Corrections quiz 3

When was the penitentiary movement?

1800s

When was “The Big House” structured prisons?

1940s-1950s

What are the goals/ models of incarceration?

1. custodial model: security, discipline, order

2. Rehabilitation model (medical model): provision of treatment programs

3. reintegration model: maintenance of offenders’ ties to family/ community

what model of incarceration do most contemporary prisons follow?

custodial model

why are prisons mainly in rural areas?

• its cheaper to build prisons there

• people living in these areas are usually happy about this because it opens more job opportunities

Who did federal prisons historically house?

• bank robbers

• extortionists

• arsonists

who is housed in federal prisons?

• most people are ages 31-41 years old

• mostly white males and U.S. Citizens

what percent of state prisoners are incarcerated for violent offenses?

63%

what is the radial design for prisons?

• there is a central control center with spokes

• this makes it possible to monitor movement

• max security

what is the telephone pole design in prisons?

• has long central corridor

• wings branching off from central corridor

• allows for continuous surveillance

• max security

what is the campus design in prisons?

• individual buildings scattered around the facility property

• allows for freer movement

• common for juvenile and women’s facilities

what is the courtyard design in prisons?

• separate buildings arranged in a central courtyard

• movement between buildings goes through the courtyard

what is the cluster design in prisons?

• individual buildings are connected

• clusters of interconnected buildings throughout the property

what are classification systems used for?

used to allocate resources and minimize escape and violent misconduct

what are the 4 goals of classification systems?

1. protect the public

2. protect inmates

3. control inmate behavior

4. provide planning and accountability

notes on the Tennessee video intake process:

• metal detectors as first line of defense

• boss chair

• strip searched, drug tested, issued uniform

max security prisons:

• designed to prevent escapes and deter inmate violence

• houses about 38% of all state prisoners

Medium security prisons:

• less rigid with more privileges for prisoners

• houses about 43% of all state prisoners

• MAJORITY OF STATE INMATES ARE HOUSED IN THESE

minimum security prisons:

• houses least violent offenders

• about 19% of state prisoners

• more personal freedom

when did private prisons become more widespread?

in the 80s, during the mass incarceration era

what is the largest private corrections company in the U.S.?

corecivic

who is housed in private prisons?

• disproportionately non-white inmates

• more hispanic inmates than the average state prison

what percent of all incarcerated people are held in private prisons?

8%

what did Pfaff think about private prisons?

• he believed that banning private prisons would drop state prison populations by no more than 7%

what are some unknowns about private prisons?

• contracts are not a matter of public record (how inmates are assigned to private prisons over state prisons)

• conditions in the prisons, not enough evidence to say for sure whether conditions are better or worse than in state prisons

what are the rules of the inmate code?

1. don’t interfere with inmate interests (don’t snitch)

2. don’t quarrel with other inmates

3. don’t exploit other inmates

4. maintain yourself

5. don’t trust the guards

How do inmates learn the inmate code?

through prisonization

What is the deprivation model- Sykes?

Prison subculture is a response to the pains of imprisonment:

1. deprivation of liberty

2. deprivation of autonomy

3. deprivation of security

4. deprivation of goods and services

5. deprivation of heterosexual relationships

what is the importation model?

prison subculture is a result of what inmates bring into their prison experiences from their culture/ life on the outside

what is the adaptive role of doing time?

inmates view their prison term as a brief, inevitable break in their criminal career

• they do what is necessary to survive and get out as soon as possible

what is gleaning?

these inmates take advantage of prison programs to better themselves

what is jailing?

These inmates cut themselves off from the outside world; most of the time, they have spent the majority of their lives in some sort of institution

• They try to seek positions of power/ influence within prison society (gangs)

what is the disorganized criminal?

they cannot develop any of the other roles or they adjust poorly to prison life, they may have some form of disability

what is the most common form of violence in prisons?

prisoner-prisoner violence

what are the 4 factors that contribute to prison violence?

1. Inadequate supervision by staff

2. architectural design that promotes victimization

3. easy availability of violence- prone prisoners near relatively defenseless people

4. Overall high level of tension is produced by close quarters

Mexican Mafia (La Eme)

• primarily in California and the southwest

• strict rules, secrecy, code of silence

• composed of hispanic and latino inmates

• life membership with sponsor + blood oath required

• black hand tattoo with the letter M in the middle of handprint

Black Guerilla Family

• california and maryland

• highly + politically organized

• composed of black inmates

Aryan Brotherhood

• founded in CA, but operates around the nation

• highly structured and notoriously violent

• neo-nazi, white supremacists gang

• swear blood oath for life, must commit a violent act to join the gang

what is the largest and deadliest prison gang in the U.S.?

