and those not receiving treatment. The study design also allows for the comparison of the recidivism rates of those who did or did not receive treatment. Major findings: Intensive Treatment Unit – Chemical Dependency (ITU CD) • The vast majority of the inmates (97.3%) had a prior arrest. Most (79.6%) had served time in jail or prison as a result of a prior arrest • Although in most cases the difference is not statistically significant, misconduct rates decline after completion of ITU CD treatment. • Of those completing ITU CD treatment, about twice as many showed a reduction in their misconduct rate rather than an increase after treatment. • In general, inmates who do not complete ITU CD treatment have misconduct rates that are higher than the after-treatment rates of inmates who complete ITU CD treatment. • Those who did not complete ITU CD treatment have higher recidivism rates than those who completed treatment and were compliant with the treatment at the time of release. • For those in the ITU CD sample, the longer the sentence served, the higher the likelihood of recidivism. • In terms of reducing recidivism, ITU CD treatment has the greatest impact on White inmates and those who are under age 40 at the time of release. • Treatment compliant ITU CD inmates have lower recidivism rates. But, if a treatment compliant inmate is going to return to prison, he is more likely than a non-treatment inmate to return in the first year after release. Intensive Treatment Unit – Sex Offender Programming (ITU SOP) • The vast majority of inmates (97.3%) had a prior arrest. Most (80.5%) had served time in jail or prison as a result of a prior arrest. • With some exceptions, misconduct rates decline after completion of ITU SOP treatment. • Of those treatment-compliant inmates completing ITU SOP treatment, almost three times as many showed a reduction in their misconduct rate rather than an increase after treatment. Details: Helena, MT: Montana Department of Corrections, 2004. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 26, 2011 at: http://www.cor.mt.gov/content/Resources/Reports/MSP_AITPIMR.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://www.cor.mt.gov/content/Resources/Reports/MSP_AITPIMR.pdf Shelf Number: 123456 Keywords: Correctional TreatmentPrison AdministrationPrisoner Misconduct (Montana) Inmate MisconductPrisoner RehabilitationProgramsRecidivismSex OffendersSubstance Abuse Treatment Programs |
Author: Davies, Elizabeth Title: Impact & Influence: The Role of Local Jurisdictions in Managing Prison Population Size Summary: Budgetary pressures, court mandates on crowding, and social justice concerns have prompted many states throughout the country to develop laws and administrative policies intended to control the size of the prison population. While long-term strategies often look to offender rehabilitation and reductions in new criminal activity to achieve this goal, the most common short-term strategies focus on requiring, encouraging, and permitting decision makers to use local options in lieu of prison at the time of sentencing, inmate release and transfer, and supervision violation response. By modifying decision making at the system points that influence prison population size, legislatures and other state-level policy makers hope to avert projected growth in prison populations, control corrections spending, and potentially reinvest in strategies that have been shown to improve public safety. Although many strategies to control the size of the prison population are developed in consultation with local stakeholders, a number of states create policy that relies on local jurisdictions to assume responsibility for the offender population without fully considering how this shift might impact the resources and capacity of jails, supervision offices, and community service and treatment providers. Further, they often do not account for how the policies and practices of those local agencies, which are largely responsible for the day-to-day operation of the criminal justice system, can influence the success of state prison population control efforts. Incarceration is not a problem limited to state government, nor can its solutions be conceived and executed solely by state governments. In designing strategies to manage the size of the prison population, states must consider the effect that these changes will have on local jurisdictions and the important role of local policy and support in the success of their efforts. The purpose of this white paper is to explore the role of local jurisdictions in state prison population management strategies by examining the three policy levers in the criminal justice system that can most directly and immediately influence the number of people in prison. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, 2011. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: White Paper: Accessed January 26, 2012 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412437-Role-of-Local-Jurisdictions.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412437-Role-of-Local-Jurisdictions.pdf Shelf Number: 123760 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice PoliciesPrison AdministrationPrisons |
Author: Brooker, Charlie Title: Mental Health Services and Prisoners: An Updated Review Summary: The broad aim of the 2001 review, as originally commissioned, was to undertake a systematic review of the primary and secondary research related to the mental health of prisoners. This was to appraise work relevant to the development of prison primary care services, NHS community mental health services in-reaching into prisons, the clients to be referred and the services provided. The review was to identify gaps in knowledge that might inform a prison mental health services research agenda. The original proposal in 2001 had bid for a three-phase approach to include a review of reviews; a review of the effectiveness literature and a review of models of good practice. The Steering Group modified this approach to include an epidemiological review of mental disorders in prisons and a review of effective mental health interventions to be obtained from relevant up to date review and syntheses. In addition, a stakeholder conference was arranged to consult on the findings and to add clarity to the recommendations. The review’s final structure emerged as the literature search proceeded. Over, 2,500 papers were identified and following blind selection by three reviewers 392 papers were obtained, reviewed and categorised. This led to further changes. The review of reviews was abandoned due to insufficient material. The section on ‘Good Practice’ was extended and renamed ‘Service Delivery and Organisation’. This review was then updated in 2006 by a team at the University of Lincoln who identified a further possibly relevant 4335 papers then obtained 198 of them, which they reviewed and categorised under the original headings. Details: Lincoln, United Kingdom: Centre for Clinical and Academic Workforce Innovation, University of Lincoln, 2007. 130p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 26, 2012 at http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/2523/1/Systematic_Review_(FINAL).pdf Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/2523/1/Systematic_Review_(FINAL).pdf Shelf Number: 123778 Keywords: Mental Health, Inmates (U.K.)Prison AdministrationPrisoners (United Kingdom) |
Author: Brooker, Charlie Title: Health Needs Assessment of Short Sentence Prisoners Summary: East Midlands CSIP Office commissioned a health needs assessment of prisoners serving short sentences in East Midlands’ prisons. Nationally, this group constitute 17% of all those in prison and 60% will have 10 or more previous convictions. Prisoners serving short sentences suffer multiple social disadvantages they are likely to: have truanted from school; half are unemployed and possess no formal qualifications; 15% were homeless or in temporary accommodation; nearly all used illegal drugs in the 12 months prior to a sentence and 40% were problem drinkers. Those serving short sentences are a diverse group encompassing gender, age and ethnicity. They are likely to have a series of needs on release (especially for accommodation) but unless they are under 21 are highly unlikely to be released to the supervision of probation services. The chances of re-offending are high (61%of men and 56% of women). The chances of participating in prison-based education and rehabilitation schemes are diminished because of the nature of the short sentence. One important national study aside (Stewart, 2008) the health needs of this group have not been focused on. Details: Lincoln, United Kingdom: University of Lincoln, 2009. 48p. Source: Project Report. Internet Resource: Accessed on January 26, 2012 at Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 123779 Keywords: Health CarePrison AdministrationPrisoners, Short Term (U.K.) |
Author: Brooker, Charlie Title: Trends in self-inflicted deaths and self-harm in prisons in England and Wales (2001-2008): In search of a new research paradigm Summary: No one would dispute that offenders, whether in prison or elsewhere in the criminal justice system, are an alienated group where it would be predicted that self-inflicted deaths (SIDs) rates are higher than for the general population. This paper will examine recent trends in SIDs and self-harm in English and Welsh prisons and discuss the implications of such data for future research across the whole offender pathway in England and Wales. Details: Lincoln, United Kingdom: The Criminal Justice and Health Group, University of Lincoln, 2010. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed in January 26, 2012 at http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/cjmh/SIDS%20and%20Self%20harm%20pub%20Lincoln.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/cjmh/SIDS%20and%20Self%20harm%20pub%20Lincoln.pdf Shelf Number: 123780 Keywords: Deaths in CustodyMental Health ServicesPrison AdministrationSelf-Injury, Inmates (U.K.)Suicide |
Author: O'Brien, Rachel Title: The Learning Prison Summary: In recent years there has been significant progress in the area of offender learning and skills, including an increased emphasis on employment and technology use. There have been significant changes aimed at building a more consistent approach to young offenders, including the creation of the Joint Youth Justice Unit in 2007. The aim of the Network was not to undermine these important steps; our objective was to explore ways in which this quiet evolution could be celebrated and built upon in the context of prison overcrowding. The Learning Prison aims to reflect the views and experiences of the people involved including the discussions we held with prisoners. Details: London: The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, 2010. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2012 at http://www.thersa.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/278925/RSA_The-Learning-Prison-report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.thersa.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/278925/RSA_The-Learning-Prison-report.pdf Shelf Number: 124007 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationMentoringPrison AdministrationPrison Programs (U.K.) |
Author: Yordanova, Maria Title: Penitentiary Policy and System in the Republic of Bulgaria Summary: The analysis of the legal framework of the prison system, of the state and specific problems of that system, as well as the empirical studies conducted, demonstrate the need of further development of the penitentiary reform as part of the reform of penal legislation and of criminal justice. This implies continued alignment of national legislation with European standards, accompanied by comprehensive practical modernization and humanization of the penitentiary system. The recommendations outline some important guidelines in this respect. In principle, such reforms require considerable costs which, however, can be optimized by introducing a balanced complex of measures, including abolition of the penal sanction of imprisonment for less serious offences and expanding the scope of application of non-custodial measures, shortening the term of custodial sentences, a broader reasoned application of the mechanisms of suspended sentencing, release on parole etc. On the other hand, the costs of “investments” in the reform must match the “benefits” they are supposed to generate. The most important indicators of the benefits of the reforms and of the effectiveness of the penitentiary system are reduction of crime at large and of recidivism in particular, successful reintegration of prisoners after service of the sentence, as well as enhancement of public security. Special attention must be paid to intervention for drug-using or drug-dependent prisoners. Drug distribution and drug use are a serious problem not only for criminal justice and the penitentiary system but a serious social problem in its own right. There is a pressing need of an integral and consistent State policy in this area, including, among other things, a complex of measures vis-`а-vis drugdependent prisoners, applicable both while such persons serve their sentence and after their release. Inspections, monitoring and independent civic oversight, as well as the publicity of their results, are and will continue to be an important guarantee of control over the further progress of the penitentiary reform and over the all-round functioning of the penitentiary system. Details: Sofia, Bulgaria: Center for the Study of Democracy, 2011. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2012 at: http://www.csd.bg/fileSrc.php?id=20419 Year: 2011 Country: Bulgaria URL: http://www.csd.bg/fileSrc.php?id=20419 Shelf Number: 124292 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCorrectional InstitutionsPrison AdministrationPrison ReformPrisons (Bulgaria) |
Author: Blomberg, Thomas G. Title: Correctional Operations Trend Analysis System (COTAS): An Independent Validation Summary: This report provides research findings and recommendations from the Florida State University (FSU) Center for Criminology and Public Policy’s validation of the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) Correctional Operations Trend Analysis System (COTAS). COTAS is designed to serve as a tool for DOC staff to aid in the prevention of violent events at institutional facilities. Using DOC’s large collection of historical and real-time data regarding characteristics about individual inmates, violent and non-violent incidents, and environmental characteristics of institutions, COTAS provides correctional administrators with trend analysis and risk assessment of inmates’ involvement in violent events. COTAS provides the regional and facility administrators with two types of statistics, namely descriptive and predictive. Descriptive statistics from COTAS provide a summary of violent and non-violent events that occurred within DOC regions or administrative areas within the prior 30 days. This data can be “drilled down” to examine the prevalence of events at the facility, dorm, and inmate levels. Additionally, COTAS can provide a 12-month trend analysis of facilities’ monthly count of specific violent and non-violent events. Predictive statistics from COTAS provide the predicted probability of individual inmates’ involvement in violent events. Predictions are generated by an algorithm, which uses historical data to examine the relationship between inmate and facility characteristics and inmates’ involvement in violent events. Both descriptive and predictive statistics are reported to the user in a web-based dashboard interface. Based on pre-defined thresholds, the interface (dashboard) displays the degree of concern that a particular administrator should have regarding the likelihood of violent events occurring during the next thirty days. A detailed description of the COTAS system is provided in Chapter 2 of this report. Details: Tallahassee: Center for Criminology and Public Policy Research, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, 2011. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://www.criminologycenter.fsu.edu/p/pdf/COTAS%20Validation%20Report%20-%20FINAL%20July%2010%202011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.criminologycenter.fsu.edu/p/pdf/COTAS%20Validation%20Report%20-%20FINAL%20July%2010%202011.pdf Shelf Number: 125688 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationInmate DisciplinePrison AdministrationPrison ViolencePrisonersPrisons (Florida) |
Author: Liebling, Alison Title: An Exploration of Staff-Prisoner Relationships at HMP Whitemoor: 12 Years On Summary: This original research represents a significant milestone in our understanding of the role of an effective prison officer and the crucial ways in which prison staff contribute to positive relationships with offenders. While it represents a snapshot shot of one high security prison at one particular point in time, its findings present National Offender Management Service with an opportunity to reflect on the impact of changes within the high security estate, and beyond, of demographics, sentence management, power dynamics, faith issues and the particular challenges posed by extremism and concerns around radicalisation. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2012. 201p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 25, 2012 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/staff-prisoner-relations-whitemoor.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/staff-prisoner-relations-whitemoor.pdf Shelf Number: 125763 Keywords: Corrections OfficersPrison AdministrationPrison ManagementPrison StaffPrisoners (U.K.)PrisonsRadicalization |
Author: Ombudsman SA (South Australia) Title: An Audit of Prisoner Complaint Handling in the South Australian Department for Correctional Services Summary: The evidence gathered in my audit indicates that the Department for Correctional Services complaint handling system is deficient in the key areas of accessibility, efficiency, fairness and accountability. The most positive aspects of the department’s current approach to complaints management is the work done in recent years to improve the circumstances of Aboriginal people in custody. This work provides a foundation upon which to build a stronger and more productive complaint handling system for all prisoners. Although custodial staff and managers may have the authority to deal with and resolve prisoner complaints in the first instance, I have formed the impression that in general terms, prisoners are not confident that custodial staff and managers are able to deal with and resolve many of their complaints at the local prison level. The findings of my audit support the view that the department’s complaint handling system is inefficient, and there is a distinct lack of consistency in the way in which complaints are dealt with at the local prison level and by the department. The audit report contains a number of recommendations under section 25(2)(b) of the Ombudsman Act to rectify or mitigate the effect of the deficiencies in the department’s complaints handling system. Details: Rundle Mall, SA: Ombudsman SA, 2012. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 6, 2012 at: http://www.ombudsman.sa.gov.au/An%20audit%20of%20prisoner%20complaint%20handling%20in%20the%20South%20Australian%20Department%20for%20Correctional%20Services.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ombudsman.sa.gov.au/An%20audit%20of%20prisoner%20complaint%20handling%20in%20the%20South%20Australian%20Department%20for%20Correctional%20Services.pdf Shelf Number: 125860 Keywords: Corrections OfficersCorrections TrainingPrison AdministrationPrison GuardsPrisoner ComplaintsPrisoners (Australia) |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Bureau of Prisons: Growing Inmate Crowding Negatively Affects Inmates, Staff, and Infrastructure Summary: The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) 9.5 percent population growth from fiscal years 2006 through 2011 exceeded the 7 percent increase in its rated capacity, and BOP projects continued population growth. Growth was most concentrated among male inmates, and in 2011, 48 percent of the inmates BOP housed were sentenced for drugs. From fiscal years 2006 through 2011, BOP increased its rated capacity by about 8,300 beds as a result of opening 5 new facilities and closing 4 minimum security camps, but because of the population expansion, crowding (or population in excess of rated capacity) increased from 36 to 39 percent. In 2011 crowding was most severe (55 percent) in highest security facilities. BOP’s 2020 long-range capacity plan projects continued growth in the federal prison population from fiscal years 2012 through 2020, with systemwide crowding exceeding 45 percent through 2018. According to BOP, the growth in the federal inmate population has negatively affected inmates, staff, and infrastructure, but BOP has acted within its authority to help mitigate the effects of this growth. BOP officials reported increased use of double and triple bunking, waiting lists for education and drug treatment programs, limited meaningful work opportunities, and increased inmate-to-staff ratios. These factors, taken together, contribute to increased inmate misconduct, which negatively affects the safety and security of inmates and staff. BOP officials and union representatives voiced concerns about a serious incident occurring. To manage its growing population, BOP staggers meal times and segregates inmates involved in disciplinary infractions, among other things. The five states in GAO’s review have taken more actions than BOP to reduce their prison populations, because these states have legislative authority that BOP does not have. These states have modified criminal statutes and sentencing, relocated inmates to local facilities, and provided inmates with additional opportunities for early release. BOP generally does not have similar authority. For example, BOP cannot shorten an inmate’s sentence or transfer inmates to local prisons. Efforts to address the crowding issue could include (1) reducing the inmate population by actions such as reforming sentencing laws, (2) increasing capacity by actions such as constructing new prisons, or (3) some combination of both. Why GAO Did This Study BOP operates 117 federal prisons to house approximately 178,000 federal offenders, and contracts with private companies and some state governments to house about another 40,000 inmates. BOP calculates the number of prisoners that each BOP run institution can house safely and securely (i.e., rated capacity). GAO was asked to address (1) the growth in BOP’s population from fiscal years 2006 through 2011 and BOP’s projections for inmate population and capacity; (2) the effects of a growing federal prison population on operations within BOP facilities, and the extent to which BOP has taken actions to mitigate these effects; and (3) actions selected states have taken to reduce their prison populations, and the extent to which BOP has implemented similar initiatives. GAO analyzed BOP’s inmate population data from fiscal years 2006 through 2011, BOP’s 2020 long-range capacity plan, and BOP policies and statutory authority. GAO visited five federal prisons chosen on the basis of geographic dispersion and varying security levels. The results are not generalizable, but provide information on the effects of a growing prison population. GAO selected five states based on actions they took to mitigate the effects of their growing prison populations—and assessed the extent to which their actions would be possible for BOP. GAO makes no recommendations in this report. BOP provided technical clarifications, which GAO incorporated where appropriate. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2012. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-12-743: Accessed September 17, 2012 at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648123.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648123.pdf Shelf Number: 126353 Keywords: Elderly InmatesPrison AdministrationPrison OvercrowdingPrisonersU.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons |
