CHAPTER 10: INCARCERATION LECTURE OUTLINE: 1. Links to the Past. a. Most correctional facilities are still in rural areas in line with Quaker beliefs that offenders could be redeemed only if removed from city distractions. b. The 1940s and 1950s image of the ‘big house’ is still imprinted on most Americans’ minds: a walled prison with large, tiered cell blocks, a yard, shops, and industries. i. The South did not conform to this model. ii. Racial segregation was maintained. iii. Prisoners were used as farm labor. c. The rehabilitative model of the 1960s and 1970s. i. Treatment programs administered. d. During the past 30 years the prison population has changed. i. There has been a major increase in the number of African American and Hispanic American inmates. ii. More inmates come from urban areas. iii. More inmates have been convicted of drug-related and violent offenses. iv. Former street gangs regroup inside prisons and have raised levels of violence in many institutions. v. The rise of public employee unions have improved working conditions, safety procedures, and training. e. Current focus of corrections has shifted to crime control, which emphasizes the importance of incarceration. 2. The Goals of Incarceration. a. Three models of incarceration have predominated since the early 1940s. i. Custodial model. 1. Assumes prisoners are incarcerated for the purposes of incapacitation, deterrence, or retribution. 2. Emphasize security, discipline, and order. 3. Prevailed before World War II, and it continues to dominate most institutions. ii. Rehabilitation model. 1. Developed during the 1950s. 2. Emphasizes treatment programs designed to reform the offender. 3. Although treatment programs exist in most contemporary institutions, this model has not dominated incarceration since the 1970s. iii. Reintegration model. 1. Recognizes that prisoners will eventually return to society. 2. Emphasizes maintaining offenders’ ties to family and community. 3. Institutions gradually give inmates greater responsibilities and freedom during their confinement, moving them to halfway houses or work release programs before releasing them into community-based supervision. 3. Organization for Incarceration. a. Prisons are operated by all 50 states and the federal government. i. There are 1,292 confinement facilities; 92 percent are run by the states. The rest are operated by the federal government and private companies. ii. Regionally, 47% are in the South, 20% are in the Midwest, 18.5% in the West, and 14.5% in the Northeast. iii. Generally, prisons house convicted offenders sentenced to more than one year. b. Federal Bureau of Prisons. i. Jurisdiction of federal criminal law is restricted to crimes involving interstate commerce, certain serious felonies such as bank robbery, violation of other federal laws and crimes committed on federal property. ii. The federal prison population more than doubled during the 1980s due to the initiation of the war on drugs and the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. Drug offenders in federal prisons make up about 50.7% of the population. iii. Federal prison house fewer violent offenders than state facilities. Offenders are often a more sophisticated breed of criminal, from a higher socioeconomic class, than the typical state prisoner. iv. About 27% of federal inmates are citizens of other countries. v. The Bureau of Prisons is highly centralized, with a staff of over 38,000 who supervise more than 210,000 prisoners. vi. The bureau operates 102 confinement facilities, ranging from minimum to high security. There is one maximum-security (super-max) prison, located in Florence, CO. vii. The federal government does not have enough space to house most people accused of violating the federal criminal law, so about two-thirds of pretrial detainees are housed in state or local facilities on a contractual basis. viii. The federal system has enjoyed a good reputation and has been viewed as an innovator in the field of corrections. c. State Prison Systems. i. States vary considerably in how they organize corrections. ii. The executive branch of each state government administers its prisons. iii. The total capacity of a state’s prisons reflects the size of the state’s population. iv. Sentencing practices, legislative appropriations for corrections, and politics can also affect incarceration rates. v. States vary considerably in the number, size, type, and location of correctional facilities. 4. The Design and Classification of Prisons. a. Form follows function: the design of a structure should serve its purpose. i. During the penitentiary era, institutions were to promote penance. ii. When prison industry became the focus, a different design enhanced the efficiency of workshops. iii. When punishment held sway, emphasis was on the fortress-like edifice that ensures security. iv. During the rehabilitation era, new prisons were built in styles thought to promote treatment goals. b. Today’s design – There are four basic models found in America’s prisons. i. Radial Design. 