The Aryan Brotherhood

what are the 4 strategies to control prison gangs?

1. identification

2. segregation

3. restriction

4. monitoring

Gang video in class: main points

• use of segregation for gangs

• most gang members have long sentences, are angry, and have nothing to lose

• new prisoners are checked for gang tattoos/ affiliations

• guards gather intelligence every time they talk to the inmates

• “G code” = no snitching

how many federal prison facilities are there for women?

29

what is the most common offense type for women in these STATE prisons?

violent crimes: 46%

what is the most common offense type in FEDERAL prisons?

drug offenses

what percent of women in prisons are mothers to at least one child who is a minor?

over half

what percent of women have prior history of convictions?

65%

History of female corrections: early 1800s

Elizabeth Fry advocated for separate treatment for women in England

• She saw how bad the conditions were in the joint prisons

/when was the Women’s prison associated created in the U.S.?

1845

when was the Cincinnati meeting of national prison association?

1970: they endorsed separate prisons for women in its declaration of principles

when was the first women’s prison in the U.S. opened?

1873

what state was the first women’s prison in the U.S. opened in?

Indiana

What is prison life like for Women?

• less violent

• less racially segregated'

• more likely to form informal relationships with prison staff

• less developed prison society (maybe because of shorter sentences/ more fluid inmate movement)

• rather than gangs/ cliques, women are more likely to form pseudofamilies

what percent of children whose others are incarcerated end up in the foster care system?

15%

Prison nursery programs:

• allows mothers to keep their baby with them in prison for a finite period

• the goals is that mother-child bonding during infancy will promote healthy attachments/ benefit the child

what are the requirements for mothers to participate in prison nursery programs?

• must not be a violent offender

• must not have a history of crimes against children

• child must be born in state custody

• parenting classes are usually required as well

Washington Prison Nursery Program:

• opened in 1999

• capacity for 20 mother-child pairs

• women must be in minimum security and be eligible for release within 3 years of giving birth

• children can stay for up to 3 years

• monthly visits from pediatricians

• early head start programs

South Dakota Nursery Program:

• opened in 1998

• mother must cover all expenses related to the baby’s care

• mother can choose a “babysitter” from among other inmates

• can only stay for 30 days (focus is on early bonding)

How have nursery programs been proven to benefit both the mothers and children?

mothers:

• lowers recidivism rates

• less misconduct

children:

• les anxiety/ depression

• more secure attachment to mothers

What is Minnesota’s Healthy Start Act?

• first law to offer the possibility of conditional release for incarcerated mothers

• allows Department of Corrections to move pregnant women/ mothers to community-based programs/ halfway houses for the first year of their newborns life

What is the typical age defined as being elderly for prisoners?

50-60: 50 year old prisoners are still more likely to present medicl problems often found in older people outside of prison

what are the 3 types of elderly prisoners?

1. first-time offenders

2. habitual elderly offenders

3. offenders turned elderly in prison

what are the 2 most common types of elderly prisoners?

habitual elderly offenders & offenders turned elderly in prison

what proportion of prisoners were 55+ in 2022?

1 in 6 prisoners

Challenges of elderly prisoners: HOUSING

• most correctional facilities don’t provide separate housing for elderly inmates

• special accommodations: assigned to bottom bunk, housing them in wings with in-cell showers, adding grab bars to cells/ showers

• some states have built geriatric prison facilities that resemble hospitals

Challenges of elderly prisoners: MEDICAL CARE

• elderly inmates require more medical care for chronic illnesses

• Inmates tend to age faster because of high stress

• Brain diseases are very challenging in prisons (dementia, alzheimers) (sometimes prisoners are punished)

• increase in prison hospice programs to care for dying inmates

Challenges of elderly prisoners: PROGRAMS

• exercise regimens need to be designed to keep elderly inmates active, while not over-stressing their bodies

• programs need to be tailored to the physical/ mental abilities of the elderly

What is the Senior Structured Living Programs?

• for inmates 60+

• activities include therapy dogs, arts + crafts, and inmate run theatre productions

• leads to less fear of dying alone, fewer infirmary visits, and fewer accounts of depression

Challenges of elderly prisoners: RELEASE

• receipt for government benefits (medicare, social security)

• continuity of medical care, prescriptions

• many elderly inmates do not have anyone to look after them post-release

• adapting to change can be difficult (cell phones, internet, housing/ neighborhood, etc.)