Author: Northern Ireland. Criminal Justice Inspection Title: Report on an Announced Inspection of Maghaberry Prison 19 - 23 March 2012 Summary: Maghaberry Prison is a complex and challenging establishment. It holds 1,000 men including remand prisoners, fine defaulters, lifers and a small number of separated paramilitary prisoners. A significant number have mental health problems and learning difficulties, while others are vulnerable because of their offences or disputes with other prisoners. Previous inspections have been very critical of the way Maghaberry responded to these challenges. On this occasion significant weaknesses remain, but we found areas of improvement and assess the prison as having progressed by one level in three out of the four healthy prison tests, while respect remained the same. Despite these improvements the prison still has a long way to go. The number of self-harm incidents was not high and arrangements for the support of those at risk of suicide or self-harm had improved, though were inconsistently applied. The Donard Day Centre opened in 2011, and its multi-disciplinary team provided excellent care for some very vulnerable prisoners, and in many ways it was the jewel in Maghaberry’s crown. Record-keeping by staff was poor but professional relationships between staff and prisoners were better and delivered more dynamic security intelligence. While the Care and Support (Segregation) unit regime was reasonable for those who were there for short periods, it was completely inadequate for prisoners who stayed for longer periods. There was a good induction programme for new arrivals, but some were missed. Some important features of prison life, such as the Progressive Regime and Earned Privileges scheme, were overly-punitive. Security could be overbearing and did not sufficiently relate to individual risk assessments. Nevertheless the introduction of ‘free flow’, which enabled most prisoners to move freely within the prison during the core day, was a major improvement and helped to normalise the atmosphere. The Dedicated Search Team, which we had grave concerns about during the last inspection, was no longer the pernicious influence it had once been. Many prisoners told us they had felt unsafe in the prison at some time. There was no effective monitoring of violent incidents to identify when and where they were likely to occur or how they could be prevented. Despite high staffing levels, association and exercise areas were not adequately supervised. We remain concerned that the prison does not provide a sufficiently safe environment for those held there. The introduction of mandatory drug testing was a good initiative and the structural arrangements for delivery of health services had improved. Unfortunately Maghaberry’s health care department was disorganised and beset by staff shortages when we inspected, and this was having an adverse impact on clinical outcomes. We were concerned about the lax management of divertible medication and managers told us this was a significant cause of bullying in the prison. Very poor drug treatment processes were dangerous for prisoners. At the time of the inspection, some separated Republican prisoners in Roe House were engaged in a dirty protest. The resulting conditions posed a threat to the health of prisoners and staff, but hygiene arrangements were being carefully managed and nobody had suffered any ill effects at the time of writing. The rest of Maghaberry was clean but suffered from considerable overcrowding. At the time of the inspection, 538 prisoners (more than half of the population) were sharing small, cramped cells that were designed for only one person. Maghaberry’s own statistics confirmed there were unequal outcomes for Roman Catholic prisoners in several important respects, yet this sensitive issue was not being effectively addressed. There were insufficient activity places available and prisoners spent too long locked in cells. A fully-employed prisoner could spend about nine hours a day out of cell on weekdays, but too many of those working were employed in unchallenging orderly roles, which offered nothing like a normal work environment. It was unsatisfactory that the 50% of prisoners who were unemployed spent up to 20 hours a day in their cells. The new Learning and Skills Centre is an excellent resource so it was frustrating that staffing shortages meant it was considerably under-used. The learning and skills curriculum was too narrow and was not aligned to local labour market needs. Otherwise, there were more hopeful signs – the quality of teaching, training and learning was generally good, as was the provision of basic literacy and numeracy and English for Speakers of Other Languages; there was some innovative use of mentors in education; the library was a good resource and physical education was very good. Resettlement was the most positive aspect of Maghaberry Prison. Despite the range of prisoners held, there were good attempts to address the behaviour of both short and long-term prisoners including some prisoners on remand, and to meet the basic practical needs of those who were about to be released. Public protection arrangements were functioning better than when we last inspected. Some aspects of provision for lifers had improved, although the closure of the Belfast ‘step down’ facility for testing long-term prisoners in a less secure environment was a big loss and should be urgently redressed. Provision of offending behaviour programmes had improved since the new Offender Management Unit took over co-ordination, but not all needs were met. The visitors halls were cramped and noisy and visits did not start on time, although other support for prisoners’ families such as the Quakers Visitor Centre, was very positive. Maghaberry remains a prison which does not yet provide a sufficient level of safety and respectful treatment, with too many prisoners having little purposeful activity to do. Nevertheless, this inspection found signs of real improvement. Some excellent work was being done by individual staff in a context where professional relationships overall were improving, and investment in new facilities had created opportunities for further improvement. At a time of major reform throughout the Northern Ireland Prison Service, these improvements now need to be embedded in the culture and processes at Maghaberry so that the progress that has been made is built on further. Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, 2012. 174p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2013 at: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/b5/b561aa96-c6b8-417f-9c70-a736713315e8.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/b5/b561aa96-c6b8-417f-9c70-a736713315e8.pdf Shelf Number: 127692 Keywords: Maghaberry PrisonPrison AdministrationPrisonersPrisons (Northern Ireland) |
Author: Tanner, Will Title: The Case for Private Prisons Summary: The U.K. Government made two major announcements on prisons at the end of 2012: the effective abolition of whole prison contracting to private companies and the decision not to introduce local pay in the prison system. Instead the Government will pursue a “new approach” limiting competition to rehabilitation and ancillary services. It will introduce an “efficiency benchmark” for public sector prisons. It will maintain national pay scales in prisons. The evidence shows that the Government’s new approach is mistaken. The Ministry of Justice rates prison performance under four headings (“domains”). New Reform analysis of this data shows superior performance by the private sector against comparable public sector prisons: >>Resource management and operational effectiveness: 12 out of 12 privately managed prisons are better than comparable public sector prisons >>Decency: 7 out of 12 privately managed prisons are better than comparable public sector prisons >>Reducing re-offending: 7 out of 12 privately managed prisons are better than comparable public sector prisons. >>Public protection: 5 out of 12 privately managed prisons are better than comparable public sector prisons Reform has also conducted new research into reoffending rates by prison, which also show superior private sector performance: >>10 out of 12 privately managed prisons have lower reoffending rates among offenders serving 12 months or more than comparable public sector prisons >>7 out of 10 privately managed prisons have lower reoffending rates among offenders serving fewer than 12 months, compared to public sector prisons. Existing research has shown that flexible terms and condition are one of the key reasons why private operators have been able to deliver better performance. Flexible working conditions have resulted in better staff-prisoner relationships, more positive prison environments, higher staff satisfaction and a more diverse workforce. Existing research has made clear that the threat of competition has itself been a spur for innovation in public sector prisons. 2 The evidence therefore suggests that a different approach is needed, based on the following recommendations: >> Market test all prisons. Market testing has been limited to just 17 of the 131 prisons in the estate. >> Introduce fixed term contracts for all prisons. >> Publish comparable cost and performance data for all prisons. >> Give prisons flexibility over pay and conditions. Details: London: Reform, 2013. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Reform Ideas No. 2: Accessed February 27, 2013 at: http://www.reform.co.uk/resources/0000/0635/Reform_Ideas_No_2_-_The_case_for_private_prisons.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.reform.co.uk/resources/0000/0635/Reform_Ideas_No_2_-_The_case_for_private_prisons.pdf Shelf Number: 127727 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrivate Prisons (U.K)Privatization |
Author: Geisler, Gregory Title: Lake Erie Correctional Institution Summary: The Lake Erie Correctional Institution (LAECI) is a medium/minimum security prison, housing Level 1 and 2 inmates. It is located on 52 acres in Conneaut, Ohio, Ashtabula County. The rated capacity for Lake Erie Correctional Institution is 1,798. On the date of the inspection, the institution housed 1,794 inmates. The institution scored high on the most recent ACA audit. Demographically, 60.1 percent of the inmates are classified as black, and 36.5 percent as white. The average inmate age was 33 years. The institution employs 275 staff. Since the last CIIC inspection in September 2011, the state sold the institution to the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). CCA assumed control of operations on December 31, 2011. In 2012, the institution increased its population by 300 inmates. Inspection Overview: The inspection of LAECI raised a number of significant concerns. At CCA staff’s invitation, CIIC will conduct a full re-inspection in six months’ time to reevaluate; this report is therefore to be considered a progress report. LAECI’s primary issue is safety and security. Staff interviews, inmate focus groups, the inmate survey, and institutional data all indicate that personal safety is at risk at LAECI. Assaults, fights, disturbances, and uses of force have all increased in comparison to prior years. There is a high presence of gang activity and illegal substance use. Inmates reported frequent extortion and theft. Incident reports indicate that staff hesitate to use force even when appropriate and at times fail to deploy chemical agents prior to physical force, risking greater injury to both inmates and staff. Staff also do not appropriately sanction inmates for serious misconduct. At the time of the inspection, the facility had no options for sanctions other than the segregation unit, which was full. The above issues are compounded by high staff turnover and low morale. New staff generally do not have the experience or training to be able to make quick judgments regarding the appropriate application of force or how to handle inmate confrontations. Staff also reported that they are often required to work an extra 12 hours per week, which may impact their response. Staff have relayed that they have already instituted additional security measures to control contraband and that they are in the process of implementing a stratification plan that will improve the overall facility environment and violence levels. Following the inspection, LAECI staff were very responsive to CIIC’s concerns. Staff promptly developed extensive action plans and engaged in several follow-up discussions with CIIC regarding the identified issues. LAECI staff also relayed that they are actively engaging local stakeholders to build positive relationships with the surrounding community. Details: Cleveland: ACLJ of Ohio, 2013. 111p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2013 at: http://www.acluohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2013_0123LakeErieCorrectionalInstitutionFullReport.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.acluohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2013_0123LakeErieCorrectionalInstitutionFullReport.pdf Shelf Number: 128397 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrisons (Ohio, U.S.)Private PrisonsPrivatization |
Author: Coyle, Andrew Title: A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management. Handbook for Prison Staff. Second Edition Summary: The second edition of the ICPS handbook A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management was launched by Baroness Glenys Kinnock, Minister of State with responsibility for Human Rights at a reception in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 27 October. The first edition of the handbook was published in 2002 It has been translated into 16 languages and is widely used in prison reform work around the world. This handbook underlines the importance of managing prisons within an ethical context which respects the humanity of everyone involved in a prison: prisoners, prison staff and visitors. This ethical context needs to be universal in its appeal and this universality is provided by the international human rights instruments. There is also a pragmatic justification for this approach to prison management: it works. This style of management is the most effective and safest way of managing prisons. What this approach underlines is that the concept of human rights is not merely another subject to be added to the training curriculum. Rather, it suffuses, and is an integral part of, good prison management. Details: London: International Centre for Prison Studies, King's College London, Source: Internet Resource: Year: 0 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 128592 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationPrison AdministrationPrison StaffPrisons |
Author: U.S. General Accounting Office Title: Bureau of Prisons: Improvements Needed in Bureau of Prisons’ Monitoring and Evaluation of Impact of Segregated Housing Summary: The U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons confines about 7 percent of its 217,000 inmates in segregated housing units for about 23 hours a day. Inmates are held in Special Housing Unit (SHUs), Special Management Units (SMUs), and Administrative Maximum (ADX). GAO was asked to review BOP’s segregated housing unit practices. This report addresses, among other things: (1) the trends in BOP’s segregated housing population, (2) the extent to which BOP centrally monitors how prisons apply segregated housing policies, and (3) the extent to which BOP assessed the impact of segregated housing on institutional safety and inmates. GAO analyzed BOP’s policies for compliance and analyzed population trends from fiscal year 2008 through February 2013. GAO visited six federal prisons selected for different segregated housing units and security levels, and reviewed 61 inmate case files and 45 monitoring reports. The results are not generalizable, but provide information on segregated housing units. What GAO Recommends GAO recommends that BOP (1) develop ADX-specific monitoring requirements; (2) develop a plan that clarifies how BOP will address documentation concerns GAO identified, through the new software program; (3) ensure that any current study to assess segregated housing also includes reviews of its impact on institutional safety; and (4) assess the impact of long-term segregation. BOP agreed with these recommendations and reported it would take actions to address them. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2013. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-13-429: Accessed June 1, 2013 at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654349.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654349.pdf Shelf Number: 128885 Keywords: Corrections ManagementInmate ClassificationInmate SegregationPrison AdministrationPrisons (U.S.)U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons |
Author: Becker, Karl Title: Colorado Prison Utilization Study Summary: This report summarizes CNA’s analysis of the state of Colorado’s short and long term needs for prison capacity. The study addresses the amount of capacity required and the types of beds needed, taking into consideration operational efficiency and programmatic needs. CNA’s review of prison utilization in the Colorado state prison system indicates that based on professional standards for managing correctional system capacity, the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) has a current operational capacity of 17,533 beds. This level is 2,183 beds below the CDOC’s stated operational capacity of 19,716 beds. With a total system prison population of 17,491 as of the end of May, CNA’s analysis indicates that the current aggregate operational capacity of the prison system is roughly in balance with the current inmate population level. Most of the difference between CDOC’s and CNA’s respective approaches to defining operational capacity stems from the treatment of special purpose units and unbudgeted private contract beds. The CDOC definition of operational capacity includes special purpose beds dedicated to functions such as infirmary care and management control (punitive segregation). CNA’s position, consistent with the practices of most state correctional systems, is that because these beds must be reserved for inmates in need of health care in the case of infirmaries and for inmate discipline in the case of management control beds; they are not available for general population housing. As such, they should not be included in operational capacity plans. CNA includes only budgeted contract facility beds in operational capacity. For the current year, this includes 3,300 beds at the Correctional Corporation of America (CCA) facilities (Bent County, Crowley County, and Kit Carson) and 604 beds at Cheyenne Mountain Reentry Center, for a total of 3,903 private contract beds. CDOC includes total private facility capacity in its definition of operational capacity, including unbudgeted beds. The total capacity of these facilities is 5,524, which is 1,621 beds above the level funded in the CDOC budget. CNA’s position is that a prison bed that cannot be paid for is not available to house inmates, and therefore should not be included in operational capacity. CNA’s calculation of operational capacity begins with documentation of all prison beds potentially available in all CDOC facilities. From this base we then deduct those beds that are not available on an ongoing and regular basis for the housing of general population inmates. Details: Alexandria, VA: CNA Analysis & Solutions, 2013. 171p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2013 at: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/ColoradoPrison.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/ColoradoPrison.pdf Shelf Number: 129467 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationPrison AdministrationPrison CapacityPrison PopulationPrisons (Colorado, U.S.) |
Author: Southern Poverty Law Center Title: Cruel Confinement: Abuse, Discrimination and Death Within Alabama's Prisons Summary: An investigation by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP) has found that for many people incarcerated in Alabama's state prisons, a sentence is more than a loss of freedom. Prisoners, including those with disabilities and serious physical and mental illnesses, are condemned to penitentiaries where systemic indifference, discrimination and dangerous - even life-threatening - conditions are the norm. Details: Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2014 at: http://www.adap.net/Alabama%20Prison%20Report_final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.adap.net/Alabama%20Prison%20Report_final.pdf Shelf Number: 132495 Keywords: DisabilitiesHealth CareMentally Ill OffendersPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrisoners |
Author: Hoke, Scott Title: Inmate Behavior Management: Guide to Meeting Basic Needs Summary: Violence, vandalism, and other unwanted inmate behaviors prevail in many jails nationwide, and they frustrate jail practitioners who must ensure the safety and security of inmates, staff and the public. Jail environments are one of the few environments in our communities where this type of behavior is expected and accepted. The environment created by these behaviors should not be considered acceptable and it is the jail administrators responsibility to operate their facilities in a way that prevents these behaviors from occurring. Relatively few resources make it challenging to provide assistance and detailed direction to administrators on how best to operate such a complex organization. National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has introduced an initiative designed to: teach administrators, managers, and corrections officers the most effective methods to control inmate behavior and optimize operational efficiency. NIC calls the initiative Inmate Behavior Management or IBM. The comprehensive management system has six identifiable elements that work together to manage inmate behavior and create an efficient and effective organization (Hutchinson, Keller, and Reid 2009): 1 Assessing risks and needs 2 Assigning inmates to housing 3 Meeting inmates basic needs 4 Defining and conveying expectations for inmates 5 Supervising inmates 6 Keeping inmates productively occupied 7 Defining and conveying expectations is one in a series of documents or tools for jails practitioners to use as they implement this management strategy A Guide to Meeting Basic Needs offers practical information and guidance on implementing element three meeting inmates basic needs. One important aspect of managing inmate behavior is to understand what motivates human behavior. Experience has shown that if a jail does not meet the basic human needs of inmates, the inmates will find a way to satisfy their needs in ways that may be unfavorable to the orderly operation of the jail. Understanding what motivates human behavior provides jail administrators with a very useful tool for managing inmates since it helps explain both good inmate behavior and bad. This document not only provides guidance to jail practitioners as they implement this element, but it also provides self-assessment checklists to determine how well the jail is doing in the delivery of basic needs and suggestions for area of improvement. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Corrections, 2014. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2014 at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/027704.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/027704.pdf Shelf Number: 132577 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationInmate DisciplineInmatesJail AdministrationJailsPrison AdministrationPrison ViolencePrisoners |
