c115 final

Maximum security

prison designed, organized, and operated to minimize possibility of escapes and violence, imposed strict limitations on movement and freedom of inmates and visitors, with the purpose of keeping prisoners in and everyone else out

Medium security

prevent escapes and violence, but in which restrictions on inmates and visitors are less rigid than in maximum security prisons

Minimum security

prevent escapes and violence, but in which restrictions on inmates and visitors are less rigid than in maximum security prisons, more privacy in cells and not as much cement

The Super Max

created to house the “worst of the worst” offenders, not the same thing as solitary confinement. created by the federal government, includes federal criminals

Caveat to security levels

NO national design or classification “standards” for different levels of security

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

greenery decreases and cement increases as security levels increase

What are the characteristics of inmates in prison?

young (although older common due to life sentences), single (legally unmarried), poorly educated and poor health, male (although females rising–CA9-11%), minority group member

What are the main causes of prison violence?

Inadequate supervision by staff and inmate-staff relations; Architectural design, including size and condition; High levels of tension caused by close quarters; Housing dangerous and nondangerous inmates together (Nondangerous has to resort to violence in order to stay safe); Easy availability of deadly weapons

What are the strategies for reducing prison violence?

Improve classification, Create opportunities for fearful inmates to seek staff assistance (tablet text their family in order to not be a rat), Increase custody staff size, diversity, training (hiring bonuses), Redesign facilities, Install grievance mechanisms, Augment rewards system to reduce pains of imprisonment (Canteen, new types of visitation, ice machine, access to special food)

What is classification?

• classification is sorting inmates based on risk and needs (prior criminal history, medical/disability history, gang member, current crime). 

  • Assigning them to appropriate security levels and services based upon these risks and needs

Describe the classification process

• This process happens through the CDCR classification score sheet, which determines which factors are predictive of how well they will do in prison.

  • Enter reception center

  • Staff review criminal history/ assessment 

    • Medical 

    • Mental health needs

    • Gang ties

    • Behavior

    • Risk Factors`

When does the classification process take place?

immediately after sentencing and the transferring to the prison reception center

How does the classification scoring take place?

• Scoring happens as certain crimes have automatic points, and the more points the higher the security. 

  • Points assigned for:

    • prior record

    • Offense severity

    • Behavior

    • Age

    • Needs

    • Gang involvement

      • Points are counted and inmates are placed into Level 1-4 or SHU

What are the first predictors of violence behavior?

First predictor of violence is AGE at first arrest, followed by attitude and gang affiliation

What are the conflicting concerns in the classification process?

Conflicting concerns is overclassifying and underclassifying inmates, assigning them more or less security than necessary given their chances for violence/attempted escape (safety and fairness), predictive accuracy vs rehabilitation goals

Why does solitary confinement cause concern?

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

What factors lead to prison violence?

can occur from factors outside of structural issues related to the prison itself, including cultural groups/prison gangs

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

 according to the CA Code of Regulations, a cultural group/prison gang is any gang that has its origins in a correctional setting. A disruptive/non-sanctioned group is any gang, other than a prison gang, operating in the correctional setting

How are prison gangs validated?

through three markers, staff observation, tattoos or markers, or conviction of gang related offense

What is a prison program?

Any formal, structured activity that takes prisoners out of their cells and sets them on instrumental tasks

What are the 5 different types of programs in institutions?

Rehabilitative (Behavioral therapy, substance abuse programs, arts and corrections, music programs, play writing), Medical, Maintenance (upkeep), Recreational (sports), Industrial (Creation of things that can be sold in the free market)

What are the advantages of programming?

Help manage time; Improve inmates lives, improve likelihood of parole; Reduce inmate boredom, tension, hostility; Maintain safety and security of prison; Produce goods and services (License plates, there’s coding classes); Keep prison functional and operating; Offer incentives for good inmate behavior

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

~95%

Discretionary release

Conditional release by parole board so they can assess if they’re ready to be released (By discretion of parole board, go in front of parole board to show they’re ready, retribution aspects)

Mandatory release

After an individual has served their time (equal to a certain percentage of their total sentence minus good time) they’ll be released (No parole board)

Probation release

 Serve part of term in prison, serve rest of term under supervision of probation in the county (“Shock” → shock them by throwing them into prison)

Expiration release

Maxed out their sentence, cannot go back to prison/be on probation for this crime (Max sentence minus any good time)

Other conditional release

home supervision, halfway houses, emergency releases

What is the parole board’s function?

decide who is safe to release

What release criterion is used by parole boards?

Offense, Criminal record, Public Attitude (Attitude to family or victim→ being aware if they understand there is a victim and that they’re remorseful), Institutional behavior, Comm. adjustment, Health, Behavior insight, Parole plan (Starts the moment someone is incarcerated)

What are parole guidelines?

• Method for structuring decisions of paroling authorities (like sentencing guidelines), by standardizing release decisions according to the objective measurement of relevant criteria along two dimensions

• Severity scale: rates crimes according to their seriousness

• Salient factor score: measures offender criminal history as well as other salient factors regarded as relevant to their success on parole

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

strangeness of reentry, unmet personal needs, barriers to success

What are standard parole conditions?

not carry weapons, report changes or address and employment, not travel 50 miles from home/out of country for more than 48 hr w/out approval, obey parole agent instruction, no crime, other special conditions

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

• Close monitoring

• Civil Disabilities: 

  • Disenfranchisement (affects large numbers): They lose right to vote 

    • In some states it’s permanent, but in others returns after period of time 

    • 24 states modified laws and expanded eligibility since 1997

  • Other restrictions:

    • Lose right to hold public office

    • Holding a position of public trust (e.g. government jobs)

    • Jury Duty

• Job impediments (ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING RESTRICTIONS):

  • Why is it hard for formerly incarcerated to get gainful employment??

