ch 5: institutional corrections

era of penitentiary

focused on incapacitation and deterrence. Pennsylvania system relied on silence and Auburn system relied on silence, but allowed inmates to congregate

era of reform

focused on rehabilitation and created the practice of parole

era of industry

emphasized inmate labor, whose goods were sold to the public

era of rehabilitation

focused on rehabilitation and on the needs of the offenders

era of retribution

shifted back to a harsher approach to punishment

how did sentencing practices change during the era of rehabilitation?

sentences became longer and harsher with 3 strike laws, mandatory minimums, elimination of federal parole

how did support for rehabilitation change during this era?

support decreased by a lot, and discretion of judges and parole boards was limited

era of reentry

the transition of individuals from prison/jail back to society

what percent of state inmates will be released from incarceration at some point?

95%

why are reentry efforts important?

because 4 in 10 offenders return to prison within 3 years after release

what major law supported reentry programs?

the second chance act of 2008

what areas do reentry programs focus on?

employment, housing, family relations, health

what distinction does the US hold regarding incarceration?

the highest incarceration rate in the world

how does incarceration disproportionately affect people of color?

black: 32% prison pop.(incarcerated)

hispanic: 23%

white: 31%

what two factors contribute to mass incarceration?

increased number of offenders in the system and longer prison sentences

what are two ways to reduce mass incarceration?

reduce time spent in prison and expand parole eligibility

what are the collateral consequences of mass incarceration?

-difficulty finding employment and housing

-loss of voting rights

-driver’s license revocation

what types of offenders are housed in jails

-ones awaiting trial

-ones unable to post bail

-ones sentenced to less than 1 year

how long are offenders held in jail?

less than a year

what problems do jails commonly face?

-overcrowding

-lack of resources

-bad staff training

-lack of medical, mental health services

what are new generation jails?

jails with pods (16-30 cells) that promote more staff-inmate interaction

what types of offenders are housed in prisons?

ones convicted of serious crimes and sentenced for more than 1 year

what is an initial classification review

an assessment used to determine where an inmate should be housed and at what security level

what factors are considered during classification?

-severity of offense

-criminal history

-sentence length

-behavior and risk level

what are the main classifications of prisons?

-minimum security

-medium security

-maximum security

-supermax

what are minimum security prisons like?

-lowest security

-nonviolent low risk offenders

-greatest freedom of movement

what are medium security prisons like?

-moderate security

-mix of offenders

-controlled environment

what are maximum security prisons like?

-high security

-serious or violent offenders

-very limited movement

what are supermax prisons like?

-highest security

-most dangerous inmates

-near total isolation

what factors influence the level of violence in prisons?

-overcrowding

-inmate characteristics

-gang activity

-staff-inmate relations

what tools do prison officials use to manage and reduce prison violence?

-classification systems

-segregation

-use of force policies

-programs (education, work…)

-architecture and design (pods)

why is classification an important tool for reducing prison violence?

it separates inmates based on risk. low risk inmates can’t live with high risk inmates

what programs are offered in modern prisons?

-educational

-vocational training

-mental health treatment

-work