Author: Hoke, Scott Title: Inmate Behavior Management: Northampton County Jail Case Study Summary: Violence, vandalism, and other unwanted inmate behaviors prevail in many jails nationwide, and they frustrate jail practitioners who must ensure the safety and security of inmates, staff and the public. Jail environments are one of the few environments in our communities where this type of behavior is expected and accepted. The environment created by these behaviors should not be considered acceptable, and it is jail administrators' responsibility to operate their facilities in a way that prevents these behaviors from occurring. Effectively managing inmate behavior creates a safer environment for the inmates and staff and allows the jail to provide a valuable service to the public. Community safety is enhanced by strong jail management and facilities should aspire to create environments where compliance, respect, and cooperation are fostered. In an attempt to create a system of strong management, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) introduced an initiative that was designed to teach administrators, managers, and corrections officers the most effective methods to control inmate behavior and optimize operational efficiency. NIC calls the initiative Inmate Behavior Management or IBM. The comprehensive management system has six identifiable elements that work together to control inmate behavior and create an efficient and effective organization (Hutchinson, Keller, and Reid 2009): 1 Assessing risks and needs 2 Assigning inmates to housing 3 Meeting inmates' basic needs 4 Defining and conveying expectations for inmates 5 Supervising inmates 6 Keeping inmates productively occupied Inmate Behavior Management: Northampton County Jail Case Study provides an example of how one facility planned and implemented the IBM management system and transitioned to a philosophy that refused to accept negative behavior as a natural result of the process of confinement. The experiences and results detailed in this report can be considered a valuable resource for any jail administrator who wants to make similar changes. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Corrections, 2013. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/027702.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/027702.pdf Shelf Number: 133014 Keywords: Correctional Administration Inmate Discipline Inmates Jail Administration JailsPrison Administration Prison Violence Prisoners |
Author: Hoke, Scott Title: Inmate Behavior Management: Brazos County Jail Case Study Summary: Violence, vandalism, and other unwanted inmate behaviors prevail in many jails nationwide, and they frustrate jail practitioners who must ensure the safety and security of inmates, staff, and the public. Jail environments are one of the few environments in our communities where this type of behavior is expected and accepted. The environment created by these behaviors should not be considered acceptable, and it is jail administrators' responsibility to operate their facilities in a way that prevents these behaviors from occurring. Effectively managing inmate behavior creates a safer environment for inmates and staff and allows the jail to provide a valuable service to the public. Community safety is enhanced by strong jail management, and facilities should aspire to create environments where compliance, respect, and cooperation are fostered. In an attempt to create a system of strong management, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) introduced an initiative that was designed to teach administrators, managers, and corrections officers the most effective methods to control inmate behavior and optimize operational efficiency. NIC calls the initiative Inmate Behavior Management or IBM. The comprehensive management system has six identifiable elements that work together to control inmate behavior and create an efficient and effective organization (Hutchinson, Keller, and Reid 2009): 1 Assessing risks and needs 2 Assigning inmates to housing 3 Meeting inmates' basic needs 4 Defining and conveying expectations for inmates 5 Supervising inmates 6 Keeping inmates productively occupied Inmate Behavior Management: Brazos County Jail Case Study provides an example of how one facility planned and implemented the IBM management system and transitioned to a philosophy that refused to accept negative behavior as a natural result of the process of confinement. The experiences and results detailed in this report can be considered a valuable resource for any jail administrator who wants to make similar changes. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2014. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/027703.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/027703.pdf Shelf Number: 133021 Keywords: Correctional Administration Inmate Discipline Inmates Jail Administration JailsPrison Administration Prison Violence Prisoners |
Author: California. Office of the Inspector General Title: Central California Women's Facility: Warden Mary Lattimore One-Year Audit Summary: Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that Warden Mary Lattimore has satisfactorily performed her job as warden at Central California Women's Facility (CCWF). However, our surveys and interviews of prison employees revealed some problems that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and warden should address. Many interviewees and survey respondents voiced concerns that management does not work together as a team and is often fragmented. While many factors can influence the ways that staff and management view themselves, it is clear that Warden Lattimore must further her efforts to build a cohesive team through better communication with her managers. Our review also noted that although CCWF employees rated the prison's safety and security overall as average, CCWF has had riots in the main yard and more use-of-force incidents than in many male institutions. According to the warden and custody staff we interviewed, women's prisons are less violent than comparable men's prisons; moreover, at women's prisons, incidents and fights usually do not result in serious injury to inmates or employees. Yet employees at CCWF frequently use force to maintain security. One alternative identified by the use-of-force committee to decrease the need for force was additional education and training for staff working with mentally disordered inmates so that tensions may be defused without resorting to force. Details: Sacramento, CA: Office of the Inspector General, 2010. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 2, 2014 at: http://www.oig.ca.gov/media/reports/ARCHIVE/BOA/Audits/Warden%20Mary%20Lattimore%20One-Year%20Audit%20Central%20California%20Womens%20Facility.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.oig.ca.gov/media/reports/ARCHIVE/BOA/Audits/Warden%20Mary%20Lattimore%20One-Year%20Audit%20Central%20California%20Womens%20Facility.pdf Shelf Number: 133542 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationPrison AdministrationPrison WardensPrisons (California) |
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office Title: Managing the Prison Estate Summary: The National Offender Management Service (the Agency) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry). It is responsible for the prison system in England and Wales. It runs some 130 prisons, which vary considerably in age, type, size and the resources required to operate them. Since 2010, through an estate strategy, the Agency has made major changes to its land and buildings. It has closed some prisons, expanded others and built more on new sites. This report looks at the value for money of these changes, considering whether they have: - reduced resource costs (Part Two); and - improved quality and performance (Part Two) - in terms of security, safety, decency, and providing 'purposeful activity'. We also examine how estate changes may be affecting the prison system overall (Part Three). Finally, we consider how the Agency, working with other government bodies, might reduce the prison population by managing key offender groups better. In particular, we consider those serving indeterminate sentences and foreign national prisoners (Part Four). We carried out fieldwork between May and September 2013. This included: reviewing the Agency's estate strategy, prison closure methodology and business cases for new capacity; statistical and financial analysis; and interviews with officials. We visited prisons, including some that were closing and others that had recently opened. Details: London: NAO, 2013. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2014 at: http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/10304-001-Full-Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/10304-001-Full-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 133792 Keywords: Correctional Administration (U.K.)Costs of CorrectionsPrison Administration |
Author: American Friends Service Committee Title: Survivors Speak: Prisoner Testimonies of Torture in United States Prisons and Jails Summary: The popular narrative of living in the United States is one of prosperity, equality, and opportunity. America is seen as a nation where everyone has the right to life, liberty, and freedom. While that may be true for some privileged segments of society many Americans are prevented from fully realizing these rights because they are in the custody of the U.S. government. At the close of 2012, the U.S. led the world in incarceration rates1 with over 2.2 million adults held in prisons and jails. Why is this the case? Deeply flawed policies focusing on punishment − not healing or rehabilitation − have created a pipeline through which economically disadvantaged populations are funneled into prisons and jails. Incarcerated individuals are frequently exposed to deplorable, cruel, and dangerous conditions of confinement that no human being should experience. The list of abuses committed against U.S. prisoners is long and deeply distressing: sexual violence, humiliation, unsanitary conditions, extreme temperatures, insufficiently nutritious food, inadequate medical care, isolation, psychological torture, racism, chemical abuse and disproportionate uses of force. These are just a sample of experiences you will read about in these first-hand accounts from individuals living in jails and prisons throughout the United States. Other civil society shadow reports addressing corrections conditions feature legal analysis, data illustrating the prevalence of ill treatment committed against prisoners and insights from experts. This shadow report supplements those crucial examinations by bringing the human experience to bear. Statistics are helpful in understanding the ways in which the U.S. prison system is fundamentally broken. Yet even the best charts are unable to fully convey the reality of what it is like to live through breaches of CAT obligations. These are their testimonials − verbatim − of inhuman conditions under which they are held, abuses that irrevocably change their lives. The details are difficult to read; some of the language is crude and graphic. All are compelling narratives. Details: Washington, DC: American Friends Service Committee, 2014. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 27, 2014 at: http://solitarywatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Survivors-Speak.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://solitarywatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Survivors-Speak.pdf Shelf Number: 133817 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison Conditions Prisoners Prisons (U.S.) |
Author: Victoria. Ombudsman Title: Investigation into the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners in Victoria Summary: As this paper notes, Victoria's prison population has grown exponentially in the past few years, and with the impact of recent parole and sentencing reforms further growth is inevitable. In short, the prison population of 4,350 in June 2009 is projected to reach 7,169 in June 2015. The short and medium term consequences of that growth are equally inevitable. Although a massive building program has begun to increase bed capacity across the prison system, the expansion in prisoner numbers has resulted in backlogs in assessment, and affected the availability of programs and support both before and after release. It is also apparent that the reforms to the parole system are having unintended consequences - with the increasing difficulty in obtaining parole, an increasing number of prisoners are leaving without it, at the end of their full sentences, and therefore without the monitoring and reporting requirements that parole would impose. Nor will they necessarily have attended programs designed to reduce offending behaviour, one of the requirements for parole. It is not surprising, when a prison system is required to expand to the degree we are seeing in Victoria today, that the aspirations of the system as reflected in guidelines and procedures are not always met. This is in no way a reflection on the leadership of Corrections Victoria or the many dedicated people who work within the system. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Ombudsman, 2014. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper: Accessed November 12, 2014 at: https://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/getattachment/280f4a06-5927-4221-bf64-d884ba6abaf9//publications/discussion-papers/discussion-paper-investigation-into-the-rehabilita.aspx Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: https://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/getattachment/280f4a06-5927-4221-bf64-d884ba6abaf9//publications/discussion-papers/discussion-paper-investigation-into-the-rehabilita.aspx Shelf Number: 134064 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrisoner ReentryPrisonersPrisons (Australia)Rehabilitation |
Author: Amey, Abigail Title: Perspectives from inside: A report from HMP Grendon and HMP Barlinnie Summary: How far do UK prisons meet the best human rights standards as set out in the Council of Europe's European Prison Rules? This was the question the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies sought to answer as part of an eight country European Prison Observatory study funded by the European Union. In 2014 the Centre held events at two prisons, HMP Grendon and HMP Barlinnie, to discuss human rights in UK prisons. Prisoners, prison staff, voluntary sector providers and researchers took part in the events, although those noting down comments paid particular attention to the observations and opinions of those who were serving sentences. Each of the one day events at Grendon and Barlinnie were divided into three workshops focused on the themes of health; work and education; and security and resolving conflicts in prison. This report brings together the main issues raised during the workshops. The Centre would like to thank Ian Whitehead and Jamie Bennett, Governors of Barlinnie and Grendon respectively, as well as the staff from both prisons for helping to run the events. Details: London: Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, 2015. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2015 at: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/Perspectives%20from%20inside%20A%20report%20from%20HMP%20Grendon%20and%20HMP%20Barlinnie_0.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/Perspectives%20from%20inside%20A%20report%20from%20HMP%20Grendon%20and%20HMP%20Barlinnie_0.pdf Shelf Number: 134983 Keywords: Correctional InstitutionsPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrisons (U.K.) |
Author: Day, Mark Title: Strangeways 25 years on: achieving fairness and justice in our prisons Summary: Half of all men (49.7%) at HMP Manchester (Strangeways) are held two to a cell designed for one, a new Prison Reform Trust report reveals. Almost one quarter (23.6%) of people held across the prison estate in England and Wales are in so-called "doubled accommodation". Twenty five years after the Strangeways riot began on 1 April 1990, chronic overcrowding driven by a near doubling of the prison population over the past two decades continues to undermine standards of decency in prisons and restrict opportunities for rehabilitation, the report says. Half of people released from prison reoffend within one year of release; rising to 60% for those serving sentences of 12 months or less. When the Strangeways riot began the prison population was 45,000; today it stands at 84,000. England and Wales now has the highest rate of imprisonment in Western Europe, imprisoning 149 people for every 100,000. At the end of February 2015, 71 of the 118 prisons in England and Wales were overcrowded. Successive governments have poured taxpayers' money into expensive prison building programmes while closing smaller prisons and opening vast prisons in order to meet the demands of a growing prison population. More than four in 10 prisoners are now held in supersized jails of over 1,000 or more. HMP Manchester currently holds 1,114 men. The Strangeways prison riot, which left two men dead and 194 injured, was one of the most serious in British penal history. The riot took place against the background of a prison system which was perceived by prisoners as increasingly arbitrary and unfair and lacking in basic standards of decency. Lord Woolf's inquiry into the causes of the disturbances constituted a wide-ranging examination of conditions in Britain's prisons and represents the most important analysis of the penal system for the past 100 years. Lord Woolf, who now chairs the Prison Reform Trust, will deliver a lecture on the 25th anniversary of the Strangeways riot on 1 April 2015 at the Inner Temple in London. Lord Woolf's main recommendations and 204 proposals on matters of detail set out an agenda for comprehensive reform of the prison system. These included an end to "slopping out", whereby prisoners had to urinate and defecate in buckets in their cell; the appointment of a prisons ombudsman; and the introduction of telephones on landings so prisoners could keep in closer touch with their families. Lord Woolf also called for an enforceable limit on overcrowding and the division of prisons into smaller and more manageable secure units of 50-70 places, with no establishment exceeding 400 places. The report assesses progress made against Lord Woolf's 12 main recommendations for a more fair and just prison system. It says that many of the factors which contributed to the unrest have resurfaced today. Although the Prison Service is better able today to ensure control and security, this has threatened to set back decades of painstaking progress it has made to improve treatment and conditions. Over the past two years, independent prisons inspectorate reports and Ministry of Justice statistics reveal a marked increase in deaths in custody, a rising tide of violence and acts of concerted indiscipline, and falling rates of purposeful activity. The justice committee, in its recent report into the current government's approach to prison policy and planning, said that moves to cut costs in the prison system in England and Wales, as well as tougher prison regimes, had "made a significant contribution to the deterioration in safety." Measuring progress against Lord Woolf's recommendations, the report reveals a prison service which has made heroic strides in some areas but disturbing lapses in others. Although the official end to 'slopping out' was announced nearly 20 years ago, by the former prisons minister Ann Widdecombe, some establishments still suffer from a lack of in cell sanitation. HM inspector of prisons 2013-14 annual report said: "We continued to find - and be critical of - 'night sanitation' systems in some prisons, such as Blundeston and Coldingley, where there were no in-cell toilets and prisoners used an electronic queuing system to access external toilets. These systems sometimes break down, leaving prisoners little option than to use buckets." In 2010 there were 1,973 prison places without in-cell sanitation or open access to toilet facilities. The report says that better arrangements for monitoring prison performance could be improved by more robust and comprehensive standards and a truly independent prisons inspectorate accountable directly to Parliament Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2015. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2015 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/woolf25250315FINALilo.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/woolf25250315FINALilo.pdf Shelf Number: 135149 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrison Over-crowdingPrisons (U.K.) |
Author: Northern Ireland. Criminal Justice Inspection Title: Report on an unannounced inspection of Magilligan Prison 27 May-5 June 2014 Summary: Magilligan Prison is a medium security prison with a semi-open annex, 'Foyleview'. It holds 571 adult men from across Northern Ireland serving sentences ranging between less than one year to life, most of whom have been transferred from Maghaberry Prison and are being prepared for release. This unannounced inspection was led by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons in England and Wales on behalf of, and with the support of Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, and with the support of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority and the Education and Training Inspectorate. Our last inspection in March/April 2010 found the prison was performing reasonably well against all our healthy prison tests and was the strongest performing of all the Northern Ireland prisons. Magilligan still has significant strengths that compare favourably with other prisons in Northern Ireland - but this inspection found that the prison had slipped back in some important areas and action was now required to prevent a further decline. For most prisoners Magilligan was reasonably safe. Relationships between staff and prisoners were much better than we normally see in Northern Ireland, and these underpinned good dynamic security. Reception and first night procedures were good, the number of violent and self-harm incidents were low and there had been no self-inflicted deaths in the prison for many years. There was 'free-flow' movement around the prison without causing difficulty. Support for those with a substance abuse problem was good. However, there was a degree of complacency about safety which was not underpinned by solid processes that focused on outcomes for prisoners. In addition, the prison culture was risk averse and this sometimes manifested itself in an unwillingness to challenge poor behaviour. Vulnerable prisoners felt much less safe than the population as a whole, and a lack of CCTV coverage on the house blocks created insecurity. Levels of drug use were high and there were no disciplinary consequences for a positive test result. The prison had tried to tackle trading in prescribed medicines by introducing 'supervised swallow', but we were told prisoners frequently went to the washrooms to regurgitate the drug for onward sale when they returned to the units and this was not challenged by staff. We did not find evidence that this led to large scale violence and bullying - it may be that supply was so easy that it was not a source of conflict - although some prisoners told us they or their families had been subject to intimidation in relation to drugs. The prison's strategy for reducing violence was poor and insufficiently informed by analysis of data. Links with drug reduction and security strategies were weak. The regime was too often curtailed by 'suspensions in movement around the prison to manage incidents which were isolated on wings and did not require a wider response. Use of segregation was high although stays were short; governance of this was poor and we saw little evidence of any efforts to address the behaviour of the prisoners concerned. In practice this meant prisoners spending a few days lying on their bunks, in dirty cells, with nothing to do - and with no discernible effect. Use of force was low but we were also concerned that governance of this was weak and there was insufficient assurance that its use was always necessary and proportionate. Measures to prevent self-harm were not proportionate to risk and focused on the procedure rather than the prisoner. Humiliating anti-ligature clothing that consisted of baggy green tear-proof shorts and a top was used frequently. The older 'H-Block' accommodation which had no in-cell sanitation was very poor and needed to be replaced but the newer accommodation was much better. For most prisoners, good standards of cleanliness, a decent although rather bleak external environment, good time out of cell, combined with good relationships between staff and prisoners mitigated many of the weaknesses in the prison. Catholic prisoners reported more negatively than Protestant prisoners and there was some evidence to reflect worse outcomes. The prison needed to do more to understand and address this. Support for other prisoners whose needs were different from the majority also needed to be improved. Health services were good. Although prisoners had plenty of time out of the cells, there was insufficient constructive activity and little incentive for them to take advantage of the opportunities that were available. Quantity and quality of activities were very poor. Forty per cent of prisoners were unemployed, much of the work that did exist was mundane and the range of training and education was limited, unrelated to the labour market, and offered only low level qualifications. Prisoners who were working hard in some of the better workshops complained, with justification, that because the wage structure was heavily linked to the behaviour management scheme, a well behaved prisoner received practically the same 'wage' whether they worked or not. Prisoners at Magilligan were poorly prepared for work after they left the prison. In sharp contrast, real progress had been made in resettlement with some excellent and joined-up offender management driven by both the prison and probation staff. Good use was made of home leave to support re-integration and family contacts, and some decent practical resettlement support was offered. Children and families, work and the range of interventions available were particularly strong. More focus was needed to realise the potential of the semi-open Foyleview unit which, in conjunction with a linked unit in Belfast, had the potential to be a very important and innovative resettlement resource. However, that potential was not yet realised. Progress in this area should provide managers with a template of what could be achieved in improving purposeful activity, given sufficient attention and resources. Overall, this is a much more mixed picture than the last inspection. It is important that the strengths of the prison - very good relationships, reasonable levels of safety and good resettlement work - are not undermined by a risk averse culture, insufficient purposeful activity and an unwillingness to challenge poor behaviour. The prison's work on resettlement shows what can be done and provides a standard to which the prison as a whole should aspire. Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, 2015. 109p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 15, 2015 at: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/ni-prison-service/nips-publications/nips-cjini-inspection-reports/cjini-report-on-an-unannounced-inspection-of-magilligan-prison-27-may-to-5-june-2014.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/ni-prison-service/nips-publications/nips-cjini-inspection-reports/cjini-report-on-an-unannounced-inspection-of-magilligan-prison-27-may-to-5-june-2014.pdf Shelf Number: 135234 Keywords: Correctional InstitutionsPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrisonersPrisons (Northern Ireland) |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division Title: Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Contract No. DJB1PC007 Awarded to Reeves County, Texas to Operate theReeves County Detention Center I/II Pecos, Texas Summary: In January 2007, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) awarded Contract No. DJB1PC007 to Reeves County, Texas (Reeves County) to operate the Reeves County Detention Center compounds R1 and R2 (RCDC I/II). The purpose of this service contract is to house up to 2,407 low-security, non-U.S. citizen adult males. The contract has a 4-year base period with three 2-year option periods, an estimated value of $493 million, and is the Department's second largest contract in terms of total dollars obligated since fiscal year 2014, according to the Federal Procurement Data System. In early 2015, the BOP exercised the contract's third and final option period to extend performance through January 2017. Reeves County subcontracted management of RCDC I/II to The GEO Group, Inc. (the GEO Group), a Florida-based corporation. Reeves County also subcontracted with Correct Care Solutions, LLC (CCS), a Tennessee-based company, to provide comprehensive healthcare services to RCDC I/II inmates.1 The BOP conducts monitoring and oversight of RCDC I/II operations and is responsible for examining all areas of the contract including health services, education, recreation, food service, correctional services, correctional programs, safety, inmate services, and any other area in which inmates voice concerns during interactions with BOP staff. In January 2009, there was an inmate riot at RCDC I/II.2 The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted this audit to assess BOP and RCDC I/II compliance with contract terms and conditions in the areas of billings and payments, staffing requirements, and contract oversight and monitoring. We found that Reeves County and CCS failed to comply with provisions of the Service Contract Act of 1965 (Service Contract Act). As a result, we identified almost $3 million that we either questioned as unallowable or unsupported, or believe should be put to better use.3 Specifically, we found that Reeves County improperly requested and the BOP improperly paid $1.95 million in fringe benefits it was not entitled to receive, including $175,436 in payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance that were incorrectly calculated. Additionally, CCS requested and the BOP paid $74,765 in fringe benefits that were not properly supported with payroll documentation. Also, we identified and CCS acknowledged fringe benefit underpayments covering 12 current and former CCS employees totaling $22,628. Upon learning about our finding and quantifying these errors, CCS sent reimbursement checks to the 12 current and former CCS employees for the fringe benefit underpayments. Some of the aforementioned unallowable reimbursements have a compounding effect over time because they are incorporated into each monthly invoice until the contract ends. We therefore found that, in addition to remedying the unallowable reimbursements it has already made, the BOP should reduce the contract's monthly price by $41,088 to ensure the contractor will not improperly charge BOP an additional $945,024 should the contract continue through its final month in January 2017. We concluded that these errors were not identified previously because the BOP and the contractors did not have an accurate understanding of certain fundamental requirements of the Service Contract Act. We further found that, between February 2007 and December 2014, RCDC I/II was rated "deficient" or "unsatisfactory" in 6 of 12 award fee evaluation periods.4 BOP's award fee rating reports reflected that RCDC I/II consistently struggled to meet or exceed baseline contractual standards, received an unacceptable number of deficiencies and notices of concern; was unresponsive to BOP inquiries; struggled with staffing issues in health services and correctional services; and frequently submitted inaccurate routine paperwork, including erroneous disciplinary hearing records and monthly invoices. In addition, the BOP reports repeatedly described RCDC I/II's quality control program as minimally or marginally effective. BOP reports indicate that performance improved over time, particularly in 2013 when the contractor received a "good" rating and its first award fee, and in 2014 when the contractor received a "very good" rating and its second award fee. Regarding staffing, we found that during this contract's solicitation process, the BOP requested contractors to submit two offers, one of which eliminated minimum staffing requirements, such as maintaining staffing levels up to 90 percent for correctional services, 85 percent for health services, and 85 percent for all other departments of the BOP approved staffing plan. BOP officials told us they removed these staffing requirements to achieve cost savings and grant the contractor flexibility and discretion to manage the staffing of the facility. As a result, from the start of the contract to March 2009 there were no minimum staffing requirements for the facility. During that time, we found that the number of Correctional Officers was significantly below the 90 percent threshold that was later reincorporated into the contract after the inmate riot in January 2009. Using Staffing Report and Wage Determination information, we found that from April 2007 to March 2009, Reeves County would have spent an additional $4.67 million in order to fill enough Correctional Officer positions to meet the Staffing Plan thresholds that were later reincorporated in the contract after the January 2009 riot. According to an After-Action Report prepared by BOP officials following the January 2009 riot, the BOP noted that while low staffing levels alone were not the direct cause of the disturbances, they directly affected Security and Health Services functions. Following the inmate riot, the BOP reinstated the minimum staffing requirements into the contract, resulting in significantly increased staff at RCDC I/II, including Correctional Officer staffing that has typically been above the 90 percent threshold since the contract change.We found that RCDC I/II has also had significant issues staffing its health services unit. In December 2010, the BOP added to all contracts with privately managed correctional facilities a requirement that the contractor staff its health services unit so that staffing levels equaled or exceeded 85 percent of the contract requirement. However, from December 2010 through December 2013, a period spanning 37 months, RCDC I/II failed to meet the 85 percent threshold in 34 of the 37 months. After we expressed our concerns with these staffing issues, CCS began a concerted effort to adequately staff RCDC I/II and has exceeded the 85 percent threshold from September 2014 through February 2015. Because RCDC I/II consistently failed to achieve the 85 percent staffing requirement from December 2010 through December 2013, its vacant health services positions became subject to invoice deductions. Specifically, the Federal Acquisition Regulation authorizes the BOP to address non-compliant staffing by reducing the contract price to reflect the "reduced value of the services performed." However, the BOP calculated the reduced value of the services performed based on the minimum pay rates required by Department of Labor (DOL) issued wage determinations instead of the higher market value salaries that CCS had been paying its health services personnel, resulting in smaller invoice deductions. For one personnel category, licensed vocational nurses, we estimated that CCS would have had to pay $314,856 more in total compensation from 2011-2013, had the BOP continued to use actual rates as the basis for deductions instead of the lesser DOL rate. Given RCDC I/II's past issues with staffing its health services unit and the differences between the aforementioned deduction methods, we believe that BOP's use of the DOL rate as a deduction basis creates a potential financial incentive for CCS to accept less costly monthly vacancy deductions rather than filling costlier positions at market rates. Our audit also assessed RCDC I/II's quality control program. We found that this program, which had been minimally or marginally effective, improved over time and BOP onsite staff generally provided comprehensive monitoring and oversight. However, we identified areas for continued improvement. Specifically, RCDC I/II needs to retain original quality control-related documentation as required by the contract, fully document monitoring activities, and complete corrective action plans for significant deficiencies. Finally, we found that RCDC I/II officials had converted a general population housing unit into a "modified monitoring unit" referred to as the "J-Unit." The purpose of the J-Unit was to isolate from the rest of the compound's population inmates found to be coercing other inmates to join demonstrations, and whose behavior was creating institutional security problems capable of jeopardizing the safety of RCDC I/II staff and inmates. J-Unit inmates have more restricted movement and less access to institutional services than general population inmates. The OIG's review of the J-Unit determined that RCDC I/II lacked specific policies and procedures that addressed important aspects of the J-Unit's operations, such as (1) guidance on what evidence is necessary to place an inmate into the J-Unit; (2) procedures to ensure inmates receive due process with respect to placement in J-Unit, including the ability to challenge their placement in the J-Unit and the steps necessary to re-designate inmates to an unrestricted general population unit; (3) monitoring or oversight mechanisms to ensure the J-Unit is used as intended; and (4) safeguards to ensure inmate rights are consistent, to the maximum extent possible in light of security concerns, with inmates in other general population housing. This report makes 18 recommendations to assist BOP in improving contractor and subcontractor operations and BOP monitoring and oversight at RCDC I/II under Contract No. DJB1PC007, and in addressing the almost $3 million identified as questioned costs and funds that should be put to better use. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, 2015. 85p. Source: Internet Resource: Audit Division 15-15: Accessed April 30, 2015 at: http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/2015/a1515.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/2015/a1515.pdf Shelf Number: 135430 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationFederal PrisonsPrison AdministrationPrison Conditions (Texas) |
Author: United Nations Title: Handbook on Women and Imprisonment. 2nd edition, with reference to the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (The Bangkok Rules) Summary: The present Handbook forms part of a series of tools developed by The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to support countries in implementing the rule of law and the development of criminal justice reform. It is designed to be used by all actors involved in the criminal justice system, including policymakers, legislators, prison managers, prison staff, members of non-governmental organizations and other individuals interested or active in the field of criminal justice and prison reform. It can be used in a variety of contexts, both as a reference document and as a training tool. What the Handbook covers The main focus of the Handbook is female prisoners and guidance on the components of a gender-sensitive approach to prison management, taking into account the typical background of female prisoners and their special needs as women in prison (chapters 1 and 2). Three special categories of female prisoners have been included in chapter 2 of the Handbook: pretrial detainees, foreign national women and girls in prison (sections 13.1, 13.2 and 13.3). These three groups were selected because their vulnerability and special needs are particularly pronounced due to the cumulative effects of their status and gender. However, it is important to note that, according to Convention on the Rights of the Child-a legally binding instrument that most States have ratified or acceded to-States should only deprive a child of his or her liberty as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time (Art. 37 (b) CRC). In addition, girls and boys deprived of their liberty should be dealt with by a specialized juvenile justice system that promotes alternative measures to formal judicial institutionalization of girls should be avoided to the maximum possible extent, and separate strategies and policies in accordance with international standards need to be designed for the treatment and rehabilitation of this category of prisoners. The distinctive needs of minorities and indigenous peoples in terms of their access to gender and culture specific programmes and services are covered in chapter 2, as relevant. For more detailed guidance on the needs of women prisoners from ethnic and racial minority groups and indigenous peoples, as well as other groups, such as older women prisoners, women with disabilities and women under sentence of death, the reader should refer to the UNODC Handbook on Prisoners with Special Needs, which covers the needs of such prisoners, men and women. Reference will need to be made to both handbooks, when dealing with the situation of such categories of female prisoners. In view of the significant rise in the rate of women's imprisonment in many countries worldwide, the Handbook also provides an overview of measures that could be taken to reduce the female prison population (chapter 3). It puts forward some recommendations, taking into consideration the most common offences which lead to women's imprisonment and the harmful effects of imprisonment on the social reintegration of a large majority of female offenders. It must be emphasized that this section of the Handbook does not provide a comprehensive examination of the reasons for the growing rate of women's imprisonment in different regions and countries, nor detailed guidelines on how this challenge may be addressed in different contexts. Neither does it provide a thorough overview of the impact of women's imprisonment on their children, though this is a key concern that is repeatedly highlighted in the Handbook. It covers some of the issues that stand out in relation to women's increasing imprisonment, and a number of measures that can reduce their rate of incarceration, when it does not serve the purposes of justice or social reintegration. By highlighting and drawing attention to some key issues, this chapter aims to generate further research and the development of policies and strategies to reduce the female prison population in different countries and regions worldwide. In this context, readers may also wish to consult the UNODC Handbook of Basic Principles and Promising Practices on Alternatives to Imprisonment, the UNODC Handbook on Restorative Justice Programmes and the UNODC Handbook on Strategies to Reduce Overcrowding in Prisons, for further practical guidance. Recognizing the shortage of information on the background and characteristics of women offenders in many countries, chapter 4 addresses the need for research, planning, evaluation, public awareness-raising and training. This area is considered essential to improve the knowledge base about women offenders, to develop strategies and policies to best meet the needs of women offenders and their children, and to The United Nations General Assembly resolution on human rights in the administration of justice, adopted on 22 December 2003 called for increased attention to be devoted to the issue of women in prison, including the children of women in prison, with a view to identifying the key problems and ways in which they can be addressed. The United Nations General Assembly resolution 61/143 on the intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women, adopted on 19 December 2006, stressed that 'violence against women' means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including ... arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life", and urged States, among others, "[t]o review and, where appropriate, revise, amend or abolish all laws, regulations, policies, practices and customs that discriminate against women or have a discriminatory impact on women, and ensure that provisions of multiple legal systems, where they exist, comply with international human rights obligations, commitments and principles, including the principle of non-discrimination"; "[t]o take positive measures to address structural causes of violence against women and to strengthen prevention efforts that address discriminatory practices and social norms, including with regard to women who need special attention ... such as ... women in institutions or in detention...", among others; and to provide training and capacity-building on gender equality and women's rights for law enforcement personnel and the judiciary, among others. This Handbook aims to assist legislators, policymakers, prison managers, staff and non-governmental organizations to implement the provisions of the Bangkok Rules as well as the resolutions and recommendations of the United Nations to address the gender-specific needs of women prisoners. It also aims to increase the awareness about the profile of female offenders and to suggest ways in which to reduce their unnecessary imprisonment by rationalizing legislation and criminal justice policies, and by providing a wide range of alternatives to prison at all stages of the criminal justice process. Details: New York: UNODC, 2014. 162p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2015 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/women_and_imprisonment_-_2nd_edition.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/women_and_imprisonment_-_2nd_edition.pdf Shelf Number: 135445 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationFemale InmatesFemale OffendersFemale PrisonersGender-Specific ResponsesPrison Administration |
Author: Association of State Correctional Administrators Title: Assessment of Use of Force Policy and Practices within the Florida Department of Corrections Summary: The Florida Department of Corrections today highlighted the completion of a full report by the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) on the results of their independent audit of the Department's use of force policies and procedures. ASCA reported that at all levels of the agency, it is readily apparent that a thorough review of the use of force policy is welcomed and there exists impressive commitment to improve the policy and practice of using force legally and appropriately. Secretary Julie Jones said, "I would like to thank the Association of State Correctional Administrators for completing this audit on behalf of the Florida Department of Corrections. The information provided in this review reflects the Department's ongoing efforts to increase accountability and safety within our institutions and our goal of becoming a national leader in correctional policy. I look forward to implementing the recommendations provided in this review and further improving and strengthening the operations of this department." The audit took place at Columbia, Dade, Martin, Santa Rosa, Suwannee and Union Correctional Institutions. This use of force audit was requested by DOC in 2014 and is separate from the audit ordered by the Governor in Executive Order 15-134 in July. Auditors selected each facility based on criteria such as the number and nature of use of force incidents, inmate population size, geographical location and predominant custody level. During the review, a team of auditors focused on the following five key areas: use of force policy, facility use of force procedures, facility culture, staffing and security operations. Details: Tallahassee: Florida Department of Corrections, 2015. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 24, 2015 at: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/secretary/press/2015/ASCA%20Use%20of%20Force%20Audit%20(2015).pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/secretary/press/2015/ASCA%20Use%20of%20Force%20Audit%20(2015).pdf Shelf Number: 136862 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCorrections OfficersInmate DisciplinePrison AdministrationPrison GuardsPrisoner Misconduct |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General. Evaluation and Inspections Division Title: Management of the Special Programs Unit at the Federal Bureau of Prisons Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York Summary: The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced today the release of a report examining the management of the Special Programs Unit (SPU) at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York (MDC Brooklyn). The DOJ OIG's review sought to determine whether MDC Brooklyn's management controls, policies, and practices could have contributed to alleged disruptions to safety and security in 2011 and 2012 by inmate Ronell Wilson, who was convicted of capital murder and who had a months-long sexual relationship with a correctional officer that resulted in the birth of their child. Our review identified concerns related to BOP's placement of Wilson in the SPU, which primarily houses vulnerable inmates with mental health issues, without implementing safeguards or providing guidance to correctional staff on how to manage him. We also identified areas where MDC Brooklyn's ability to communicate information across shifts and housing units should be improved, although we did not find that these deficiencies directly led to Wilson's alleged disruptions. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2015. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2015 at: https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2015/e1508.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2015/e1508.pdf Shelf Number: 136880 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison ManagementPrisoner MisconductPrisoners |
