Cengage Learning Publications Chapter 12 Content for Psychology and/or Criminal Justice Course

1. Chapter 12:
Prisons and Jails

2. A Short History of American Prisons
 William Penn’s “Great Law.”
 Pennsylvania, 1682.
 Forbade corporal punishment, and envisioned prisons as
workhouses.
 The Walnut Street Jail
 Philadelphia, 1890
 Silence and labor are the keys to rehabilitation.
 Suffered from overcrowding and excessive costs.

3. A Short History of American Prisons
The Pennsylvania System The New York System
 Silence and in-cell  Solitary confinement
labor leads to insanity in
 Constant solitary inmates
confinement (the  Inmates are allowed to
separate system) work together, while
 Only human contact is maintaining silence
with visiting clergy (the congregate
system)

5. A Short History of American Prisons
Reform:
 The “new penology”
 Imposed silence and separation abolished
 Inmates offered early release for good behavior.
 All inmates begin at level 2, and through good behavior
be assigned a level 1 and released. Misbehavior sees an
inmate demoted to level 3 and the sentence is extended.
 The treatment philosophy is consistent with the medical
model.

6. A Short History of American Prisons
 Martinson’s “What Works?” is published in
1974, reporting that inmate rehabilitation
efforts have been largely unsuccessful.
 In the 1980’s the “get tough on crime”
movement is in full swing, bringing harsher
sentences and booming prison populations.

7. The Prison Population Bomb
Factors in prison growth:
 Enhancement and stricter enforcement of drug
laws
 Increased probability of incarceration
 Inmates are serving more time for each crime
 Federal prison growth

9. Types of Prisons
Maximum-Security Prisons:
 Violent and repeat offenders, those with
conduct disorders (16% of prisoners)
 Fortresses, watchtowers, armed guards
 Cell blocks/wings
 Standard uniforms and dress codes
 Inmate’s lives are security-based

10. Types of Prisons
Supermax:
 Prisons reserved for the “worst of the worst”
 Controlled environment
 Advantages and disadvantages of supermax
environment

11. Types of Prisons
Medium-Security Prisons:
 House less dangerous inmates than maximum
security (35% if prisoners)
 Less restrictive security than maximum
security, usually fences instead of walls
 Rehabilitative programming is available

12. Types of Prisons
Minimum-Security Prison:
 Designed for inmates who are a low-security risk,
such as non-violent and first-time offenders (about
49% of prisoners)
 Inmates have more freedom to move about the
facility
 Security is more relaxed, there are no armed guards
 Rehabilitative programming and privileges are
available

14. Prison Administration
Formal Prison Management:
 Chain of command (a strong hierarchy is
vital)
 May lack continuity of purpose (rehabilitation
versus punishment)

16. Prison Administration
Governing Prison Populations:
 Order
 The absence of misconduct, such as murder, assault and
rape
 Amenities
 Comforts that make life “livable,” such as clean living
conditions, and good food
 Services
 Programs designed to improve inmates’ prospects upon
release

17. The Emergence of Private Prisons
Private prisons are correctional facilities
operated by private corporations instead of
the government.
 Private prisons are often reliant on profit for
survival.
 Private prison populations are forecasted to
continue to grow over the near future.

18. The Emergence of Private Prisons
Why Privatize? Arguments Against
 Cost efficiency Privatization:
 Competitive bidding  Safety concerns
 Labor costs
 Overcrowding and  Philosophical concerns
outsourcing

19. Jails
The Purposes of Jails:
 To hold those convicted of misdemeanors
 To hold individuals pre-trial
 Temporarily hold juveniles awaiting transfer
 To hold the mentally ill pending transfer
 To detain those who have violated probation of parole, or
have “jumped-bail”
 To house inmates awaiting transfer to prison
 To operate community-based corrections programs such as
home confinement and electronic monitoring

20. Jails
The Jail Population:
 88% of jail inmates are male
 30% are pretrial detainees
 38% have been convicted of their current
charge
 Some will receive credit for time served.
 The remainder of inmates housed include the
mentally ill and those awaiting transfer.

22. Jails
Jail Administration:
 The burden of jail management
 Sheriff’s may view the jail as a lower priority
than crime prevention and control
 The challenge of overcrowding
 Living conditions are often miserable
 The wide variety of persons incarcerated in jails
makes management difficult

23. The Consequences of High Rates of
Incarceration
 Positive consequences include a correlation
with a drop in the crime rate.
 Negative consequences include social
consequences for families and communities,
and disenfranchisement of inmates who lose
their right to vote.