Chapter 18
Jails And Detention: The American Jail
  1. Introduction

A. Operation of Modern Jails

1. Admissions and releases on a given day averages about 50, 000.
2. About 10% of the jails house about 90% of the jail population, with 7 states holding more than half of the jail population.

  1. Jail Population

1. Pre-trial detainees
2. Short-term sentenced inmates
3. Work release’s
4. Convicted inmates awaiting transportation to state and federal prisons.
5. Drunk and disorderly
6. Mentally ill
7. Substance abusers
8. Adults and teens

II.  CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JAIL POPULATION
  1. Size and Ethnic/Gender Make-up of the Population
    1. The jail population rose 307% between 1983 and 1999 and the type of prisoner changed. (442)
    2. Problems such as illiteracy, substance abuse and mental instability go untreated in the outside world. The jail serves as a catchall for society’s problems.
    3. Part of the crowded conditions due to inability to transfer convicted felons to overcrowded state and federal facilities.
B.  Substance Abusers
    1. Majority of jail inmates addicted to legal and/or illegal substances.
    2. DUI inmates accounted for about 7% of jail inmates in 1997.
C.  Mentally Ill Inmates
    1. Deinstitutionalization during the last 30 years has resulted in relatively large numbers of mentally person reentering the community without support, with many becoming homeless.
    2. In communities without agencies for treating the mentally ill, the jails are used to house them although they have not committed any criminal offense.
D.  Suicidal Inmates (445)

E.  Juveniles in Adult Jails

    1. Juveniles constitute about 1.33% of the jail population.
    2. Jails are supposed to treat juveniles differently than other inmates in at least 3 ways:

                a.  Separation
                b. Judicial Review and Authorization
                c. Nutrition

                3. Juveniles are typically charged with more offenses - drugs, sex offenses, aggravated robberies,         felonious assaults, murder and weapons charges.
                4.  Many juveniles are diagnosed with conduct disorders.

  1. Women
    1. In 1998, women constituted about 11% of the total jail population.
    2. Women housed in jails have the same type of problems and needs of the male inmates.
    3. Women must be segregated from male inmates according to standards established by law.

III. The History Of Jails

A. Jails In England

1. Gaol was the name of medieval English jails
2. Used originally for the detention of suspects and vagrants
3. 1166, Henry II ordered gaols to be built in each shire of the country.
4. By the 17th century had combined function of detention of suspects with punishment of convicted petty offenders.

B. Jails in the United States

1. First American jail at Jamestown, Virginia in 1608.
2. Colonial jails rarely used for imprisonment or punishment of convicted felons. Used mostly for pretrial confinement. Few had cells. Inmates usually housed in small rooms holding up to 30 people. Inmates required to supply own necessities.
3. Jails gradually changed to the punishment and imprisonment mode.
4. About ˝ of all American jails built after WWII - more than 1500 between 1970 and 1993.

IV. SECURITY AND JAIL DESIGNS
  1. Principal Jail Designs in the United States

1. The Linear Design - Most older jails

            a. Jail and prison facilities in which the cells are constructed in long straight rows aligned with corridors where correctional staff walk from cell to cell to intermittently supervise inmate activities. Lacks sufficient space for recreation, leisure and other activities.
            b. See, Figure 18.1, page 451.

2. Podular Remote Design

                a.  Jails and prison facilities with pods housing various numbers of inmates that are arranged in such a way as to permit observation of activities from a central protected control room.
                b. See, Figure 18.2, page 451.

3. Podular Direct Design

            a.  Design allows the staff to be permanently situated among the inmates. Uses "soft" furnishings in an attempt to normalize the living environment.
            b. See, Figure 18.3, page 453

B.  Security And Control

1. Sound Perimeter Security Is A Primary Line of Control
2. Control is Easier When The Population Is Divided Into Manageable Groups
3. Well-Designed Jails Facilitate The Surveillance Of Inmates
4 Adequate staffing is a necessity.

V. THE JAIL ADMISSION PROCESS

A. The Design Of The Intake Area Affects The Control Of Arrestee’s

  1. The Intake Process: A law enforcement or correctional administrative process after arrest officially identifying the person, time, reason for arrest and arresting authority after which he/she may be released on bail, ROR, or placed in detention.
  2. Many offenders spend only a few hours in jail.

B. Medical And Mental Health Screening Of Arrestee’s (454)

C. Inmate Identification

    1. The Booking Process - fingerprints, photos and personal information

D. Classification And Orientation (456)

VII. JAIL MANAGEMENT

A. Introduction

    1. "Management by walking around" - a proactive approach which requires all levels of personnel to make frequent visits, each day and each shift, to inmate living areas.
    2. Good jail management requires jail administrators to be highly visible and accessible to the public, staff and inmates.
  1. Legal Issues
    1. Failure to provide a safe environment for staff and inmates may be violating constitutional standards.
    2. Failure to comply with established standards can lead to a court taking administrative control of the jail.
  1. Accreditation (456)
    C.  Jail Capacity
    1. Every jail has rated or design capacity.
    2. The tendency in most communities is to build capacity based on current levels of inmates. Invariably, new jails are full or overcrowded when they open.

    D.  Jail Regionalization (458)

VIII. JAIL STAFF

A Introduction

    1. In 1993 jails employed 165, 500 people, of whom 117,00 were Cos.
    2. Most jails are under the control of county sheriffs and are used as training assignments for new deputies.
B.  Professionalization of COs (460)

C.  Staff - Inmate Communication

    1. Frequent, interpersonal contact between staff and inmates reduces the risk of inmates assuming control of their units.
    2. This interaction also supports compliance with facility rules and regulations.