    • Legal restrictions

    • Public distrust + excludes people of moral turpitude

    • Unrealistic expectations of parolees

    • Some jobs require licensees

    • Available jobs often are low paying

• Housing:

  • Financial strain

  • Stigma and strain

  • Fear of losing children

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

the cancellation or rescission of parole, accompanied by the return of the offender to prison, for either the commission of a new crime or a technical violation. Most revocations occur when they’re arrested on a serious crime or they will go awol

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

failing to comply with the conditions of their parole; realignment in CA reduced technical violators sentenced back to prison

What are some ways that reentry can be successful?

 with things like preparation for reentry, built bridges between prisons and communities, seizing the moment of release, strengthening the concentric circles of support, and promoting successful reentry

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

implement better in-prison programs, change prison release and/or revocation decisions, implement better post-release supervision or treatment, develop community partnerships to increase social capital

What are the basic arguments for the death penalty?

• moral arguments (Retribition, let the punishment fit the crime, Allowed the justification for those who took a life, Duty to the victim to call for death for the person who took their life

utilitarian arguments (Deterrent approach, Making a decision that will benefit the most amount of people, Capital punishment used for these specific capital crimes, prevent people from committing that crime in the future)

What are the basic arguments against the death penalty?

• Moral arguments: Capital punishment is not moral, State should not have the right to take a life

• Utilitarianism argument: Deterrence doesn’t work in preventing murder from happening; Many capital crimes can’t actually be deterred especially if there are underlying drug or alcohol related concerns, psychological or mental health, crime of passion

• Economic argument: More expensive to have someone on death row vs life sentence; Amount of money it costs to persecute someone under the death penalty, $200,000 extra cost for prosecution; Costs $2.16 million to execute someone

• Other arguments: Death is a permanent thing, can’t reverse; We make decisions based on the information we know at the time, humans make sense, we may find out other information that makes someone guilty; Discriminatory based on race, politics, etc

Approximately how many Americans support the death penalty?

¾ths

What is the note on the survey methodology referring to? If we compare opinion for the death penalty against LWOP, how does that change public opinion for DP?

deceptive, support level is based on how the questions are phrased/worded, it may have been written to get the answers the researchers wanted; Most people who support the death penalty would choose an alternative punishment if given (ie death penalty vs life w/out parole, 20% shifts to that alternative)

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

eyewitness testimony (75% of wrongful convictions) → 2. Limited evidence, 3. False confessions, 4. Fraud science/forensics misconduct, 5. Government misconduct, 6. Bad lawyering/poor representation, 7. snitching/informants

Is the death penalty effective at reducing violent crime?

200+ studies show that deterrence through the death penalty isn’t working, some states there was actually an increase

What happened to the death row inmates in California as of early 2025? Where were they rehoused?

Former “formal” death rows (San Quentin, Central CA Women’s Facility) → now transferred to GP (general population) yards

How does California’s incarceration rate compare to the US national rate?

CA incarceration rate is lower than the national average (National average: 350/100k vs CA average: 259/100k)

What is meant by the distinction between “offense” and “risk” based policies?

• OFFENSE-BASED = decisions based on crime type

• RISK-BASED = decisions based on the likelihood of reoffending/recidivate

  • Focus on offense vs risk based policies is problematic

    • Evidence suggests serious and violent offenders can be lower risk to recidivate

    • Using risk has been challenging 

  • Should not focus on just the risk, but also not just the offense

What are the five dilemmas the correctional system faces in the future 

• Mission: lacks a clear mission (Public wants public safety, protection, punishment, offenders want fairness, leniency, assistance)

• Methods: We have a lot of methods that aren’t keeping up with changing population are proven ineffective, what is effective changes as things change (1980 methods don’t work in 2025), we don’t want people to be harmed by methods

• Structure: there aren’t seamless transitions between entities, correctional supervisions; Some want a rehabilitation approach, cops need to arrest people (Goals of police contradicts goal of corrections)

• Personnel: The ones who are in charge of the system who makes decisions, your teams matters, attracting the right people, motivating people (good leadership is important, as working in corrections can be demoralizing)

• Costs: Expensive!! $13b in corrections a year, taking money away from other social services

What are the three big challenges for the future?

1. Reinvigorate a new correctional leadership (People who are inspired doing their job & willing to learn new solutions to reduce collateral consequences)

2. Refocus out investments on what works, Ie maybe teaching jobs skills if that helps people

3. Reclaim the moral and ethical high road (The US is punitive currently; Need cultural shift around corrections; Respect, accountability, honesty; Stop punishing the disadvantaged)

Which group of offenders have the largest reduction in recidivism? The smallest reduction? (Pappas and Dent)

• participating in an intervention program has the strongest association with a reduction in recidivism for sexual offenders and serious or violent offenders; general, nonserious, and drug offenders have the smallest reduction in recidivism

• Necessary for researchers and practitioners to develop more nuanced interventions for less serious and drug offenders

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

• the perception that the crime rate is worsening is a salient predictor of support for a more punitive approach to crime

• a prominent reason for the American public’s punitiveness—including the embrace of mass imprisonment and the death penalty—is the belief that those disproportionately subject to these harsh sanctions are people they do not like: African American offender

  • “Othering” marginalized groups, shifting “other” to “criminal-other”

  • “their animus is justified even more when political officials “give them permission” to dislike “others””

According to our guest speaker, Flaco, What is the consequence of labeling kids as problems?

Labeling theory and the impact on juvenile: society treats people a certain way and they start to internalizing that (At 11, Flaco was told he was a gang member, therefore he started to believe that)

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

The 2013 prison hunger strike, so there was indeterminate segregated housing units, wanted rehabilitation programs, better food, lifers to get family visits, end of inflated phone calls