Chapter 13 Prisons and Jails

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Chapter 13Chapter 13

Prisons and JailsPrisons and Jails

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Learning Outcomes

LO1: List the factors that have caused the prison population to grow dramatically in the last several decades.

LO2: List and briefly explain the four types of prisons.

LO3: Summarize the distinction between jails and prisons, and indicate the importance of jails in the American correctional system.

LO4: Explain how jails are administered. LO5: Indicate some of the consequences of our

high rates of incarceration.

1LO

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List the factors that have caused the prison population to grow

dramatically in the last several decades.

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Learning Outcome 1Factors in prison growth:• Penal harm movement• Enhancement and stricter enforcement

of drug laws• Increased probability of incarceration• Inmates are serving more time for each

crime• Federal prison growth• Rising incarceration rates for women

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Learning Outcome 1The Prison Construction Boom• In 1980, the Federal Bureau of Prisons had a

budget of $330 million. • Today, its budget is $5 billion. • State governments spend more than $49

billion on correction systems.

Some believe that the increase in prison space spurred the inmate population boom. 0

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Learning Outcome 1

The Role of Prisons• Custodial model• Rehabilitation model• Reintegration model

2LO

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List and briefly explain the for

types of prisons.

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Learning Outcome 2

Maximum-Security Prisons:• Designed with full attention to

security and surveillance.

• Inmates’ lives are programmed in militaristic fashion and dominated by security measures.

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Learning Outcome 2Supermax:• Reserved for the “worst of the worst”• A controlled environment• Supermax Syndrome

– Violate standards for proper treatment?– SHU (security housing unit) syndrome

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Learning Outcome 2Medium-Security Prisons:• Prisoners who have committed less

serious crimes; not considered high risk for escaping or harming others.

• Offer more educational and training programs.

• Prisoners have more freedom of movement.

• Levels of surveillance are lower.

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Learning Outcome 2

Minimum-Security Prison:• Most inmates are first-time offenders. • No armed guards. • Prisoners allowed TV, computers,

freedom of movement. • Educational and employment

opportunities.

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Learning Outcome 2

Formal Prison Management:• Chain of command (a strong

hierarchy is vital)• May lack continuity of purpose

(rehabilitation versus punishment)

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CAREERPREPWarden

Job Description:• As chief managing officer of an adult correctional institution, the

warden is responsible for the custody, feeding, clothing, housing, care, treatment, discipline, training, employment, rehabilitation, and well-being of inmates.

• Provides institutional staff with effective communications, training, and leadership.

What Kind of Training Is Required?• A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, social work/psychology, or a

related field.• One or more years of work experience in the management of a major

division of a correctional institution.

Annual Salary Range?$42,000–$95,000 (depending on size of institution and geographic

region)

For additional information, visit: www.legal-criminal-justice-schools.com/Criminal-Justice-Careers/prison-warden.html.

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Learning Outcome 2

Governing Prison Populations:• Order

– The absence of misconduct, such as murder, assault and rape

• Amenities– Comforts that make life “livable,” such as

cleaning living conditions, and good food

• Services – Programs designed to improve inmates’

prospects upon release

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Learning Outcome 2

Private prisons are correctional facilitiesoperated by private corporations instead ofthe government.

• Private prisons are often reliant on profit for survival.

• Private prison populations are forecasted to continue to grow over the near future.

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Learning Outcome 2

Why Privatize?• Cost efficiency

– Competitive bidding– Labor costs– Less red tape

• Overcrowding and outsourcing

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Learning Outcome 2Arguments Against Privatization:• Safety concerns• Financial concerns• Philosophical concerns

3LO

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Summarize the distinction between jails and prisons, and indicate the importance of jails in

the American correctional system.

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Learning Outcome 3The function of jails: • Holding those convicted of misdemeanors.• Receiving individuals pending arraignment

and holding them while awaiting trial (if they cannot post bail), conviction, or sentencing.

• Temporarily detaining juveniles pending transfer to juvenile authorities.

• Holding the mentally ill pending transfer to health facilities.

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Learning Outcome 3The function of jails:• Detaining those who have violated conditions

of probation or parole and those who have “jumped” bail.

• Housing inmates awaiting transfer to federal or state prisons.

• Operating community-based corrections programs such as home confinement and electronic monitoring.

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Learning Outcome 3The Jail Population:• 87% of jail inmates are male • 30% are pretrial detainees• 37% have been convicted of their

current charge• The remainder of inmates housed

include the mentally ill and those awaiting transfer.

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Learning Outcome 3Two realities of jails• Terms are generally too short to allow

the prisoner to gain any benefit from the jail’s treatment facilities.

• Jails are chronically overcrowded, and judges need to clear space for new offenders.

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4LO

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Explain how jails are administered.

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Learning Outcome 4

Jail Administration:• The burden of jail management

– Sheriff’s may view the jail as a lower priority than crime prevention and control

• The challenge of overcrowding– Living conditions– Supply and demand

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CAREERPREPDeputy Sheriff/Jail Division

Job Description:• Responsible for supervising jail inmates by ensuring that order,

discipline, safety, and security are maintained. • Transport or escort inmates and defendants from jail to

courtrooms, attorneys’ offices, or medical facilities.

What Kind of Training Is Required?• Depending on the jurisdiction, possession of a high school

diploma or bachelor’s degree, as well as successful completion of written and physical examinations, training, and a probationary period.

• Some states require completion of a “jail academy” training course of up to sixteen weeks including field training.

Annual Salary Range?$44,000–$55,000

For additional information, visit: www.usdsa.org.

5LO

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Indicate some of the consequences of our high

rates of incarceration.

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Learning Outcome 5• Positive consequences include a

correlation with a drop in the crime rate.

• Negative consequences include social consequences for families and communities, and disenfranchisement of inmates who lose their right to vote.