What is compassionate release?

Early release for an elderly or terminally ill prisoner who is deemed to be of low recidivism risk

why might states be hesitant to use compassionate release?

• Inmates might not have a support system post-release

• There is a risk of the inmates recidivating (hard to be sure)

what is the First-Step Act (2018)

It made changes to compassionate release in the federal system

• inmates can file directly in district court for compassionate release

• BOP officials must assist terminally ill inmates with compassionate release petitions

• inmates’ family members must be notified within 3 days of terminal illness diagnosis

What is Geriatric Parole?

• MD law took effect in 2025

• allows application for geriatric parole for inmates who:

  • are at least 65+ years old

  • have served at least 20 years

  • are not sex offenders

  • are serving sentences that have the possibility of parole

  • have had no serious disciplinary infractions in the past 3 years

What is the Gold Coats Programs?

• genpop inmates volunteer to be caregivers for elderly inmates

• they help with medial tasks, keep elderly inmates from getting lost, provide companionship, keep them safe from other/ predatory inmates

• these programs help elderly inmates stay in genpop longer, as opposed to being moved to a hospital-like setting

what is the disciplinary process for inmates?

• correctional officers can verbally reprimand inmates or give them a “ticket”

• if given a ticket, inmate needs to appear before a disciplinary committee

• sanctions include loss of privileges, loss of good time, and solitary confinement

what is protective custody?

• separation from genpop resulting from the choice of the inmate due to a risk of staying in genpop

• they receive more privileges than those in solitary confinement for punishment, but they still may have limited access to programs

what types of inmates are put into protective custody?

• witnesses/ informants

• inmates with a high risk of being killed/ injured by other inmates

• celebrities

• officials: judges, police, corrections officers, and other public servants

what are the effects of solitary confinement?

• psychological distress

• sleep disturbances

• increased risk of self harm

• increased suicidality

• heart damage

• undiagnosed or mistreated conditions

• hypersensitivity to light, sound, smell, or touch

how did solitary confinement change with COVID?

• up to 300,000 people were in solitary during the height of the pandemic

• used to minimize the risk of infection

• programming, recreation, and visitation suspended or severely limited

• ACLU sued some jails for violating inmates’ rights by continuing to employ widespread solitary after covid was calming down

What are Supermax prisons?

• provide the highest level of prison security

• holds the most dangerous inmates

• all inmates are isolated from one another

What is USP Florence ADX?

• federal supermax facility in CO

• said to hold the worst of the worst inmates

• can hold up to 490 male inmates

• one of the most secure prisons in the world

• 23 hours in cell, limited entertainment and access to the outside world

• many of the inmates here will never be released

what is North Dakota’s alternative to solitary confinement?

they changed solitary confinement to be called the Behavioral Intervention Unit

what is Washington’s alternative to solitary confinement?

transition pods and cognitive behavioral therapy programs

what is New York’s alternative to solitary confinement?

the HALT act, limits the use of segregation and how long it should last

what are prison programs?

• formal structured activities to take prisoners out of cells

• keep inmates occupied

• help inmates cope with their prison life

• provide opportunities for inmates to improve their lives

• can be used as incentives for good behavior

• can be an indicator to parole board that an inmate is ready for community supervision

when was the office of correctional education created?

in 1991, it was created within the U.S. department of education

what was the title IV of higher education act that congress passed in 1965?

it allowed inmates to apply for Pell Grants

what is the comprehensive crime control Act from 1994?

it bans federal postsecondary education funding for prisoners (because of the mass incarceration/ tough on crime era)

what did the Obama administration implement in 2015?

the second change pell pilot program, more than 40,000 inmates participated

what happened with college education for prisoners in 2023 with the FAFSA Simplification Act?

access to pell grants was restored for inmates

what was the inside out prison exchange program?

• it brings traditional college students + incarcerated students together in jails/ prisons for a semester

• they learn together through dialogue/ collaboration

• a lot of college participate in this

what percent of incarcerated people work while their in prison?

about 2/3

what are vocational programs?

• teach job skills necessary for finding employment upon release

• common programs: barbering, cosmetology, welding, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, automotive, and food service

what are some criticisms of vocational programs?

critizecd for teaching undersirable jobs/ how to get/ keep the job