Author: Reid Howie Associates Title: HMP Low Moss Research Programme into Innovative Practice 2012-2014. (Vol 2). Relationships, Culture and Ethos Summary: There have been a number of significant changes in the SPS in recent years at strategic, policy and practice level, and in wider criminal justice policy. The new HMP Low Moss has been involved in implementing and testing innovative practice and the revised SPS operating philosophy since it opened in March 2012. A range of new practices have been introduced into the prison which are designed to stimulate, promote and sustain cultural change and to support prisoner rehabilitation within the new penal environment. A programme of research has been undertaken to explore these innovative practices in Low Moss and their impact, in the context of wider changes. This research was part of that programme, and the overall objectives of this study were to examine the quality of relationships within the regime and the nature of the prevailing culture and ethos in Low Moss. The study took an "Appreciative Inquiry" (AI) approach to identifying the key issues for those living and working in Low Moss, with a focus on identifying "best experiences" throughout/ Key Findings There were generally very positive views of the relationships, culture and ethos in Low Moss from stakeholder groups of all types. The research identified a prevalent view that Low Moss was different (and preferable) to other prisons in Scotland. Key factors included the focus in the prison on: - Relationships based on mutual respect, support and appropriate values. - Positive relationships with families. - Provision of opportunities and holistic support to prisoners, to enable change. - The overall environment, including safety and comfort. - A positive, "can-do" ethos and culture. The research found that the Low Moss regime, operating philosophy and culture were seen to have become an integral part of the prison in its first 18 months, with the approach having "bedded in". The approach was seen to have a positive impact upon stakeholders in terms of, for example: day to day well-being and satisfaction; personal development; addressing specific issues; promoting positive change among prisoners; and contributing to the likelihood of their future desistance from offending. There was found to be a shared strategic approach and "vision" at senior management level, with a high level of commitment, as well as good team-working and mutual support and a general focus on enabling and encouraging new ideas. Most staff viewed working in Low Moss favourably, with strong teamworking and generally positive views of relationships with a range of stakeholders. Staff recognised the difference in their work with prisoners implied by the Low Moss approach, and many valued the challenge. The prison was seen to have high expectations of staff, and staff were generally proud of their involvement in "making a difference". There were seen to be good opportunities for learning and development for ambitious staff. Most of the prisoners identified Low Moss as being different to other prisons they had experienced, and expressed positive views of the difference. Aspects of the Low Moss approach identified as particularly important to them included: better treatment by staff; the "family-friendly approach"; positive opportunities and support; the relaxed atmosphere; and the safe, clean, well-equipped and modern environment. Relationships between prisoners themselves were also seen to be generally good, particularly in the PIP section (for those in custody for the first time), and the provision of support by other prisoners was common. Prisoners generally felt that they were listened to, and that the staff would explain reasons for decisions more readily than in other prisons. Other stakeholders and service providers were also very positive overall about the prison, and their own experiences and involvement. There was seen to be a good level of partnership and "joined up" working, with input from other stakeholders being seen as integral to the holistic approach within the prison. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Prison Service, 2014. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2015 at: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Publications/Publication-3520.aspx Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Publications/Publication-3520.aspx Shelf Number: 137004 Keywords: Children of PrisonersCorrectional AdministrationCorrections OfficersFamilies of InmatesPrison AdministrationPrisons |
Author: Perkins, Andy Title: Evaluation of the High Care Needs within the Scottish Prisoner Population Summary: The 2012 High Care Needs Assessment conducted for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) indicated that a small proportion of the prisoner population have high care needs, including severe physical disabilities, some of whom may not be able to cope with the prison regime and require assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). In terms of the evolving appreciation of what is meant by 'High Care Needs' Prisoners the 2012 report was limited in its scope of 'describing the size of the population who find the prison regime difficult due to disability'. The report did not consider a broader base of high care needs such as those arising from: cognitive impairment; post-traumatic stress disorder; mental health issues; and conditions associated with aging. However, the report did rightly acknowledge that the challenges associated with high care needs are likely to increase in future years due to: the trend for increasingly longer sentences; people surviving longer into old age; and the older age at which some sexual offenders are sentenced. A proportion of prisoners with high care needs are eligible and wish to seek release on compassionate grounds when the end of life is anticipated and when they fit the criteria in respect of health, social and public safety grounds. Other prisoners in this predicament are: ineligible for compassionate release; not willing to contemplate release; or prefer to die in prison. Since November 2011, there has been a separation of duties of care which were previously held by the prison. Since December 2012, arrangements are now underpinned by a memorandum of understanding between the Scottish Ministers, acting through the Scottish Prison Service and NHS Scotland2. The general duty of care remains with prisons, whereas the duty of healthcare has transferred to local NHS boards. The issue of social care and support in prisons is an emerging issue, which has recently been debated at the National Prisoner Healthcare Network (NPHN) and the SPS Offender Outcome Delivery Group (OODG). Whilst SPS does not currently have a large number of prisoners across Scotland who require assistance with daily living, numbers are on the increase and there is a need to address the emerging social care issues. The lines of responsibility for social care are presently unclear with assistance currently provided by healthcare staff, prison staff and other prisoners. One particular prison in Scotland (HMP Glenochil) has procured, at their own financial cost, a social care service through a private national specialist provider. Prison models vary according to the assessed need and the prison. Against this backdrop of inconsistent practice, a number of legislative changes are being introduced in England with the introduction of new commissioning structures for prison health and relationships within regions under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Responsibility for the social care of prisoners is to be placed with the Local Authority of residence under the Care Bill 2013 which is currently going through parliament. This will be supported by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). At the same time, Scotland is planning the integration of health and social care through the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill 2013. The Bill provides the framework which will support the improvement of the quality and consistency of health and social care services in Scotland. However, as this Bill is not specific to offenders in custody, SPS is working in collaboration with the Scottish Government to seek an alternative policy approach to the management of prisoners with high care needs in prisons. The SPS has set up a Working Group to consider the future management of offenders with high care needs, including social care issues, across Scottish prisons. The remit of the group is to develop an agreed pathway for offenders with high care needs across the Criminal Justice System to include throughcare services between the community and prison, taking cognisance of legislative change. Details: Dundee: Figure 8 Consultancy Services Ltd., 2014. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2015 at: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Publications/Publication-3083.aspx Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Publications/Publication-3083.aspx Shelf Number: 137008 Keywords: Aftercare Disabilities Health Care Medical Services Prison AdministrationPrisoners |
Author: Scottish Prison Service Title: Unlocking Potential, Transforming Lives Summary: This report is a robust and intelligent appraisal of where we are now and where we need to get to in future. It is long overdue. The authors persuasively make the case for SPS becoming an ambitious organisation that has at its core skilled and professionalised people who are highly trained and continually developed. Through our people I am convinced that we will achieve and honour the ambitions to which the report convincingly encourages us to aspire: Unlocking Potential, Transforming Lives. Our exciting future is set out in the pages of this report and, as I anticipated in the 2012 annual SACRO lecture, it heralds what I believe will be a golden age for the Scottish Prison Service. The Scottish Prison Service has a strong record of service delivery, achievement and sound operational management. We need to build on these past successes and on our heritage, whilst having the courage to reflect and then decide what needs to change to meet future expectations. We need to demonstrate our effective contribution towards National Outcomes and the Strategy for Justice in Scotland. To be truly effective in this we cannot work alone. It is only by working together with other providers that we will make Scotland safer and stronger. We must focus on what we know works in reducing reoffending and provide sound evidence of our progress. We need to transform our approach to offender management and our efforts to improve wellbeing. In particular, we need to reduce reoffending amongst those 9,000 - 10,000 short-term offenders leaving our care each year. Our future Vision will focus on each individual in our care throughout their time in custody and beyond. By taking an individualised asset-based approach we will continue to address risks and needs but also build on an individual's strengths and potential. By doing this, we will empower those in our care to unlock their potential and transform their lives. This is a demanding agenda that should engage, challenge and motivate staff and offenders alike. It means we must develop our staff to be even better at what they do now and to take on the new things that they will need to do tomorrow as we operate in new and different ways, changing how we work both within and beyond the prison walls. Some of you may still be questioning why we need to change. Now, not only as an organisation but as a nation, we have high and legitimate aspirations for our generation and for those who follow. If we are going to achieve these, we have to address the seemingly intractable issue of recidivism, a burden that is a millstone around our economy's neck. To be clear, this is not a soft-touch liberal agenda; it makes hard-nosed economic sense to do so. Audit Scotland reported that the cost of crime in our country is about $3 billion every year. How many schools, hospitals, roads or houses does that represent? Moreover, for the victims of crime there can be no more powerful justification for tackling reoffending and supporting reintegration than doing so in their name to try, as best we can, to ensure that there are far fewer victims of crime in future. The recommendations set out in the report change our aspirations as a national service. Much can be done immediately, as many of the recommendations are both practical and feasible. Some are so fundamental that we need to take time to consider them, seeking agreement on how we move forward. We will also need to consider affordability and cost in prioritising the order in which we take things forward. The Organisational Review Report provides the basis of our future Road Map for change, change which will be both incremental and transformational. This change will enable our organisation to help to create a justice system in Scotland that is a model of excellence. I have accepted in principle the broad direction of the recommendations in the Report. This is a unique opportunity to deliver a singular Vision that we can all work together to achieve. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Prison Service, 2013. 254p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2015 at: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Publications/Corporate9.aspx Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Publications/Corporate9.aspx Shelf Number: 137349 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCorrectional InstitutionsPrison AdministrationPrison ReformPrisons |
Author: Prison Reform Trust Title: Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile. Autumn 2015 Summary: "Prison is a place where people are sent as a punishment, not for further punishments...Human beings whose lives have been reckoned so far in costs-to society, to the criminal justice system, to victims and to themselves-can become assets- citizens who can contribute and demonstrate the human capacity for redemption." Not the introduction to the latest Prison Reform Trust annual report, but the words of the incoming Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove, in July 2015, and a welcome reassertion of principles which should underpin any civilised penal system. So far so good. But he has inherited both a system that is deteriorating on internal and external measures, and a requirement to carve anything from 25% to 40% out of its budget over the next five years. The prison service will be clinging to the hope that the worst is over, that after three years of drastic cuts prisons will slowly settle into diminished routines and staffing levels-a new impoverished normality. The evidence of this briefing gives little cause for optimism. Violence and disorder have risen sharply. Suicides continue to rise, and the reductions achieved through so much effort in the previous decade have been reversed. Levels of purposeful activity were judged unacceptable in three-quarters of prisons inspected. Some individual prisons buck the trend. The Mount, Peterborough, Kirklevington Grange and others have received warm praise from inspections in 2015. Even HMP Oakwood, heavily criticised after its opening in 2013, was judged to have turned a corner. But the worst reports conjured up images of almost Dickensian squalor. Longstanding structural flaws remain. More than a quarter of prisoners live in overcrowded prisons. One in four of the country's prisoners comes from an ethnic minority-compared to one in 10 of the general population. 82% of women are in prison for non-violent offences. 20% to 30% of prisoners have a learning disability or difficulty that interferes with their ability just to understand the criminal justice system. A staggering 12,000 prisoners do not even know when they will be released. During a period when crime has fallen sharply, average sentence length has increased by a third. We continue to use prisons in implausibly remote locations. The population of prisoners over 60 has tripled, while we build prisons designed (and priced) to contain the most determined escapee. There are new threats. The introduction of a year's mandatory post release supervision for short sentences guarantees a higher turnover in the most overcrowded prisons as inadequately prepared ex-prisoners fail to keep to their licence conditions. In prisons struggling with staffing reductions and reduced regimes, the advent of new psychoactive substances could hardly have come at a worse time. Above all, the government's determination to reduce the national fiscal deficit will hit unprotected departments-including the Ministry of Justice- with disproportionate force. That extraordinary challenge, however, represents an opportunity to rethink our approach both to the use of imprisonment and to the experience it should represent. The answer to the dilemma lies in one of the few success stories of recent years. The number of children (under-18s) in custody has fallen by over two-thirds in the last seven years. Yet at the same time, the crime committed by children has also plummeted, with proven offences down by 72% from their peak in 2005-06. The number of young adults (18-20 year olds) sent to prison has also started to decline, as the conveyor belt from child offender to young adult prisoner has slowed. If we translate that determination to make imprisoning children genuinely a last resort into the adult sphere, and reverse the sentence inflation which accounts for two-thirds of the population growth of the last two decades, the possibility of making dramatic savings is real. A prison population at the level it was the last time there was a Conservative majority government would save its current successor around $1bn a year. Increasing sentence lengths has been a comfort blanket for every government of the last 20 years. To make matters worse, prison is still seen as a free good so far as local communities are concerned- the trade off between money spent on prison officers rather than nurses or teachers remains invisible to the local taxpayer. The uncomfortable truth is that most of that expensive additional prison time is both unnecessary and wasted. The litany of frustration, depression and idleness described in this publication's statistics has its physical expression in underused facilities and long, pointless, hours behind cell doors. Reinvesting a fraction of the saving from closing prisons to create a custodial experience that is both purposeful and properly intense would be a practical legacy worthy of the new Secretary of State's visionary rhetoric. Details: London: PRT, 2015. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2015 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Bromley%20Briefings/Factfile%20Autumn%202015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Bromley%20Briefings/Factfile%20Autumn%202015.pdf Shelf Number: 137362 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrisonersPrisons |
Author: Stys, Yvonne Title: Examining the Needs and Motivations of Canada's Federally Incarcerated Radicalized Offenders Summary: This study allowed for an enhanced understanding of the motivations and needs of radicalized offenders, while providing the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) with further evidence that can be used in its considerations of how to intervene and case manage this population of offenders in the future. This research underscores the need for increased attention to offender motivation and how it impacts case management, supervision, and intervention strategies for radicalized offenders. What we found Results indicated that 30% of radicalized offenders had purely ideological motives for their actions, 17% were purely motivated by criminal (non-ideological) drivers, and 53% held both ideological and non-ideological motivations for their crimes. The most common ideological motivations included a desire for political change, and a desire to respond to a group grievance. Non-ideological motivations were most frequently identified as the desire for material gain and the desire for friendship. Those radicalized offenders who committed the more serious acts (as per the definition of radicalized offender) and those who were seen as leaders of the group were more frequently identified as having purely ideological motivations. Assessment of criminogenic needs via the Dynamic Factor Identification and Analysis instrument revealed that a large proportion of radicalized offenders had needs in the associates, attitudes, and personal/emotional domains and a small proportion had needs in the areas of substance abuse and community functioning. These differences were more pronounced when ideologically-motivated offenders were examined separately, indicating that perhaps the needs of non-ideologically motivated radicalized offenders are more similar to those found in the non-radicalized, general offender population. Similarly, ideologically motivated offenders held many more of the other violent-extremist needs than did non-ideologically motivated radicalized offenders. Why we did this study CSC strives to contribute to the safety and security of society through identifying and addressing the criminogenic needs and criminal motivations of the federally incarcerated offender population. While much is known about the needs of the general offender population, there exists significantly less empirical evidence concerning the needs of those federally-sentenced individuals motivated by ideology: radicalized offenders. This research sought to examine and understand the specific motivations and needs of federally incarcerated radicalized offenders, with the ultimate goal of contributing to an evidence-based approach to effective correctional interventions and case management for these offenders. What we did Using data from the Offender Management System (OMS) as well as information coded from various sources, the motivations (ideological Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2014. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/005/008/092/005008-r344-eng.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/005/008/092/005008-r344-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 137811 Keywords: Extremist GroupsPrison AdministrationPrisonersRadical GroupsRadicalizationRadicalized Offenders |
