Chapter 3 Jails ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ Introduction  Jails only hold about 1/10 of all offenders under correctional supervision, but admit four times as many each year  Jails are the oldest correctional component  Diverse and difficult mission and role

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ The History of Jails  First jails created in England  The first gaol (jail) built in 1166  Originally used only for those awaiting trial  Early jails had deplorable conditions  John Howard–jail reformer; sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1773

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Penitentiary Act of 1779  Secure and sanitary structures  Systematic inspections  No fees charged to inmates  Inmates confined in solitary cells but worked in common rooms during the day The History of Jails

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ Current Jail Operations  Role and function of jails Holds:  Offenders awaiting trial  Probation/parole violators  Mentally ill persons  Juveniles to be transferred  Inmates sentenced to short-term incarceration

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  County government almost always operates jails  Responsibility of the sheriff in rural counties  Regional jails are several small counties joined together to fund jail The Organization of Jails

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  In 2004, 713,990 inmates held in local jails  Incarceration rate–more than doubled between 1983 and 1999  Different by race and ethnicity  Jail inmates have numerous problems Jail Populations

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  “Tough on crime” stance  Increase in number of arrests  Extensive overcrowding in state and federal prisons  Increasing use of split sentences The Increasing Use of Jails

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Between 9 and 11 million admissions per year  Average length of stay from 15 to 20 days  The average stay is from 75 to 90 days for those who do not make bond  Sentenced offenders can serve up to 1 year Admissions and Length of Stay

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Major function is admissions and releases, and booking  Classification process  Assigned to more permanent housing unit  Meals  Visitation  Limited programs for inmates The Jail Process and Daily Operations

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ The Jail Process and Daily Operations  Inmates have little to do  Visits with family or friends are usually non-contact  Inmates can have contact visits with their attorneys  Work opportunities: cleaning, assisting in food preparation or service

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Objective classification systems– identify offenders’ criminal history and personal traits to assess risk and needs for housing assignment  Problems  Little information is available  Short stay complicates the process  Neglect Jail Classification

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Classification is important because it provides a guide to:  Separate violent inmates from potential inmate victims  Identify and manage inmates with special needs differently  Identify inmates with high risks to escape Jail Classification

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Correctional officers comprise the largest number of staff  Clerical and maintenance  Administrative  Professional and technical Jail Staffing

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ Design and Supervision in Jails  Contemporary jails are different from the earliest jails in the U.S.  Urban leaders do not want a jail to "look like a jail" and ruin the local aesthetics

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  First-generation jails–linear design used for housing inmates  Limited communication and room for programs  Podular designs–introduced in the 1970s; common areas in the center of a unit  Reduce idleness and tension Creating a Secure Setting Inside the Jail

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Second-generation jails–jails that use podular housing designs and remote supervision; officers are located in a secure control room overlooking the cells and dayroom, with electronic controls to open and close individual cell doors  Limited contact with inmates Creating a Secure Setting Inside the Jail

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Third-generation jails–jail designs without remote control centers, in which correctional officers are located in the housing unit in direct contact with inmates Creating a Secure Setting Inside the Jail

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ Creating a Secure Setting Inside the Jail  Direct-supervision approach–a style of inmate supervision with staff located in direct contact with inmates, requiring staff to continuously supervise and communicate with inmates  Safer for staff and inmates

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ Issues in Jails  Jails face many significant challenges  Jails have become increasingly overcrowded  Detained offenders may suffer from mental illness or drug or alcohol addictions or be suicidal

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Construction increased to meet demand  “Contract out”–private facility contracts with the government to house inmates  Corrections Corporation of America was the first private correctional facility Responding to Jail Overcrowding

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Inmates sue over lack of privacy, privileges, food, brutality, access to their attorneys, or general conditions of overcrowding  Bell v. Wolfish (1979)–court established the “punitive intent standard” Legal Issues for Jails

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Closures of state mental hospitals led to increased number of mentally ill in jails  Through initial screening, mentally ill are identified in the jails  Most jails provide psychotropic medications Dealing with Mentally Ill Offenders

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ  Prevention programs include risk assessment at admission, special staff training, counseling for inmates, and monitoring  Suicide is primary cause of death for jail inmates Preventing Suicides

Corrections: An Introduction, 2/e Seiter ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ Preventing Suicides  Suicide watch–management of suicidal inmates who are placed in a specially designed cell and have constant supervision  Some suicide watch cells have constant supervision by either a camera or staff