Chapter 7 Correctional Institutions 1

Prison  Few offenders seem “corrected”; many recidivate  Prisons are expensive  Just deserts/incapacitation is prevalent  Quality care and treatment remains a goal 2

To What Extent do Prisons Mirror the Larger Society?  Microcosm or distortion of society?  In the relationship between prison and the wider society, exaggerated forms of the following are observed: poverty Racial and gender discrimination Violent crime Mental illness 3

Inmate Population  Federal and state correctional authorities today have jurisdiction of nearly 1,600,000 prisoners Age Gender: males make up more than 93%, females nearly 7% Race: African Americans about 38%, white men 30%, Hispanic men over 20% Offense Characteristics: violent offenders more than 50% of state prison inmates

Jurisdiction over Prison Systems  The Federal Bureau of Prisons, state departments of corrections, and prisons funded and administered by private corporations have jurisdiction over prisons in the United States  The correctional systems of the fifty states and the District of Columbia are difficult to compare and evaluate because of differences in ideology, structure, and programs 5

Private Facilities  Proponents of private operators contend that they run prisons more effectively and at less cost than public agencies because of flexibility in management, staff recruitment, build prisons more quickly.  Critics say recidivism no better, questionable facility construction, inferior inmate programs, and poorly trained and paid staff. 6

Types of Correctional Facilities  minimum-security prisons—A prison with relaxed perimeter security, sometimes without fences or any other means of external security  medium-security prison—A prison with single or double fencing, guarded towers, or closed- circuit television monitoring, sally-port entrances, and zonal security systems to control inmate movement within the institution 7

Types of Correctional Facilities – cont.  maximum-security prison—A prison in which the complete control of any and all prisoners can be applied at any time  supermax prison- based on isolation of prisoners; now hosing for more than 20,000 male and female inmates; intense use of technology and hardened construction 8

What Prisons Look Like  The structural design of early prisons was designed to produce a specific outcome-- moral reformation.  Radial Design  Telephone Pole Design  Courtyard Style  Campus Style 9

What Prisons Look Like  More than half of U.S. prisons today are less than twenty years old.  Courtyard or campus design more common

Correctional Administration  Establishment of policy  Planning  Dealing with civil suits  Institutional monitoring  Staff development  Fiscal management 11

Proactive Management and Wardens  The proactive warden is committed to anticipating and preventing problems before they take place.  More emphasis on programming for inmates and staff development.  Communication throughout the facility is emphasized. 12