Prison Security Levels, Classification, and Reentry Strategies in Corrections

Describe the different prison security levels. What is the caveat to security levels?

Maximum, medium, minimum, and supermax; caveat is that security level does not always reflect inmate dangerousness.

As prison security level becomes more restricted, what features of the prisons increase and decrease as a result?

Restrictions, surveillance, and control increase while movement, autonomy, and available programming decrease.

What are the characteristics of inmates in prison?

They are typically young, male, minority group members, poorly educated, single, and have high physical and mental health needs.

What are the main causes of prison violence?

Age, attitudes, racial tensions, inadequate supervision, poor staff-inmate relationships, overcrowding, poor design, weapon access, and mixing vulnerable and dangerous inmates.

What are the strategies for reducing prison violence?

Better classification, improved supervision, staff diversity, architectural redesign, grievance mechanisms, incentives, and allowing inmates safe ways to request help.

What is classification?

Classification is the process of assigning inmates to appropriate security levels and services based on risk and needs.

Describe the classification process.

Inmates enter a reception center where staff review criminal history, medical and mental health needs, gang ties, behavior, and risk factors.

When does the classification process take place?

Immediately after sentencing and transfer to a prison reception center.

How does the scoring take place?

Points are assigned for prior record, offense severity, behavior, age, needs, and gang involvement to place inmates into Level 1-4 or SHU.

What are the first predictors of violent behavior?

Age is the strongest predictor, followed by attitude and gang affiliation.

What are the conflicting concerns in the classification process?

Safety vs. fairness, predictive accuracy vs. rehabilitation goals, and potential overclassification vs. underclassification.

Why does solitary confinement cause concern?

It causes severe psychological harm, limits human contact, increases depression and anxiety, and large-scale lawsuits (like Ashker) show it is often misused.

What is the difference between a prison gang and a disruptive (or non-sanctioned) group?

Prison gangs originate inside prison; disruptive groups originate outside but operate inside.

How are prison gangs validated?

Through staff observation, tattoos/markers, and evidence of gang-related behavior or convictions.

What is a prison program?

A structured activity that gives inmates productive use of time and supports rehabilitation or institutional functioning.

What are the 5 different types of programs in institutions?

Rehabilitative, medical, maintenance, recreational, and industrial.

What are the advantages of programming?

Reduces tension, decreases violence, improves parole success, provides structure, creates incentives, and supports prison operations.

What is the reality of programming in prisons?

Programs are limited, unevenly available, often under-resourced, and restricted by security priorities.

What factors limit programming?

Security needs, staffing shortages, inmate classification, space limitations, and funding.

What is the principle of least eligibility?

Inmates cannot receive services or benefits that exceed what is available to the lowest-income free citizens in society

What percentage of prisoners are eventually released back to the community?

About 95 percent of people in prison are eventually released back to the community.

How are prisoners released?

They are released through discretionary parole board decisions, mandatory release when sentences end, or expiration of sentence with no supervision.

What is the parole board's function? What release criterion is used by parole boards?

Parole boards decide who is safe to release and when; they use a "risk to the community" standard focused on public safety.

What are parole guidelines?

Structured decision tools that help parole boards weigh offense severity, risk level, behavior in prison, and readiness for release.

What are the 3 harsh realities of the post-release experience?

Limited employment, unstable housing, and weakened social/family ties.

What are standard parole conditions?

Obey all laws, report to a parole officer, allow home or office visits, avoid drugs and weapons, maintain employment, and avoid associating with other offenders.

Describe some of the barriers to success for the formerly incarcerated, including civil disabilities, employment difficulties, and housing.

Civil disabilities restrict voting, benefits, and licenses; employers reject people with records; housing is limited due to bans, costs, and background checks.

What is revocation? What are some things that can lead to a parole revocation? How do most revocations occur?

Revocation is returning someone to custody; it occurs due to new crimes or rule violations, and most revocations involve technical violations rather than new offenses.

What is a technical violation? How did realignment affect technical violations?

A technical violation is breaking parole rules without committing a new crime; realignment shifted most technical violators to county jail instead of state prison.

What are some ways that reentry can be successful?

Stable housing, employment, family support, treatment, mentoring, and gradual reintegration with community resources.

What are some of the suggested policy options to improve success after an offender is released from prison?