1. Central Hub. 2. Eastern, Auburn, Leavenworth, Radway, and Trenton. ii. Telephone-Pole Design. 1. Long corridors. 2. Most commonly used for maximum security prisons: Graterford, Marion, Somers, Jackson. iii. Courtyard Style. c. d. a. b. c. 1. Functional units are housed in separate buildings built on four sides of an open square. 2. Some of the newer facilities are the courtyard style. iv. Campus Style. 1. Relatively small housing units scattered among shops, school, dining, and other units in the facility. 2. Inmates and staff must go outdoors to get from one part of the facility to another. 3. Long used for juvenile or women’s facilities. v. Today prison construction is greatly influenced by cost. Location of Prisons. i. As in the past, most are located in rural areas. 1. Even though most prison inmates come from cities and reintegration has been the prime correctional goal, new institutions are still being built in the countryside. 2. Rural whites are hired to guard urban blacks. 3. Many citizens believe that serious offenders should be incarcerated, but not in their community (NIMBY syndrome). ii. Some economically depressed areas have welcomed prisons to bring in jobs and revitalize the local economy. Classification of Prisons. i. State prisons for men usually are classified according to security level: maximum, medium, and minimum. Plus, 38 states and the federal government have facilities that exceed maximum security standards, called “super-max.” 1. There are no national design or classification standards, so a maximumsecurity facility in one state may look like a medium-security facility in a different state. ii. Because there are so few female inmates, many states house them all in one institution, segregating those who require higher levels of security. iii. Males are assigned to a specific type of facility based on several factors, including: 1. Seriousness of offense. 2. Possibility of attempting escape. 3. Potential for violent behavior. Maximum Security Prisons. iv. There are 335 such facilities in the U.S. that house about 38% of all state prisoners. v. Usually, they are awesome edifices with high stone walls studded with guard towers; designed to prevent escapes and to deter prisoners from harming each other. Medium Security Prisons. vi. There are 438 in the U.S., holding 48% of inmates. vii. Externally they resemble the maximum security prison, but they are organized on a different basis and atmosphere is less rigid and tense. Minimum Security Prisons. viii. There are 926 facilities holding 19% of prisoners. ix. Inmates are among the least violent offenders. x. Lacks tower guards and walls; some have chain-link fences. Inmates may live in dormitories or small private rooms. xi. The system relies on rehabilitation programs and offers inmates opportunities for education and work release. 5. Private Prisons. a. U.S. taxpayers spend approximately $38.2 billion annually on prisons. i. Corrections is a multibillion dollar government-funded enterprise that purchases supplies, materials, and services from the private sector. ii. Many jurisdictions contract with private companies to furnish food and medical services, educational and vocational training, and other services. Some hire corporations to house prisoners in privately-owned facilities. 1. See Figure 10.4 for a model of the basic forms of public and private involvement. b. By the end of 2009, privately operated facilities housed 129,336 inmates. 73.6% were state-level offenders. c. The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) houses over half of the beds under contract with private operators. d. Practical and Ethical Issues i. Problems with private facilities. 1. Differences in programming. 2. Costs. a. Private entrepreneurs argue that they can build and run prisons at least as effectively, safely, and humanely as any level of government can, at a profit and a lower cost to taxpayers. b. Private prison corporations need to fill their cells in order to be profitable. 3. Accountability. a. There are fears that the private corporations will press to maintain high occupancy and will be interested in skimming off the best inmates, leaving the troublesome ones to the public correctional system. b. Should governments delegate social control functions to private, profit-driven companies? Will those companies always act in the best public interest? 4. Legal issues. a. Liability of Guards—the U.S. Supreme Court said that private prison guards did not have legal protection under Section 1983 and are fully liable for their actions when they violate a protected right. 