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CHAPTER 7: JAILS
ENTRANCE TO CORRECTIONS:
SOME FACTS (approximate - From 2008 data):
in 2008, about 800,000 (plus 72,000 supervised)
About 3,304 jails in the US
ABOUT 50 percent UNCONVICTED
ABOUT 90 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)
PROBLEMS WITH RUNNING JAILS (according to lecture and text)
A. LOCAL POLITICS
1) POLITICAL CONSERVATISM
2) FISCAL CONSERVATISM
B. INEXPERIENCE OF STAFF
C. SHORT TERMS/TRANSIENT POPULATION
D. FEW IF ANY PROGRAMS
E. CONDITIONS
F. MENTAL HEALTH OF DETAINEES
G. DIFFERENT REASONS FOR PRISONERS BEING THERE
1) SOME CONVICTED OF CRIMES
2) PRE-TRIAL DETAINEES
H. MINIMAL SCREENING OF INMATES WHEN THEY COME IN
ALTENATIVES TO JAILS:
A. DIVERSION
B. BAIL
1) UNSECURED BAIL
2) PERCENTAGE BAIL
3) RECOGNICANCE
C. HOME INCARCERATION
D. PROBATION
E. FINES, RESTITUTION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, WORK RELEASE
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