Author: Sanhueza, Guillermo E. Title: Exploring Correlates of Prison Violence in Chilean Prisons: Examining nationwide, administrative data Summary: In modern times, imprisonment has been established as punishment and not for punishment, which means that the only right that is suspended has to do with freedom of movement. Nevertheless, serving a sentence in Chilean prisons has become a form of continuous punishment that extends far beyond the mere deprivation of liberty. Indeed, Chilean prisons have been criticized for their levels of overcrowding, lack of access to rehabilitative programs, and for their levels of mistreatment towards inmates. In addition, violence has become a common, daily reality in many facilities throughout the country. Its occurrence is problematic not only because it threats security and order inside prisons, but also because it undermines any attempt to successfully develop rehabilitative initiatives inside prison walls. Despite that prison violence has been studied in developed nations, much remains unanswered for developing countries. Thus, this dissertation will try to fill part of this gap by analyzing the correlates of violent events in Chilean prisons as well as by examining which theory of prison violence (among deprivation, administrative-control and importation) seemed to better explain the study's results. In order to do that, this study employed a combination of both administrative data from the Chilean Bureau of Prisons (Gendarmeria de Chile) and some results of the First National Survey on Inmates' Perception of Quality of Life, conducted in 2013 (Sanhueza, in press). Anchored in the literature review and on empirical findings on prison violence, this study included six representative indicators coming for the three theories tested, while controlling for total inmate population size. Then, descriptive analyses and a series of multivariate, negative binomial regression models were run. Main results indicated that the two importation variables (average inmates' age and the proportion of inmates highly-engaged in criminal activities) and the control variable remained significant in the full model. Finally, this study highlights some of their possibilities and limitations, as well as suggests some further research questions and policy implications. Details: Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 2014. 123p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 28, 2016 at: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/110463/gesanhue_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2014 Country: Chile URL: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/110463/gesanhue_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 138448 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationPrison AdministrationPrison RiotsPrison ViolencePrisoner MisconductPrisons |
Author: Novis, Roberta Title: Hard Times: Exploring the Complex Structures and Activities of Brazilian Prison Gangs Summary: This research examines the presence of organised criminal groups in prison and its influence on inmate's interaction and on the prison system of Rio de Janeiro. Information collected from a series of in-depth interviews with prisoners and ex-prisoners, members and non-members of the criminal groups and authorities of the criminal justice system, suggests that the current social organisation of prisons is working favourably towards the further development of organised crime and deviant behaviour. Prisoners are subordinated not only to the prison administration but also to the gang leaders. If a convict had no links with drug trafficking prior to incarceration, they definitely create one behind bars. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of interviewees from the sensitive sample engaged in drug trafficking while in prison. Off-brand inmates, those who are the less conspicuous convicts, end up engaging in illegal activities to avoid retaliation, perpetuating then a cycle of violence in a fragmented geopolitical gang space behind bars. Political pressure towards the validity of the classification system stratified by gang affiliation has impacted on the prison administration to create multiple categories of prisoners, which are mutually exclusive. This has had pervasive impacts on penal affairs such as allocation of sentences, lack of vacancies and disruption of prisoner's routine. The research shows that the State goes beyond classification of inmates by gang affiliation; it has incorporated elements of gang's violent tradition to assess and influence justice and prisoner's progression. This study offers an interesting scope for a comparative analysis through the study of anti-prison gang strategies. Experiences around the globe have been driven to target gangs with racial and ethnical rivalries. Prison gangs in this study are devoted to a more capitalist goal: the monopoly of illegal drug markets in the streets. Such understandings and contextualizing make a significant contribution to re-examining the role of inmate culture as well as the value of contemporary penal reforms designed to making the penal institutions more responsive and interventionist in addressing inmate needs. Details: London: London School of Economics, 2013. 279p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 29, 2016 at: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/958/1/Novis_hard_times.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Brazil URL: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/958/1/Novis_hard_times.pdf Shelf Number: 138455 Keywords: Drug TraffickingOrganized CrimePrison AdministrationPrison GangsPrison ViolencePrisoners |
Author: New South Wales. Audit Office Title: Performance frameworks in custodial centre operations Summary: The effectiveness of Corrective Services NSW's performance framework is limited because organisational key performance indicators (KPIs) do not cascade to public correctional centres, according to a report released today by the Acting New South Wales Auditor-General, Tony Whitfield. "As a result, individual public correctional centres could not be assessed on how well they are contributing to overall Corrective Service objectives, and it is difficult to vary performance expectations in response to changing operating environments," said Mr Whitfield. "Its commissioning and contestability project is designed to address these issues," he added. Some key organisational targets were met and publicly reported In 2014-15, Corrective Services met five of 12 organisational targets. Targets that were not met include nil prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and eight hours' time out of cells for inmates in secure facilities. It advised that these targets reflect government policy and can be difficult to consistently achieve in a high risk corrective services environment. "Corrective Services does not publicly report on public correctional centre performance and provides only limited information for private centres, which limits transparency and accountability," said Mr Whitfield. Corrective Services' low time out of cells low cost system increases risk More inmates are being housed in existing facilities, reducing the time out of cells for inmates and the cost per inmate. "While the increasing number of inmates is reducing the inmate per day cost, it also is adversely affecting inmate welfare and increasing the risk of inmate self-harm," said Mr Whitfield. "In 2014-15 the inmate cost per day was $190.29," he added. The effectiveness of remedial action in response to poor KPI performance was limited Corrective Services set remedial actions in response to poor performance against KPIs, but correctional centre general managers found it difficult to deal with underperformance as not all employees have performance agreements. Correctional centres met most operating standards Corrective Services has developed a comprehensive suite of operating standards and specifications to assess correctional centres against international best practice. High security public centres met most operating standards while private centres met all but one operating specification for the 2014-15 contract year. Lower security public correctional centres have not been assessed against these standards. Private correctional centres met all but one performance linked fee Junee Correctional Centre met all of its performance linked fees and Parklea Correctional Centre met all but one for the 2014-15 contract year. The link between performance linked fees and outcomes could be strengthened by applying greater weight to outcomes-focused performance measures, such as prisoner-on-staff assaults. Details: Sydney: Audit Office, 2016. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2016 at: http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/publications/latest-reports/performance-frameworks-custodial-centre-ops Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/publications/latest-reports/performance-frameworks-custodial-centre-ops Shelf Number: 138520 Keywords: Correctional InstitutionsCorrrections ManagementPrison AdministrationPrisonsPrivate Prisons |
Author: Great Britain. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Title: Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Lewes Summary: HMP/YOI Lewes is a medium sized local prison with an uncrowded capacity of 617. At the time of the inspection it held just over 640 prisoners, including a substantial number awaiting trial or sentence. A third of the population were convicted of sexual offences, many with long or indeterminate sentences, and about 15% were in the last three months of their sentence and located at Lewes for pre-release resettlement support. As with other establishments, the number of older prisoners was rising and there was also a significant population of young adults. This complex mix presented considerable challenges and risks, exemplified by the first night centre. Sex offenders were held there because there was nowhere else to put them, and this meant that other new arrivals were placed wherever a space could be found in the prison. Some were even placed in the segregation unit, which is a particularly inappropriate location for someone new to prison. Most staff on other units were unaware of who the new arrivals were and could not therefore provide first night support and monitoring. Moreover, during our night visit, we found that some staff did not have anti-ligature knives and could not assure us that they would act appropriately in the event of a serious self-harm incident. This was in the context of over a quarter of prisoners in our survey reporting feeling depressed or suicidal on arrival, and a third saying they had mental health problems. Levels of violence and use of force were high and oversight of both was poor. Although we have seen rising violence in most prisons inspected over the last year, at Lewes the number of assaults was even higher than at other establishments recently inspected. However, the general picture on violence was complex and needed careful analysis; prisoners reported feeling relatively safe and selfharm was also lower than we see in other prisons. The safer custody structures that could have helped to understand and address such findings were lacking; violence reduction procedures were not being implemented and safer custody staff had no time to undertake the role. Most of the prison was clean and in good condition - a considerable achievement given that it was over 160 years old. Good relationships between staff and prisoners, many of whom were from the local area, were a strength that underpinned much of the positive work in the prison. The reassurance provided by the experienced staff group may help to explain why prisoners felt safe despite the high levels of violence. Health care was reasonably good but far too many external hospital appointments were missed as a result of a lack of escort staff. The increased number of hospital visits reflected the rise in older prisoners, approximately 10% of whom were over 60, more than double the figure at the last inspection. The oldest prisoner was over 90. However, despite creditable work by paid carers, provision for older and disabled prisoners was inadequate. Overall arrangements for equality and diversity were also poor. There was little systematic support for prisoners with protected characteristics and those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and foreign national prisoners were much more negative than others about their treatment. Purposeful activity outcomes had dipped since the last inspection, although they were improving. More short education courses were provided, which better met the needs of many prisoners, and completion and success rates on short courses and in vocational training were high. The library was well run and access to PE was good. However, far too many prisoners were still without purposeful activity. Despite a very recently introduced new regime, on some units people were routinely locked up for 23 hours and we found half of the population in their cells during our spot checks over the course of the working day. There were not enough activity places and some of the available places were unused. Details: London: HM Chief Inspectorate of Prisons, 2016. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2016 at: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/04/Lewes-web-2015.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/04/Lewes-web-2015.pdf Shelf Number: 138835 Keywords: Correctional Institutions Correctional ProgramsPrison AdministrationPrison Conditions Prison ViolencePrisoners Prisons |
Author: New York (State). Office of the State Inspector General Title: Investigation of the June 5, 2015 Escape of Inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt from Clinton Correctional Facility Summary: Shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, June 5, 2015, convicted murderers David Sweat and Richard Matt slipped through holes they had cut in the back walls of their cells in the Honor Block at Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). Using pipes as hand- and foot-holds, Sweat and Matt descended three tiers through a narrow space behind their cells to the prison's subterranean level. There they navigated a labyrinth of dimly lit tunnels and squeezed through a series of openings in walls and a steam pipe along a route they had prepared over the previous three months. When, at midnight, they emerged from a manhole onto a Village of Dannemora street a block outside the prison wall, Sweat and Matt had accomplished a remarkable feat: the first escape from the high-security section of Clinton in more than 100 years. A correction officer conducting the morning count discovered Sweat's and Matt's empty cells at 5:17 a.m. on Saturday, June 6. An hour later, after the entire prison had been searched, they were declared missing. A manhunt was launched by the New York State Police involving, at times, more than 1,300 officers from local, state, federal, and Canadian law enforcement agencies. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer fatally shot Matt, who was armed, in the Town of Malone on June 26, 2015. Sweat was apprehended on June 28, 2015 when, after failing to comply with an order to halt, he was shot and wounded by a State Police sergeant in the Town of Constable. The escape and three-week manhunt disrupted and brought fear to communities and residents throughout the region. The search for Sweat and Matt cost New York State approximately $23 million in state law enforcement overtime. The costs incurred by federal and local agencies, as well as other states and countries, are not included in this total. New York State spent an additional $573,000 on repairs to the prison and additional security measures. On June 15, while the search for Sweat and Matt was ongoing, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo directed Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott "to conduct a thorough investigation to determine all factors potentially involved in the escape" and "recommend any potential reforms and best practices to prevent future incidents." The Inspector General undertook this task and conducted a thorough investigation, independent of inquiries by any other entity or agency. The investigation found that longstanding, systemic failures in management and oversight by DOCCS enabled two convicted murderers to meticulously orchestrate their escape from a maximum security facility. In addition, security and management failures at Clinton created and perpetuated a culture of complacency and revealed a substantial deviation from acceptable correctional practices. During the pendency of the investigation, DOCCS has cooperated with the Inspector General and has implemented many of the recommended corrective measures. The Inspector General's investigation identified a number of DOCCS employees who committed criminal acts and violated DOCCS directives and policies. The Inspector General has referred these matters to the Clinton County District Attorney's Office, the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics, and DOCCS for appropriate action. DOCCS has taken and will continue to pursue affirmative steps to appropriately discipline employees implicated in the Inspector General's investigation. Many of these employees have resigned or have been terminated. Additionally, DOCCS has been cooperating with the American Correctional Association, which is assessing New York State's prison operations to ensure compliance with national standards. The Inspector General is providing the results of this investigation to the Association to assist with its endeavors. The results of the Inspector General's comprehensive investigation, which was conducted pursuant to Article 4-A of the Executive Law, are described in this report. Details: Albany: Office of the Inspector General, 2016. 154p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2016 at: https://ig.ny.gov/sites/default/files/pdfs/DOCCS%20Clinton%20Report%20FINAL_1.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://ig.ny.gov/sites/default/files/pdfs/DOCCS%20Clinton%20Report%20FINAL_1.pdf Shelf Number: 139523 Keywords: Clinton Correctional FacilityInmate EscapesPrison AdministrationPrison Escapes |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Justice Committee Title: Prison safety Summary: In this report we examine the Government's response to the ongoing and rapid deterioration in prison safety in England and Wales which began in 2012. We took evidence from the Prisons Minister and the Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service on prison safety in December 2015, and statistics published in January and April 2016 showed higher rates of self-harm and assaults than in the previous 12 months, and significant growth in the number of incidents compared to the previous quarter. We wished to reflect on the progress made by the Ministry of Justice and NOMS in their efforts to stabilise the rise in assaults against prisoners and staff, incidents of self-harm and self-inflicted deaths, and obtained the views of several key stakeholders in writing. The MoJ and NOMS have sought to improve prison safety through a wide range of legislative, operational and staff recruitment measures, including the creation of new offences of possession of new psychoactive substances and knife possession in prison and action to address violence through the use of body-worn cameras and to improve safeguarding procedures. Notwithstanding these considerable efforts, together with those of staff in prisons striving to keep prisoners and themselves secure and unharmed, overall levels of safety in prisons have not stabilised as the Ministry hoped, let alone improved and continue to deteriorate significantly. We say that this is a matter of great concern, and improvement is urgently needed. Our central recommendation is that the Ministry and NOMS together produce an action plan for improving prison safety, addressing the factors underlying the rises in violence, self-harm and suicide. Of particular concern is a major issue with staff retention which resulted in a net gain of only 440 prison officers last year following the recruitment of 2,250. This is against the fact that there are 7,000 fewer officers than in 2010, when the prison population was about 2,500 lower than it is now. We also say that we wish to receive quarterly reports over the remainder of this Parliament containing data which will enable progress against the plan to be evaluated. We will also continue discussions with HM Inspectorate of Prisons on scrutiny of NOMS' performance in managing prison safety. Details: London: House of Commons, 2016. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Sixth Report of Session 2015-16, HC 625: Accessed October 19, 2016 at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmjust/625/625.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmjust/625/625.pdf Shelf Number: 145897 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrison ViolencePrisons |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Justice Committee Title: Prison Reform: Governor empowerment and prison performance Summary: Within our overarching inquiry into the Government's prison reform programme we held a short 'sub-inquiry' into the plans for governor empowerment and prison performance, which are a central part of the overall programme. The Government intends to give prison governors greater autonomy and flexibility to shape the services provided in their prisons, emphasising the role of prisons in rehabilitation. Most of our witnesses supported these intentions, but many expressed concerns about the lack of clarity on the practical implications of the reforms. Some also questioned whether the reforms would address the current crisis in prisons. In this report, we have tried to clarify how the plans for governor empowerment and prison performance might operate and what risks will need to be mitigated. From April onwards, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will be responsible for prisons commissioning and policy, while the new HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) will be responsible for the operational management of prisons. We heard that policy and operations are not easily separated in the prison context and that this separation could result in governors as well as the Secretary of State receiving conflicting advice from the MoJ and HMPPS. Governors will operate to, and be accountable through, three-year performance agreements they sign with the Secretary of State. These agreements will be based around four new performance standards, which are tied to the four purposes of prison included in the Prisons and Courts Bill: public protection; safety and order; reform; and preparing for life after prison. It is not clear to us what will happen in cases of poor performance, and how accountability will be attributed. The Ministry will publish official statistics on prison performance against these standards, possibly instead of the league tables it had initially announced. We consider that the Ministry should use these data to understand more fully the factors underpinning poor and high performance, to inform practice across the estate. Governor empowerment We are generally supportive of the principle of greater governor empowerment, but we have not seen any evidence that it will necessarily lead to better outcomes for prisoners, and we note that the six initial reform prisons will only be evaluated after the reforms take effect across the prison estate. We raise a number of potential issues associated with governor empowerment including: - the potential for greater governor autonomy and accompanying deregulation to result in an increase in prisoner complaints if not balanced with the need for minimum standards that apply consistently across prisons; - the availability of support and development opportunities for governors in time before the reforms begin to take effect; and - the need to coordinate contributions made by various agencies involved in providing services related to rehabilitation, including prisons and probation, at a local level, and to apportion accountability for post-release outcomes between prison governors and probation services. There also remains considerable uncertainty around how the Government's plans will apply to the privately managed prison estate, and how the new offender management model, with one keyworker overseeing the casework of six prisoners, will work in practice. Performance The shift to a common performance framework for private and public sector prisons, and towards more meaningful outcome measures for prisons that can incentivise desired behaviours in governors and staff, was broadly welcomed by witnesses, although some questioned the extent to which new measures differed significantly from existing ones. In the light of the challenges arising from the performance metrics for Transforming Rehabilitation, which had limited testing prior to implementation, we seek information on the manner in which prison performance measures have been tested and the results of these tests. Some of our witnesses suggested other measures should be used, and we consider that there is merit in testing measures related to staffing and prisoners' personal development. Commissioning Giving governors greater involvement in commissioning services in their prisons could lead to better outcomes for prisoners and innovation, but only when commissioning is based on evidence and evaluated rigorously, and when procurement processes, as well as performance agreements, are designed to facilitate innovation. However, it could also lead to a lack of alignment of services across the estate, and an increase in the overall cost of service provision, as economies of scale in the provision of goods and services could be lost. We recognise the need for central oversight to ensure service provision is coordinated across the prison estate and meets minimum quality standards, and recommend the Government decides on the appropriate level at which to commission services and goods on a case by case basis. Details: London: House of Commons, 2017. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Twelfth Report of Session 2016-17: HC 1123: https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmjust/1123/1123.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmjust/1123/1123.pdf Shelf Number: 146262 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationPrison AdministrationPrison ReformPrisons |
