Phyllis Young

BCJ 2002, Theory and Practices of Corrections 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

2. Assess the purpose, implementation, and effectiveness of corrections. 2.1 Examine the eight intermediate sanctions available to offenders in the

correctional system. 2.2 Match the concept of bond and the different types of bonds available to

inmates.

3. Trace the historical evolution of the correctional system. 3.1 Recognize the history and origin of jails in America.

5. Examine the challenges faced by the correctional system. 5.1 Analyze the issues with emerging populations and administrations.

Unit Lesson Intermediate Sanctions and Institutional Corrections This unit discusses intermediate sanctions and institutional corrections. We will discuss the system of fines, community service, house arrest, and boot camps to the difference between jail and prison populations. We will also look to focus on the different styles and designs of jails, as well as privatization, and look to expand upon correctional facilities and the issues that they are facing. Intermediate sanctions are court ordered sanctions that are less restrictive than prison sentences. This type of punishment originated in the late 1980s as a way to stop overcrowding prison populations and is typically used for nonviolent or very low risk offenders. Generally they are used for offenders that have led a productive life prior to the offense they committed. Intermediate sanctions are also referred to as alternatives to incarceration. Be sure to review these examples and points of interest that relate to the concept. Community corrections is a term that is defined through four variables: decentralization of authority, citizen participation, redefinition of population of offenders, and emphasis of rehabilitation. The textbook discusses four major changes in the field: community policing, community-based prosecution, community based defender services, and community courts. Do you feel it is your responsibility to help keep your community safe? How could you implement the four major changes being experienced into your current community? Institutional Corrections The 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution states that bail shall not be excessive for people accused of offenses.

Reading Assignment Chapter 5: Intermediate Sanctions: Between Probation and Incarceration Chapter 6: Jails: Way Stations Along the Justice Highway

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) See information below.

Key Terms 1. Boot camp 2. Community

corrections 3. Community

corrections acts 4. Community service 5. Day reporting center 6. Direct supervision 7. First-generation jail 8. Intensive supervision

probation 9. Intermediate

sanctions 10. Privatization 11. Remote-location

monitoring 12. Residential reentry

center 13. Second-generation

jail 14. Third-generation jail

UNIT III STUDY GUIDE

Intermediate Sanctions and Jails

BCJ 2002, Theory and Practices of Corrections 2

A person that has been arrested may be released in several ways that involve a monetary transaction, such as:

• cash bond, • deposit bond, • property bond, and • bail bond.

A person arrested may be afforded the release options that do not require money as well. Those are:

• release on recognizance, • conditional release, • release to pretrial services, and • unsecured bond.

Do you feel that within our current system that these options are sufficient to handle the offense that they are placed within? Do you feel that monetary transaction options would be more influential in ensuring the person arrested stays within the confines of the area for upcoming arraignments? If they are, do you think that the ethical standards of bail agents and bondsmen should be reviewed? It is important to understand in this unit that jails and prisons are different and each have a specific purpose. The textbook highlights 14 functions of jails that are important to student understanding. There are several problems with locally operated jails in America. They are overcrowded, old, understaffed, have constant budgetary problems, and training and education has statistically been underfunded and not available. As with all things, the history behind jails is very important. Tracing details and records back to the 12th Century, we are able to find the earliest record of a jail’s existence, in England, that was created by King Henry II. Records show that this first jail was similar to jails today, in that it housed offenders until they were brought to trial for their crimes. Over in the United States, we can find records suggesting the first jail being built in 1773 in Philadelphia and found on Walnut Street (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015). In relation to King Henry’s first jail, we find that the jail in Philadelphia showed no favoritism between sex, age, and the offense of the prisoners during their time spent there. Shortly after, solitary confinement began in the jail. This system was admired throughout the world at that time but the admiration would be short lived. Why do you think the admiration of the newly implemented system was short lived? In 1798, a fire destroyed much of the workshops that the inmates were sentenced to work in, and rising budgetary costs began to have a negative effect on the jail (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015). By 1800, the number of disciplinary problems, riots, health problems and disease, and living conditions due to overcrowding saw the jail begin a downward spiral to its eventual closing in 1835 (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015). The history of the Walnut Street Jail is important because it is the first jail in the United States. It also was the origin of solitary confinement and inmate rehabilitation through labor. Some of the jobs that inmates had in that time were nail making, shoe making, stone sawing, weaving, and picking and carding wool and hair. Inmates also made their own clothing. Today, jails across America are overcrowded, house drug and alcohol dependent inmates, as well as those with HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis C. When we look at the issues that led to the demise of the Walnut Street Jail, we need to ask ourselves if the correctional system has evolved from its origins. Currently, jails across America are cutting programs due to budgetary requirements, resulting in

