Clear and Cole - Chapter 7: Jails

                      CHAPTER 7:  JAILS

ENTRANCE TO CORRECTIONS:
SOME FACTS (2009):
  in July, 2009, about 800,000 in our nation's jails
  About 3,300+ jails in the US 
 ABOUT 1/3 UNCONVICTED (about 90 to 95 percent in Cook County Jail)
 ABOUT 85 to 90 percent male
 ABOUT 56% WHITE
 (18 pct hispanic, 38 pct black)
 ABOUT 10% OVER CAPACITY
 SUICIDES A RISK (ABOUT HALF OF ALL DEATHS)

HISTORY:

SHIRE-REEVES, ETC--(12TH CENTURY)--ORIGINALLY "HOLDING FOR TRIAL) AREAS
 --SHERIFFS HOMES, OWN CLOTHES,ETC
 --NOT "PUNISHMENT"

BROUGHT TO COLONIES--SAME PRINCIPLE (PUNISHMENTS: BANISHMENT
OR CORPORAL)

ADMINISTRATION:

3,300 JAILS, MOSTLY BY COUNTIES (2,700), SOME RUN BY STATES

ABOUT 13,500 POLICE LOCKUPS

MOST JAILS OVERCROWDED & UNDER COURT-ORDER TO REDUCE (COOK COUNTY)

PAID FOR IN VARIOUS WAYS:
  A) ALLOCATIONS
  B) FEES (PER PRISONER)


PROBLEMS WITH RUNNING JAILS

--LOCAL POLITICS
  A) POLITICAL CONSERVATISM
  B) FISCAL CONSERVATISM
--INEXPERIENCED STAFF
--SHORT TERMS/TRANSIENT POPULATION
--NO PROGRAMS, ETC (CONDITIONS)
--MENTAL HEALTH OF DETAINEES
--SHORT TERM
--DIFFERENT REASONS FOR BEING THERE
  A) CONVICTED OF CRIME
  B) PRE-TRIAL DETAINEES
  C) NO SCREENING, ETC

ALTENATIVES: (See Chapter 9)

--DIVERSION
--BAIL
  TYPES:  A) UNSECURED BAIL
          B) PERCENTAGE BAIL
          C) R ON R
--HOME INCARCERATION
--PROBATION
--FINES, RESTITUTION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, WORK RELEASE

LIFE IN JAIL
--CONDITIONS
--HEALTH
--VISITS
--TREATMENT
--CROWDING

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