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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:19 pm
Time: 8:19 pm
Results for prison overcrowding (canada)
1 results foundAuthor: Paquin-Marseille, Lysiane Title: Review of the Prison Crowding and Double-Bunking Literature Summary: A number of Canadian criminal justice organizations, including Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) have linked prison crowding and double-bunking with safety concerns for other offenders, correctional staff, and the public. This report reviews the literature on the association between crowding and offender outcomes, with a focus on institutional misconduct. By understanding if issues, such as institutional misconduct, can possibly develop from an increase in the offender population, CSC can implement effective strategies to reduce the effects on offenders and staff. Institutional crowding can be viewed from two common perspectives. An institutional-level measure of crowding, or population density, is the most common perspective taken. Alternatively, an individual-level perspective can be taken which views crowding as a perceived constraint by the individual. These varying perspectives, in addition to a range of methodologies used, have led to conflicting results on the relationship between crowding and institutional misconduct. Several meta-analyses have been conducted to provide a summary of the results, and they generally conclude there is a small effect of crowding on institutional misconduct. Nonetheless, there may be impacts in other areas such as offenders' levels of stress; therefore, strategies should be developed and implemented to effectively deal with the changing offender population and the potential for increased crowding that may occur. CSC has several accommodation strategies in place to deal with the increases in the offender population, many of which are also practised by other countries experiencing increasing offender populations. One short-term strategy used by all the countries included in the review is double-bunking (i.e., assigning two offenders to an accommodation space originally intended for one). Currently, the limited research that exists indicates that double-bunking may be associated with negative outcomes such as higher illness complaints, higher perceived crowding of the environment, and higher rates of non-aggressive infractions. However, research also demonstrates that double-bunking can be implemented without an increase in risk to offenders or staff, if implemented properly. Policies such as maintaining the current level of services offered and matching offenders prior to double-bunking is one method to ensure risk stays at a minimum. This can involve the use of an assessment tool that helps to structure the correctional staff's evaluation, and ensures all the relevant factors are considered when deciding which offenders would be best paired together. In light of the current evidence, it is important that CSC continue to consider and plan to address the potential effects of crowding and double-bunking when developing strategies to handle potential increases in the offender population. Furthermore, prospective research should be done to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies CSC develops and to help guide future policy. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2012. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. R-266: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cn21510-eng.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cn21510-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 133428 Keywords: Double-BunkingPrison CrowdingPrison Overcrowding (Canada)Prisoner Misconduct |