BCJ 2002, Theory and Practices of Corrections 3

buildings and living conditions becoming old and run down according to today’s standards. Inmates do not suffer from the same diseases they died from in the 1800s, but disease is present and healthcare issues are causing a change in the style of care, custody, and control of inmates housed in these facilities. One of the issues caused by overcrowding is dealing with aging prison and jail populations. More jail administrations and local and state governments are providing a larger portion of their jail budgets to care for geriatric inmates and inmates with health problems and diseases that require a higher standard of care. Consider this situation: an inmate is being housed in jail on three misdemeanor charges and has a heart condition. The heart condition requires open heart surgery, costing tax payers $100,000.00. Is it advantageous for the local government to hold this inmate and absorb the cost of the surgery, or release him or her back into society so the administration can forgo the responsibility of the medical bills associated with this medical issue? Another issue that jail administrations are dealing with is charging inmates for medical services rendered while incarcerated. These charges are typically less than they would pay, however, the argument is that the charge helps to defray the cost of the medical treatment. Do you feel that inmates should retain the level of healthcare they are receiving while in prison? Do you think that the costs associated with this healthcare provided to inmates are too little, sufficient, or too much? Jail design and architecture have been one of the biggest progressions in the history of incarceration and jails. The three generations of design were created to help manage inmate populations as the philosophy of incarceration evolved. First generation jails housed multiple inmates in one cell along corridors that officers must patrol to maintain behavior. Second generation jails were created in the 1960s, and saw the change of officers remaining in a control room or booth, allowing them to observe inmates in their housing areas that are known as pods. The level of observation increased with this philosophy, but interaction remained minimal. Today, third generation jails are known as direct supervision jails. The Federal Government was the first correctional system to debut this system in New York, Chicago, and San Diego. Direct supervision places one officer with 32 to 64 inmates. Recently, the trend in direct supervision is toward larger numbers like 84 inmates to one officer. Do you think this poses a safety problem for the officer in charge of that unit? Part of the concept in this design is that inmates have more privileges in this style of housing. Typically, they are able to heat their additional food, have more access to television and reading material as well as recreation. There is typically more privacy for inmates to shower and use the bathroom. The dormitory style living also tends to be quieter than other methods of housing. Officers have an area where they conduct their work in the pod. This area may include their phone, computer, or other items needed to conduct their job in the pod for that shift. Direct supervision allows the officer to move freely around the pod and interact with the inmates and deal with behavioral issues. This style of housing requires a slightly different communication skill set than dealing with inmates you have no direct contact with on a regular basis. One of the positive aspects of this style of management is that if the inmates value the small privileges they receive in direct supervision, they are less likely to be a behavioral problem for the officer. However, if the officer is not skilled in dealing with inmates in this manner, it can make for a long shift. What positive and negative aspects do you see in each of these styles of architecture? As within all parts of society, the makeup of a jail facility is unique and consists of many different characteristics. As society changes, so do the trends in inmate populations. Currently, gender, ethnicity, and mental illness are the three areas that are atop the trend list of ever-changing inmate populations. What changes in society or the economy could lead to these three areas being on the rise?

