Understanding the Criminal Justice System CJUS 101 Chapter 12: A Look Inside the American Prison

Inmates 1. The American correctional system - a misnomer - fragmented - over 5000 correctional facilities - no central authority a. Federal / 50 states - autonomy - autonomy - segmented by age / gender / type of crime - segmented by age / gender / type of crime b. Probation / parole / diversion: autonomous

Inmates 2. State system - bulk of corrections - over 700 facilities - 600,000 inmates a. California / Texas / Illinois - ten or more prisons - ten or more prisons b. Montana / Wyoming - one state prison - one state prison - both for male / female - both for male / female

Inmates (1) Contract / industrial prisons abolished - task of “making work” - giving menial tasks (2) Establishing smaller prisons - honor farms - work camps 3. Federal system - lease space from state prisons / local jails

Inmates a. Five regions - California / Missouri / Texas / Georgia / Pennsylvania Pennsylvania - 41 institutions / 12 community facilities b. Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons - regional directors - prison directors (1) Large prisons - Leavenworth / Atlanta

Inmates (2) Small facilities - Marion, Illinois (3) Metropolitan Correctional Centers - Burien, Washington 4. Primary problem - opportunity to become more antisocial - exposure to more hardened criminal - problem inmates segregated - maximum / medium / minimum / close custody

Inmates a. Maximum - reflect revenge - high walls / floodlights / armed guards - holds 44% of adult offenders - emphasis is custody b. Close custody - Washington state - isolated cells - monitor activities more readily - “program” inmate’s activities

Inmates c. Medium - more popular - replacing maximum security institutions - hold 44% of adult offenders - can resemble maximum, but allow: (1) More freedom of movement (2) Younger inmates, less dangerous (3) More emphasis on rehabilitation

Inmates d. Minimum - nonviolent / nontraditional offender - dormitory style - correctional officers = counselors - hold 12% of adult population (1) Allow work / educational release (2) Home furlough (3) can be community-based

Inmates 5. Jails - most important part due to sheer numbers - 3,500 jails in US - 50% not convicted / awaiting trial a. First real contact - difficult to provide reform measures - difficult to provide reform measures b. Money controlled at local level - local politics - local politics - 40-to-1 ratio: inmates to correctional officers - 40-to-1 ratio: inmates to correctional officers

Inmates 6. Rehabilitation programs - do they work? - law enforcement studies: 50 – 75% re-offend - traditionalists: 35% re-offend a. Successful rehabilitation - needs two things - needs two things - qualified staff in sufficient numbers - qualified staff in sufficient numbers - atmosphere conducive to rehabilitation - atmosphere conducive to rehabilitation b. Rehabilitation vs. total institution

Inmates - total institution demeaning - strip away identity - staff make decisions - peer group pressure c. Rehabilitation vs. custody - conflicts between staff - rehab feels superior - see inmate 1 to 2 hours per week - custodial has rest of time - inmates use this tension between staff

Inmates d. Recent trends - privatization / boot camps - causes concerns (1) Legal questions (2) Quality of care (3) How to monitor