Expand programs inside prison, strengthen reentry planning, invest in housing and employment support, reduce collateral consequences, and improve supervision practices.

What are the basic arguments FOR the death penalty?

Deterrence, retribution, incapacitation, closure for victims.

What are the basic arguments AGAINST the death penalty?

Wrongful convictions, racial bias, high costs, no deterrent effect, moral concerns.

What is the general public opinion of the death penalty?

Majority support, but declining.

Approximately how many Americans support the death penalty?

3/4

What is the "note on survey methodology" referring to?

Support depends on how the question is asked.

When comparing death penalty vs LWOP, how does opinion change?

Support drops when LWOP is offered as an alternative.

What is the most common cause of wrongful convictions discussed in class?

Eyewitness misidentification.

Is the death penalty effective at reducing violent crime?

No.

What is the current status of the death penalty in California?

Moratorium; no executions.

What happened to California death row inmates as of early 2025?

They were moved out of death row.

Where were California death row inmates rehoused?

into general population units.

How does California's incarceration rate compare to the national rate?

Lower than national average.

What is meant by "offense-based" policies?

Decisions based on crime type.

What is meant by "risk-based" policies?

Decisions based on likelihood of reoffending.

What are the five dilemmas the correctional system faces?

Mission, methods, structure, personnel, costs.

What are the three big challenges for the future?

Leadership, investment in effective programs, ethical/moral reform.

What are the main findings of Pappas & Dent (2021)?

Programs work, but effects differ by offender type.

Which group of offenders have the largest reduction in recidivism?

High-risk offenders.

Which group of offenders have the smallest reduction in recidivism?

Low-risk offenders.

What are the main findings from Unnever & Cullen (2010)?

Racial resentment strongly predicts support for punitive policies.

What factor do Unnever & Cullen argue is the most salient and consistent predictor of American punitiveness?

Racial animus.

What is racial animus?

Hostile or negative attitudes toward racial minorities.

According to Flaco, what is the consequence of labeling kids as problems?

They become what they are labeled and internalize the identity.

Which event, orchestrated and participated in by CDCR prisoners, led to the implementation of rehabilitative services offered by CDCR?

The prison hunger strikes.

What are the different prison security levels?

Minimum, medium, maximum, supermax.

What is the caveat to security levels?

Security level does not always reflect inmate dangerousness.

As security level increases, what increases in prisons?

Control, surveillance, restrictions.

As security level increases, what decreases in prisons?

Movement, autonomy, privacy, programming.

What are the strategies for reducing prison violence?

Better classification, stronger supervision, staff diversity, redesign, incentives, grievance systems.

What is the classification process?

Intake at reception center reviewing history, health, behavior, gangs, and risks.

How does classification scoring take place?

Points assigned for offense severity, record, behavior, age, needs, and gang ties.

What are other predictors of violent behavior?

Attitudes and gang affiliation.

What are the conflicting concerns in classification?

Safety vs fairness; overclassification vs underclassification.

Why does solitary confinement cause concern?

Causes psychological harm and worsens mental health.

How are prison gangs validated?

Staff observation, tattoos, documented gang behavior.

What are the five types of prison programs?

Rehabilitative, medical, maintenance, recreational, industrial.

What factors limit programming?

Security, staffing, space, classification, funding.

What is the principle of least eligibility?

Inmates cannot receive benefits better than the poorest free citizens.

What percentage of prisoners are eventually released back to the community?

95%

How are prisoners released?

Parole board, mandatory release, or sentence expiration.

What is the parole board's function?

Decide who is safe to release.

What release criterion do parole boards use?

Public safety risk.

What are parole guidelines?

Structured tools guiding release decisions.

What are the 3 harsh realities of the post-release experience?

Housing, employment, weak social ties.

What are standard parole conditions?

Obey laws, report, drug tests, no weapons, maintain employment.

What are barriers to success for the formerly incarcerated?

Civil disabilities, job discrimination, housing restrictions.

What is revocation?

Returning someone to custody.

What can lead to a parole revocation?

New crimes or rule violations.

How do most revocations occur?

Technical violations.

What is a technical violation?

Breaking supervision rules without a new crime.

How did realignment affect technical violations?

Technical violators go to county jail, not state prison.

What are some ways reentry can be successful?

Stable housing, employment, support networks.

What policy options improve post-release success?

More programming, reentry planning, reducing collateral consequences.