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One of the emerging issue populations that the book touches on is veterans in the correctional system. This is becoming a larger issue as time goes on and will continue to be something administration and line officers have to deal with during their careers. As we continue to bring our men and women home from overseas, we have seen an increase in the amount of involvement veterans are having in the criminal justice system. This presents a couple problems for all aspects of law enforcement and correctional officers. Typically the men and women in the military are better trained in the use of firearms and defensive tactics. In many cases, they are in better physical shape than some officers. Dealing with them in an institution has challenges because in some cases they are a danger to officers as well as other inmates. Should we be segregating them based on their level of training or their military occupational specialty? Whether you are in law enforcement and encounter a veteran on the street in a field interview report or a correctional officer and dealing with them day to day in the jail, you need to be cognizant of their capability. Communication is the key to understanding their issues in criminal activity, mental illness, and capability. One positive point that you have inside a correctional facility is time. Correctional officers have the time to talk to an inmate and find out his or her history. If the officer does not have a military background, validating the information an inmate shares with you by asking a correctional officer with military experience may be equally helpful. While all inmates possess the capability to be dangerous, the military member that falls out of favor with society as a result of criminal activity can pose a significant threat to going home to your family at the end of your shift. How do we rehabilitate members of the military so they can get back to being valued members of society? Just like drug courts, veteran courts are popping up around the country. Special programs exist now in jails and prisons that are designed specifically to house veterans and in some cases are only staffed by correctional officers that have military experience. Rehabilitating an inmate that is a veteran is becoming a priority both at the state and federal level. Many times, homelessness and mental illness are issues that need to be dealt with in conjunction with addiction. Local and state governments are applying for federal grants that help to address these issues, and they are beginning to make a difference. The textbook discussed three major issues that are of importance to jail administrators: suicide, homicide, and sexual victimization. In efforts to help reduce sexual victimization, the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 was signed into effect. Were you surprised that these three issues were at the top of charts? What can be done to help eliminate the high number of incidents within these three categories? How do you think these three issues align with previous issues faced by jail administrators throughout history? As you move further into this chapter, you will get into the concept and debate of privatization of jails, which sees contracts shift public functions, responsibilities, and capital assets, in whole or in part, from the public to private sector. As budgetary requirements of local and state governments become tighter, this concept is becoming more prevalent in the correctional system. Therefore, it is becoming a major issue in the field of corrections. There are arguments both for and against privatization that the book discusses and you should be familiar with as you move through your reading. Also, pay-to-stay or self-pay jails, are becoming a very popular means to serve your time. They allow inmates more freedoms than those of a normal prison or jail, but still require them to work within the facility. Obviously, these are revenue producing operations and help take the burden off taxpayers within the states that implement them. Do you think that it is ok for inmates to pay for a “better jail experience?” What are your thoughts on privatization? Could private companies really operate jails, on whole, in a better way?

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Educational and vocational programs are an area that is expanding year to year in the correctional field. One of the key issues in this area is that typically inmates have poor reading skills, substance abuse issues, and lack job skills required to be productive members of society. Therefore, they return to criminal activity as a means to support themselves. Education and vocational programs have proven to help offenders gain the required skills to find a job and remain employed. Do you feel that the costs associated with helping inmates improve their educational and vocational options outweigh those of providing for them while in prison? Do you feel that some type of metric should be used to measure the progress of inmates in these systems to know whether they are truly taking full advantage of them to improve their options once released, or if they are just taking advantage of the opportunity to not sit in their cells and be able to interact with others in some way? In addition to inmate programs that focus on education and vocation, jail ministry programs are another area that have statistically helped to decrease the incarceration rate in jails nationwide. In addition to benefits listed in the text, many prison ministries exist across the nation and around the world as for and non-for profit organizations with the goals of helping prisoners transition successfully back into society as their incarceration time ends. Do you feel that these organizations are helpful to jail ministry prison staff? What advantages and disadvantages could you see with outside organizations’ willingness to help the already staffed prison ministry personnel? Do you feel that with the growing number of prisoners in jails that any outside resources are welcomed by prison chaplains who are most likely overwhelmed with the population ratio they have to deal with? As we complete this unit, you should be able to see the issues and dilemmas that are unfolding in the correctional system. The correctional system has a strong historical background in the criminal justice system. It is also easy to see through this unit that some of the issues that existed in the beginning, still exist today but on a different level. One new issue that you need to become very familiar with is that of privatization, as it will be a theme revisited later on in our course.

Reference Schmalleger, F., & Smykla, J. O. (2015). Corrections in the 21st century (7th ed.).

New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) Flash Cards For a review of the Key Terms of the unit, click here to access the interactive Unit III Flash Cards in PowerPoint form. (Click here to access a PDF version.) Non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.