Author: Association of State Correctional Administrators Title: Independent Assessment of The High Desert State Prison Summary: This report provides a summary of an independent assessment conducted by the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) at High Desert State Prison (HDSP) in Susanville, California. The assessment was conducted during a site visit by an eight-person team trained in the use of the Institutional Culture Assessment Protocol (ICAP), a standardized process and instrumentation designed specifically for use in assessing a prison's culture. The report details the assessment team's activities while on site from July 15, 2016 through July 28, 2016. The primary goal of the assessment was to gain a thorough understanding of the unique culture of HDSP and how that culture impacts prison operations and the environment for both staff and inmates. The assessment followed two integrated inquiry tracks: (1) an assessment of both the formal and informal cultures at HDSP through a process of interviews, focus groups, direct observation and assessment of facility operations, management, policy and procedure using the ICAP protocol; and (2) an operational assessment of practices and procedures through observation, document review, and discussions with staff. The findings from both inquiry tracks are presented in this report. In March of 2016, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Secretary Scott Kernan requested that ASCA conduct an independent assessment of HDSP. The request was based in part on conflicting reports Secretary Kernan had received from his agency and stakeholder groups. Reports from several Wardens' Peer Audit Team reviews were consistently positive with only minor issues being noted. Likewise, COMPSTAT data collected from HDSP did not reflect any areas of concern and was consistent with other CDCR Level 4 prisons. In contrast with the information contained in those CDCR generated documents were reports produced by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Prison Law Office (PLO) alleging numerous instances of egregious behavior by staff towards the inmate population. Details: Sacramento: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2016. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 24, 2017 at: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports/docs/External-Reports/Independent-HDSP-Report-9-23-16.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports/docs/External-Reports/Independent-HDSP-Report-9-23-16.pdf Shelf Number: 146359 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCorrectional InstitutionsPrison AdministrationPrisons |
Author: Police Foundation Title: Final Report: Independent Review of Security Issues at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center Summary: On February 1, 2017, the State of Delaware was confronted by the news of an ongoing incident in which inmates housed in the C-Building at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC), seized the building and took hostages. The seizure of the building resulted in the death of one correctional sergeant; injuries sustained by two other correctional officers; one non-custodial staff member being taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons; and, allegations of inmate injuries. On February 14, 2017, Governor John Carney issued an Executive Order establishing an Independent Review Team to investigate and report on "any conditions at the James T. Vaughn Center that contributed to the hostage situation on February 1, 2017." In response to the Executive Order, the Independent Review Team conducted interviews with correctional, educational, mental health and medical staff, including correctional supervisors, JTVCC administrators, and Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) executive administrators past and present. The Team also reviewed numerous letters from inmates and family members, spoke with community and inmates' rights groups, and interviewed other agency representatives. The Independent Review Team also visited the JTVCC, including the C-Building, observed grievance proceedings, and spoke with inmates individually and in focus groups. The Team also conducted in depth research through review and analysis of policy, training and other departmental documentation; open source media searches; and identification and gap analysis of national corrections and behavioral health best and promising practices. Collectively, the Independent Review Team conducted a comprehensive and thorough review and analysis of the facts and circumstances leading up to the incident that began on February 1, 2017. On June 1, 2017, the Independent Review Team issued a Preliminary Report concerning the causes and conditions leading up to the incident that began on February 1, 2017. Since June 1, 2017, the Independent Review Team conducted further interviews and assessments. This Final Report expands upon the Preliminary Report. It addresses actions taken by the JTVCC, the DOC, and the State of Delaware since February 2017, and contains specific recommendations to prevent, or at least minimize, the likelihood of another similar event. The tragic incident that began on February 1, 2017 in the C-Building of the JTVCC could have occurred elsewhere in the facility. Factors unique to that particular building, however, resulted in the incident occurring there. For some period of time, conditions at the JTVCC had deteriorated to the point that there was unrest among inmates, and distrust between inmates and correctional officers, as well as between correctional officers and JTVCC administrators. Factors giving rise to this unrest included adverse working conditions for the correctional officers, who continue to feel unappreciated by the administration, inconsistently implemented rules and regulations, an inmate grievance procedure deemed unfair, a distrusted medical/mental health system, and a real lack of morale permeating the line officers. The conditions set forth in this report created an environment in which an occurrence like the incident that began on February 1, 2017 would have likely occurred at some point somewhere within the JTVCC. However, the mix of inmates flowing down from maximum to medium security and inmates flowing up from medium towards maximum security in the C-Building and the circumstances giving rise to that mix, as more specifically set forth in the body of the report, hastened the inevitable. Most unfortunately, the Independent Review Team believes that had the request for the removal of certain inmates from the C-Building - made on January 20, 2017 by the very correctional officer who was killed during the incident that began on February 1, 2017 - been taken more seriously and carried out, the incident and the resulting death may not have occurred. As tragic as the unnecessary loss of life is, the incident that began on February 1, 2017 spearheaded long overdue changes in the DOC that will hopefully result in better working conditions for the correctional officers and professional staff as well as living conditions for inmates. Work remains to be done and recommendations are made herein. Lastly, the Independent Review Team commends Governor Carney for his immediate action in requesting this review and already addressing some of the most pressing problems facing the DOC. Details: Dover, DE: Governor's Office, State of Delaware, 2017. 159p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2017 at: http://governor.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2017/08/JTVCC-Independent-Review-Team-FINAL-Report-1.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://governor.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2017/08/JTVCC-Independent-Review-Team-FINAL-Report-1.pdf Shelf Number: 147467 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationHostagesPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrison RiotsPrison Violence |
Author: Fitzharris, Andy Title: Chief Inspector's Report into the "Circumstances surrounding organised prisoner (Fight Club) and access to cell phones and contraband at Mount Eden Corrections Facility (MECF) Summary: Mount Eden Corrections Facility (MECF) is one of two prisons in New Zealand managed by private operators Serco New Zealand Ltd (Serco). Since August 2011, MECF has been the largest remand facility in the country, and is designed to hold up to 976 males of remand accused, remand convicted and sentenced status. On 15 July 2015 the Department of Corrections (Corrections) became aware that a series of video clips showing organised fighting between prisoners at MECF had been uploaded to the website YouTube. The videos (the YouTube Footage) provide irrefutable evidence of the existence of a 'fight club' operating at MECF. On 17 July 2015 TV3 News screened footage that had been uploaded to YouTube, showing a number of prisoners involved in organised fighting at MECF. Over the following days a number of prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families, came forth with accounts of organised fighting, prisoner on prisoner violence and inhumane treatment during their time at MECF. The videos uploaded to YouTube had been filmed on contraband cell phones, which raised concerns over prisoner access to cell phones and other contraband on to the site. An internal investigation is being completed by Serco, which holds the Prison Management Contract for MECF (the Contract). As at the date of this report (Report), Serco's internal report is yet to be provided to Corrections. By Terms of Reference dated 27 August 2015 (the Terms of Reference). I was instructed by the Chief Executive of Corrections (the Chief Executive) to conduct a full investigation (the Investigation) into: a) the possible existence of a 'fight club' at MECF; and b) access of prisoners to contraband, in particular cell phones, at MECF. The Terms of Reference superseded an earlier terms of reference dated 19 July 2015 (the Earlier Terms of Reference), which instructed me to pay particular attention to the three months prior to that date. Therefore, the Investigation has a particular focus on, but is not limited to, the three months to the date of the Earlier Terms of Reference. The Corrections Inspectorate (Inspectorate) operates under the Corrections Act 2004, the Corrections Regulations 2005, the mandate of the Chief Executive, and the policies established by the Department relating to the fair, safe, secure and humane treatment of prisoners and those detained within the corrections system. This Report contains Phase One of the Investigation required by the Terms of Reference. Phase Two will consist of a review of the adequacy of controls designed to address prisoner violence and access to cell phones operating in other New Zealand prisons, and an investigation into any reported incidents of prisoner on prisoner fighting recorded on cell phones in other New Zealand prisons. Details: Wellington, NZ: Department of Corrections, 2016. 110p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2017 at: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/856650/Phase_One_MECF_Report_FINAL_REDACTED.pdf Year: 2016 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/856650/Phase_One_MECF_Report_FINAL_REDACTED.pdf Shelf Number: 147624 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison ContrabandPrison ViolencePrisoner MisconductPrivate Prisons |
Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons Title: Life in prison: Living conditions Summary: Some people may feel a sense of deja vu or world-weariness when they hear repeated accounts of poor conditions in our prisons. Many reports from HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMI Prisons) have pointed out that, all too often, prisoners are held in conditions that fall short of what most members of the public would consider as reasonable or decent. I would urge readers not to assume this paper is simply another account of some dilapidated prisons, but to look at the details of what we describe, and then ask themselves whether it is acceptable for prisoners to be held in these conditions in the United Kingdom in 2017. It is, of course, right to point out that not every prison holds its prisoners in poor conditions. On the whole, high security prisons, women's prisons and open prisons provide decent conditions and some good facilities. However, in many of the local prisons and training prisons, the picture is bleak. The details of what we have found are set out in this paper, but some of the headlines make for grim reading. Prisoners cannot benefit from education or training if they are confined in their cells for long periods, and they inevitably become frustrated, angry or turn to drugs to ease the tedium. We have found that in local prisons 31% of prisoners report being locked in their cells for at least 22 hours a day, rising to 37% at young adult prisons (holding prisoners aged 18-21). We found large numbers of prisoners at some jails who were locked up for more than 22 hours a day, or throughout the working day. The cells in which prisoners are confined for these excessive periods of time vary greatly in their condition, but poor conditions are exacerbated by overcrowding. Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) themselves report that in 2016/17 nearly 21,000 prisoners out of some 85,000 in total were held, by their own definition, in overcrowded conditions. This proportion rises in local prisons to over 15,000 of the 31,800 held in such establishments - or 48%. Overcrowding often occurs when two or more prisoners are held in a cell designed to hold one. These often have an unscreened or inadequately screened lavatory, frequently without a lid, or sometimes with a makeshift lid made of cardboard, pillowcases or food trays. In these same cells, prisoners are frequently required to eat all their meals - in what are obviously insanitary, unhygienic and degrading conditions. The risks to health inherent in flushing open lavatories in confined spaces which have to serve as a bedroom and dining room (and sometimes as a kitchen) are described in this report and deserve close attention. The accounts from prisoners of what it feels like to eat and sleep in what is, in effect, a shared lavatory make for compelling reading. To compound all of this, our surveys suggest that in only around half of our prisons are prisoners able to get cleaning materials for their cells every week, and ventilation of too many cells is poor. In terms of personal hygiene, most prisoners say they are able to have a shower every day, but this falls to 51% in those prisons holding young adults. There is a mixed picture for other issues that have an impact of the everyday lives of prisoners, with about two-thirds of prisoners saying they can get clean sheets each week, and access to telephones is obviously dependent upon prisoners having enough time out of their cells to be able to queue and make a call. The concerns and recommendations set out in this paper need to be taken seriously. The aspirations of the prison reform programme will not be met if prisoners are confined in conditions that embitter and demoralise, leaving them unable to access rehabilitative activities and, all too often, turning to illicit drugs to break the boredom born of long periods locked in their cells. Details: London: The Inspectorate, 2017. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: A findings paper: Accessed October 19, 2017 at: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/10/Findings-paper-Living-conditions-FINAL-.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/10/Findings-paper-Living-conditions-FINAL-.pdf Shelf Number: 147731 Keywords: Correctional InstitutionsPrison AdministrationPrison OvercrowdingPrisons |
Author: Fitzharris, Andy Title: Chief Inspector's Phase Two Report into: Circumstances surrounding organised prisoner on prisoner fighting (Fight Club) and access to cell phone contraband in New Zealand prisons other than Mount Eden Corrections Facility (MECF) Summary: We analysed a total of 655 PPV incidents for the four month period 1 April 2015 to 31 July 2015 and there was no evidence that organised prisoner fighting was happening at any of the eight Corrections Services prisons we visited. There were four incidents involving prisoner sparring and conditioning reported by two prisons and these could be considered as a forerunner of organised prisoner fighting. On each occasion they were quickly identified and staff responded promptly to prevent them escalating. We recognise that there will always be elements of assaults and fighting by prisoners, and it's not always easy to prevent violent incidents from happening, even when staff are observing prisoners first hand. There were good levels of prisoner supervision apparent at each prison and recurring evidence from incident reports and interviews that staff responses are timely as soon as they became aware of situations that required their intervention. Active management of prisoners and prompt action taken by staff clearly presents as the most effective preventive control to mitigate risks of PPV situations developing into more serious incidents. There are a range of Violence Reduction Strategies in various stages of implementation across each prison. Most have been established since the 'fight club' events surfaced at MECF and present as good practice in terms of controls for PPV. We noted that prisoner access to physical training equipment has been restricted as a control at some prisons to limit options for conditioning. The extent of these restrictions needs to be balanced against reasonable access to exercise equipment for prisoner well-being. Prisoners are entitled to have access to exercise equipment however their fitness activities should be closely supervised to ensure conditioning and sparring is not happening. We were frustrated with the poor quality of incident reporting in IOMS relating to PPV and contraband cell phones. The incident reporting system is cumbersome and component categories require review to be made more user-friendly. In some cases, PPV incidents are being reported under the non-notifiable category of 'Fighting' rather than 'Assault, non-serious or Assault, no injury'. We could not confirm how widespread this practice was and suggest Corrections Services conduct a further review of incident reporting categories to determine and clarify business requirements. The capability for prison management to effectively implement gang management strategies may be compromised by inaccurate data in IOMS about individual prisoner gang membership/affiliations. This data needs to be cleaned up so that gang information on IOMS is current and reliable. Details: Wellington, NZ: Department of Corrections, 2016. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2017 at: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/856652/Phase_Two_Report_FINAL_REDACTED.pdf Year: 2016 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/856652/Phase_Two_Report_FINAL_REDACTED.pdf Shelf Number: 148278 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison ContrabandPrison GangsPrison ViolencePrisoner MisconductPrivate Prisons |
Author: Great Britain. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Title: Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Liverpool Summary: Inmates at Liverpool prison are living in the worst conditions inspectors have ever seen, with one area so dirty, infested and hazardous it could not be cleaned, according to a leaked report. Inspectors made an unannounced visit to HMP Liverpool in September, having been told about concerns over conditions, and found there was an "abject failur... to offer a safe, decent and purposeful environment". The report described prisoners living in "squalid conditions", where rat and cockroach infestations were rife and cells had exposed electrical wiring. Inmates said they felt victimised by staff, with some left locked in their cells for 22 hours a day, the report said. Incidents of self-harm and violence had increased and prisoners reported that it was "easy or very easy" to get hold of drugs. Members of the inspection team said they "could not recall having seen worse living conditions than those at HMP Liverpool". The report concluded: "We could see no credible plan to address these basic issues." In the weeks following the visit, two inmates killed themselves. Details: London: HM Ehief Inspector of Prisons. 2017. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 22, 2018 at: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/01/HMP-Liverpool-Web-2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/01/HMP-Liverpool-Web-2017.pdf Shelf Number: 148902 Keywords: Correctional Administration Prison AdministrationPrison Conditions Prisons |
Author: Prison Reform Trust Title: Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile: Autumn 2017 Summary: This year's Bromley Briefings open with a brand new section which we have called "The long view". The Prison Reform Trust has built its reputation over more than three decades on presenting accurate evidence about prisons and the people in them. In a world where ministers feel compelled to respond to issues with ever greater immediacy, "The long view" offers an antidote to the latest Twitter storm or early morning grilling in the media. We have chosen to concentrate in this briefing on the issue of overcrowding. What the evidence shows is that the core of the current government's approach-to spend more building more prison spaces-is identical to the actions of all its predecessors since the early 1990s. There is every possible indication that it will meet the same fate. So PRT has commissioned two pieces of expert independent analysis relevant to any serious strategic policy to solve the problem of overcrowding. First, we asked a former Director of Finance for the prison service, Julian Le Vay, to analyse the published data on the Ministry of Justice's spending review settlement with the Treasury and its plans for future investment in new prisons. He concluded that the capital cost of a policy based on building more prisons since 1980 has been L3.7bn, and generated an additional annual running cost of L1.5bn-enough to have built 25,000 new homes, and to be employing 50,000 more nurses or teachers. But he also concludes that the ministry's current ambitions are inadequately funded to the tune of L162m in 2018/19, rising to $463m in 2022/23. On current population projections, there is no prospect of any impact on overcrowding before 2022, and a further new programme of building will be needed from 2026. Secondly, we asked Dr Savas Hadjipavlou, of Justice Episteme, to run a scenario on the sophisticated model he has created. This uses what we know about the typical life histories of people who end up in the criminal justice system, together with what we know about how that system operates, to assess the impact of demographic or other changes on key criminal justice outcomes-including the likely size of the prison population. The scenario removed the statutory changes that have inflated sentencing since 2003, and suggests that we would now have a prison population of 70,000 had those changes not been made- in other words, a population several thousand below the system's current uncrowded capacity Details: London: PRT, 2017. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 9, 2018 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Bromley%20Briefings/Autumn%202017%20factfile.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Bromley%20Briefings/Autumn%202017%20factfile.pdf Shelf Number: 149078 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrison OvercrowdingPrisonersPrisons |
Author: Howard League for Penal Reform Title: Out of Control: Punishment in Prison Summary: Research by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveals that prisons are routinely and increasingly resorting to draconian punishments in a counter-productive attempt to regain control. It shows that almost 290,000 additional days of imprisonment were handed down to prisoners during 2016 - a 75 per cent rise in only two years - as jails have been brought to breaking point by overcrowding and staff shortages. The Howard League has calculated that the additional days imposed in 2016 alone will cost the taxpayer about $27million. This report reveals how disciplinary hearings, known as adjudications, are used overly and inappropriately, with even minor infractions such as disobedience and disrespect being punished with additional days of imprisonment. The report calls on England and Wales to follow the example set by Scotland, where the use of additional days of imprisonment was scrapped about 10 years ago. Officials and governors in Scotland could find no evidence that abolishing the use of additional days had a negative impact on behaviour, and Scottish prisons have become safer since the change was made. Scrapping the imposition of additional days of imprisonment in England and Wales would stop a vicious cycle. Punishments pile more pressure on the prison population and worsen overcrowding, which in turn creates conditions for drug abuse, violence and other types of misbehaviour. Details: London: The Howard League, 2017. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 14, 2018 at: https://howardleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Out-of-control.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://howardleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Out-of-control.pdf Shelf Number: 149129 Keywords: Inmate DisciplineInmatesPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrisoners |
Author: Owen, Barbara Title: Critical Issues Impacting Women in the Justice System: A Literature Review Summary: Passed in 2003, the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) serves as the framework for collecting descriptive data, improving policy and practice, and developing standards surrounding sexual violence in all correctional facilities. Over a decade later, practitioners and researchers alike acknowledge that implementing the Act should recognize that gender differences between female and male inmates require specific attention to female facilities. The 2012 Report of Review Panel on Prison Rape confirms the distinctive needs of female facilities in preventing sexual victimization with this statement: The Panel is aware of the paucity of resources that are available to female correctional facilities when it comes to serving the particular needs of female offenders. The Panel encourages additional research into ways of creating healthy female prisons based on data that show the relationship between institutional practices (e.g., policies on touching between inmates) and the incidence of sexual victimization. The Panel also encourages the development of training tools especially tailored to helping staff who work in female facilities in addressing such issues as maintaining proper professional boundaries and creating an environment free of verbal harassment (Mazza, 2012, p. 60). This summary literature review is but one step in the development of these training tools. In the following, we review the literature relevant to the study of violence and safety in women's prison. We begin with the demographic and background characteristics of female offenders. The pathways model is then described, which emphasizes the life experiences of women that contribute to criminal behavior. This review will then describe the subcultural elements of women's prisons that influence vulnerabilities, victimization, and violence. The types and prevalence of violence in women's prisons, particularly sexual assault, are also summarized. A summary of the National Inmate Survey, a PREA-mandated data collection that measures inmate self-reports is provided. This review then provides a summary of recent research by the authors that examines the context of gendered violence and safety in women's correctional facilities and results from a project that sought to validate an instrument intended to measure women's perceptions of safety and violence. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Corrections, 2014. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed April 2, 2018 at: https://nicic.gov/sites/default/files/033010.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://nicic.gov/sites/default/files/033010.pdf Shelf Number: 149651 Keywords: Female InmatesFemale OffendersGender-Related IssuesPrison AdministrationPrison RapePrison ViolenceWomen Offender |
Author: Victorian Auditor-General Title: Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Private Prisons Summary: Private prisons accommodate around one third of the state's male prison population. The safe, secure and cost effective operation of these prisons is essential for the effective functioning of Victoria's corrections system and for community safety. Like the broader prison system, private prisons face significant challenges. The male prison population has increased by approximately 50 per cent over the last seven years, primarily driven by an increase in remand prisoners. This audit examines whether two of Victoria's private prisons-Port Phillip Prison and Fulham Correctional Centre-are safe and cost effective. We looked at: private prisons' management of critical safety and security risks private prisons' performance against key service delivery measures, costs and risk transfer expectations under the original contracts the process for the recent contract extensions and whether they delivered value for money. This is the first audit in which we used our 'follow-the-dollar' powers, directly engaging the private prison operators and requesting information from them. We made six recommendations for DJR, and two for the Department of Treasury and Finance related to its role in the private prison contract extension process Details: Melbourne: Victorian Auditor-General's Office, 2018. 133p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2018 at: https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-03/20180328-Private-Prisons.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-03/20180328-Private-Prisons.pdf Shelf Number: 149742 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationCost EffectivenessCosts of CorrectionsPrison AdministrationPrisonsPrivate PrisonsPrivatizations |
Author: Morgan, Anthony Title: How much does prison really cost? Comparing the costs of imprisonment with community corrections Summary: The costs associated with managing offenders in prison and in the community can be significant. Estimated costs are usually derived from the Report on government services, which reports both the operating expenditure and capital costs for prisons and community corrections. However, research has shown that sentencing a person to a period of incarceration can have much wider implications for the individual, their family, government and the broader community. These implications may be positive or negative, and may therefore generate both costs and savings. Understanding the wider costs associated with different sentence options can be helpful in informing effective correctional policy and practice. Yet relatively few studies have attempted to estimate the wider costs or savings associated with pathways through imprisonment or community corrections. The purpose of this research was to calculate the total net cost of pathways through imprisonment and community corrections in Victoria, taking into account a range of direct and indirect costs and savings associated with a matched cohort of prisoners and offenders. This study was undertaken in two stages. The first stage estimated the costs and savings accrued during sentences that began in 2009-10 (the reference episode). The second stage estimated the wider costs and savings for both this reference episode and subsequent pathways through imprisonment and community corrections over a five year period. The methodology used to develop these estimates and the results are presented in this report. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: AIC Research Report 05: Accessed April 30, 2018 at: http://apo.org.au/system/files/142801/apo-nid142801-725506.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: http://apo.org.au/system/files/142801/apo-nid142801-725506.pdf Shelf Number: 149964 Keywords: Community CorrectionsCorrectional AdministrationCosts of CorrectionsCriminal Justice ExpendituresPrison Administration |
Author: Knox, George W. Title: The Problem of Gangs and Security Threat Groups (STG's) in American Prisons Today: Recent Research Findings From the 2004 Prison Gang Survey Summary: This is a study of gangs and security threat groups (STG's) in American prisons today. The purpose here is to add to the growing body of literature about gangs behind bars. The National Gang Crime Research Center (NGCRC) has made a number of contributions in this area dating back over a decade. While the last decade has witnessed a steady increase in certain of these problems, the present research reports only modest increases overall in the scope of the gang problem, but that new and potentially more explosive problems are emerging inside this arena. The current findings, representing data collected during the first half of 2004, certainly suggest that the problem has not been abated. Indeed there are some new dangerous trends documented here for the first time. Although correctional officials feel there are some effective strategies to win this war, these measures are not being widely implemented. Meanwhile, gangs are exploiting weaknesses in the correctional system, including abusing legislative provisions intended to protect religious rights. Correctional staff polled indicated problems in their awareness of legal developments, and identified education as an ongoing need; and, three years after 911, the recruitment of gang members into terror networks remains a issue. What can be done? What must be done? This article will present an overview of gang demographics, including gender and religious affiliation - a survey of violence - procedures, programs, etc. Finally, it will conclude with recommendations drawn from the survey data. Details: Peotone, IL: National Gang Crime Research Center, 2005. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2018 at: https://www.ngcrc.com/corr2006.html Year: 2005 Country: United States URL: https://www.ngcrc.com/corr2006.html Shelf Number: 149971 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison GangsPrison Violence |
Author: Roncone, Erik S. Title: Dynamics of Prison Gang Affiliation and Violence: The Heartless Felons and the Down the Way Boys---a Social Learning Study Summary: Prison violence in general and specifically violence associated with prison gangs has been a top concern for prison administrators and one that has been at the forefront of correctional research. This study examines a Midwestern state's department of corrections that has witnessed instances of violence within their prisons rise sharply in recent years--including a 74% increase in inmate disturbances from 2009 through 2010 (Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections [DRC], 2011b). Much of this violence can be attributed to the street and prison gangs that comprise the department's many security threat groups. Of these security threat groups, the Heartless Felons, have emerged to be a formidable presence, and in doing so have contributed greatly to the spike in disturbances and other violent incidents. Using logistic regression, negative binomial regression, crosstabulation with chi-square statistic, and descriptive statistics--instances of prison violence amongst the Heartless Felon membership was analyzed along demographic variables. The relation between specific neighborhood affiliations, ties to that neighborhood, and specific prior street gang membership was examined as hypothesized correlates to increased prison violence among Heartless Felon members. The results did not indicate a significant relationship between Heartless Felon prison gang membership and prior membership in specific street gangs. Links between this prison gang and ties to the neighborhood under study in relation to incidents of prison violence were also not found to be significant. However, several significant predictors of prison violence associated with the Heartless Felon prison gang were found and are discussed in detail. Implications to correctional policy and suggestions for further research are also discussed. Details: Minneapolis, MN: Capella University, 2014. 163p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Available at the Rutgers Criminal Justice Library Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 150028 Keywords: Prison AdministrationPrison Gangs Prison Violence |
Author: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Title: Behind the Walls: A look at conditions in Thailand's prisons after the coup Summary: Thailand's prison population has steadily increased over the years and the country has the dubious distinction of having the largest prison population and the highest incarceration rate among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. For more than a decade, United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms have expressed concern over prison conditions in Thailand. Regrettably, successive Thai governments have failed to make any progress in the implementation of the UN's recommendations and to uphold their own commitments to improve prison conditions. In addition, since the 2014 military coup, Thailand's junta has enforced measures that have caused conditions in the prisons to deteriorate. The junta also increased the use of military facilities to detain civilians. As documented in this report, Thailand's ongoing failure to enact a comprehensive prison reform has created conditions for human rights violations to be rife in its prison system in breach of the country's obligations under international instruments to which it is a state party. The Thai Department of Corrections' motto, 'Caring Custody, Meaningful Rehabilitation, International Standard Achievement', could not be further from the reality of the Thai prison system. Research conducted by FIDH and UCL on two large prisons in Bangkok suggests that Thailand's prison conditions fail to meet international standards and to create an environment conducive to the rehabilitation of prisoners. Overcrowding remains the most pressing issue in Thai prisons. Thailands average yearly prison population has steadily increased over the years and, aside from the periodic royal amnesties, no other effective and sustainable measures have been adopted to significantly reduce the population. Based on a standard to provide a surface area per prisoner of 2.25m , available official statistics representing 74% of Thailand's prisons and 91% of its overall prison population show that these prisons are operating with a prison population of more than double the intended capacity - with an occupancy level of 224%. Inadequate access to medical treatment, insufficient food and potable water, and poor sanitation facilities continue to plague the prisons examined in this report. It is likely that similar conditions exist in other prisons across Thailand. Medical care and special arrangements for pregnant women are particularly lacking. Prisoners are often subjected to exploitative labor practices characterized by harsh working conditions and insufficient remuneration. Punishment in prisons contravenes international standards and, in some cases, may amount to torture and ill-treatment. Prisoners' statements indicate that restraining devices, such as shackles, have been excessively used. Finally, inmates have reported unreasonable restrictions placed on visits and correspondence with family and friends. While procedures for making complaints exist, prisoners are afraid to lodge complaints out of fear of retaliation at the hands of prison officials. The situation has not improved since the 22 May 2014 military coup. Under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) access to prisons has become more difficult. In addition, based on interviews with former prisoners and families of current inmates, FIDH and UCL were able to document that prison authorities have enforced stricter prison regulations and further curtailed prisoners' rights. Of particular concern is the increased use of military bases to detain civilians, which do not afford detainees many of their basic rights. The use of the Nakhon Chaisri temporary detention facility inside the 11th Army Circle base in Bangkok illustrates this trend. Since the establishment of Nakhon Chaisri less than two years ago, there has been a lack of access for independent monitors, two custodial deaths, and allegations of torture have surfaced. This report recommends numerous measures to improve detention conditions, including providing independent inspection bodies unfettered access to all prisons and allowing non-governmental organizations with a relevant mandate to conduct visits to places of detention, interview inmates, and assess conditions without undue hindrance. Details: Paris: FIDH, 2017. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 4, 2018 at: https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/rapport_thailand_688a_web.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Thailand URL: https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/rapport_thailand_688a_web.pdf Shelf Number: 150332 Keywords: Human Rights AbusesPrisonPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrisoners |
Author: McGuire, James Title: Understanding Prison Violence: A Rapid Evidence Assessment Summary: The occurrence of violent assault in prison is a challenging problem. This Analytical Summary reports the findings of a rapid evidence assessment (REA) into the causes of physically violent assaults by male adult prisoners. The REA reviewed 97 research studies published since 1st January 2000. Key findings - Most of the published research is focused on imported characteristics - the personal characteristics of men who are violent in prison - and attempts to predict who they will be. Imported characteristics associated with prison violence include youth, history of earlier violence in prison or with violent convictions, membership of gangs, low self-control, anger, temper, mental health problems, and antisocial attitudes and personality. - The prison environment also plays a considerable role in how prisoners behave. Physically poor conditions, highly controlling regimes, or by contrast circumstances in which rules are unevenly applied or not adhered to or where prisoners do not experience staff decisions as fair or legitimate, can each heighten tensions and induce stresses potentially giving rise to conflict and assault. - Perhaps surprisingly, evidence that crowding in and of itself was a direct cause of violence was fairly weak. Research suggested that the effects of crowding are mediated through staff-prisoner interactions and that the crucial factor in maintaining order is the availability and the skills of unit staff. - Some features of prison activity make violence less likely. Places within a prison where prisoners are engaged in purposeful activities they consider valuable, such as workshops and education, are less prone to be sites of aggression. Violence is more likely to occur in places that offer less purpose, have fewer formal ground-rules, and lower staff oversight, such as cells. - A policy designed to reduce violence could be oriented towards situational control aspects of day-to-day prison management. That would require staff training in the use of styles and patterns of interaction that wield authority alongside instilling respect. Details: London: HM Prison and Probation Service: 2018. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2018 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/737956/understanding-prison-violence.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/737956/understanding-prison-violence.pdf Shelf Number: 151429 Keywords: Correctional Administration Offender ManagementPrison Administration Prison Conditions Prison Health Prison Violence Prisons |
Author: Arizona. Department of Corrections Title: Arizona State Prison-Kingman Riots Assessment Summary: On July 1, 2015, at approximately 6:10 p.m., a riot occurred at the Cerbat Unit of the Arizona State Prison in Kingman operated by private contractor Management & Training Corporation (MTC). The Incident Command System (ICS) was activated due to the aggravated assault of an inmate, the subsequent aggravated assault of five staff members, and the rioting that followed these assaults. The MTC Designated Armed Response Team (DART) and Tactical Support Unit (TSU) responded to the riot, joined by the ADC Winslow Tactical Support Unit, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), and local ambulance providers. The inmates broke windows and destroyed surveillance cameras, and severely damaged numerous staff offices and officer stations. On July 2, 2015, and again on July 4, 2015, a riot occurred at the Hualapai Unit of the Arizona State Prison in Kingman operated by private contractor Management & Training Corporation (MTC). The riot spread throughout multiple buildings and rendered four of the five housing units uninhabitable. This subsequent riot triggered the immediate deployment of six of the remaining nine ADC Tactical Support Units from Lewis, Perryville, Tucson, Safford, Florence, Eyman, Douglas, Yuma, and Phoenix. On July 3, 2015, Arizona Department of Corrections Director Charles L. Ryan declared an emergency pursuant to A.R.S. S 41-1609(E)(2) and notified Governor Douglas A. Ducey and Attorney General Mark Brnovich of the need to relocate inmates to other facilities. ADC subsequently relocated 1202 inmates to other prisons and numerous county jails: 40 inmates from the Cerbat Unit and 1162 inmates from the Hualapai Unit. An ADC Assessment Team assembled by Director Ryan, and pursuant to the direction of Governor Ducey, conducted a comprehensive investigation of the riots, ultimately completing approximately 300 interviews with MTC employees and approximately 400 inmates, and reviewing thousands of pages of MTC documents. The scope of the investigation included a thorough analysis of (1) the riots, including the precipitating events and the aftermath, (2) MTC's operational response to the riots, (3) MTC's leadership and staff, (4) MTC's inmate management, supervision, and communication practices, (5) MTC's training practices for leadership and staff, (6) MTC's interactions with ADC's Monitoring Team, and (7) MTC's performance deficiencies compared to five years earlier following the escape of three inmates from the same facility. Details: Phoenix: Author, 2015. v.p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 13, 2019 at: https://corrections.az.gov/reports-documents/reports/kingman-riots-assessment Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://corrections.az.gov/reports-documents/reports/kingman-riots-assessment Shelf Number: 156413 Keywords: Correctional AdministrationHostagesPrison AdministrationPrison ConditionsPrison Riots |