6. Who is in Prison. a. The age, education, and criminal history of the inmate population influence how correctional institutions function. b. Data on the characteristics of prisoners is limited (figure 10.5). i. A majority of prisoners are men aged of 25–44. ii. Majority are members of minority groups. iii. Approximately 40 percent have not completed high school. iv. Recidivists and those convicted of violent offences make up a large portion of the population. v. About 34% of parolees return to prison. vi. Four additional factors affect correctional operations: 1. Elderly Prisoners. a. An increasing number of prison inmates are older than 55 and have housing, medical, program, and release service needs that differ from the average inmate. As people age, they become less dangerous. b. In the general population, special housing accommodations and work assignment modifications should be made. c. The elderly are more likely to develop chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. d. Preparation for release to community supervision or to hospice services require time and special efforts. e. The costs of maintaining an elderly inmate is much higher than a younger one. 2. Prisoners with HIV/AIDS. a. In the coming years, AIDS in expected to be the leading cause of death among men aged 25 to 44. The rate of confirmed AIDS cases in state and federal prisons is 2.5 times higher than the rate in the total U.S. population. b. In 2008 there were 21,987 state and federal inmates either infects with HIV or had AIDS The high rate of infection among inmates can be explained by the prisoners’ “high risk” behaviors. c. Only 24 states test all new inmates for HIV. d. AIDS is the second-leading cause of death for inmates (behind “natural causes”). 3. Mentally Ill Prisoners. a. Mass closings of public hospitals for the mentally ill began in the 1960s; new antipsychotic drugs made treating patients in the community seem more humane and less expensive than longterm hospitalization. b. Community treatment only works if the drugs are taken and clinics and halfway houses exist to assist the mentally ill. c. Homelessness is the most public sign of the lack of programs for the mentally ill. d. With the expansion of prisons and greater emphasis on public order offenses, arrest and incarceration have become the price many pay for their illness. 4. Long-Term Inmates. a. More prisoners serve long sentences in the United States than in any other Western nation. b. Harsh sentencing policies of the last 30 years—three-strikes, mandatory minimums, truth-in-sentencing—the amount of time served is increasing. c. Long-term prisoners generally are not seen as control problems. d. Administrators must find ways of making long-term prison life livable. e. Each life sentence costs taxpayers an estimated $1 million. f. Severe depression, feelings of hopelessness, and other health problems are common among long-termers. g. Long-term inmates are charged with less disciplinary infractions that short term inmates. LECTURE NOTES: In general, prisons fascinate people. In order to understand incarceration it is helpful to have a solid understanding of prison history and to recognize how today’s prisons are linked to the past. In beginning with this chapter, tt might be helpful to review penal history and create a timeline that connects all the relevant milestones, innovations, and forces that relate to incarceration. The chapter starts by reviewing the purpose of corrections. In turn this chapter explores the goals of incarceration. Compare the two sets of aims. Understand how incarceration is organized. This organization encompasses the state and federal agencies responsible for the nation’s prisons. Review who operates the nation’s prisons and the demographics of federal and state prisons; this data is provided in the chapter. Compare the two systems by focusing on any trends and/or differences. It is important to know the factors that influence the design and classification of prisons. Compare today’s designs with those of the early penitentiaries. Explore where prisons tend to be located and what that means for prisoners and their loved ones as well as the implications for those who work at the institution. Think about what consequences there are for society if our prisons are out of sight. The chapter describes the various classifications assigned to prisons. Be sure to know the distinctions. An important section in this chapter is the one on private prisons. Since their advent in the 1970s, questions have been raised as to whether private prisons are more cost-effective than public prisons. Until recently, research on this question has been lacking. As states deal with severe budgetary problems, the future of private prisons is uncertain. Prison privatization it is vital to highlight the moral and ethical issues associated with the practice. Due to the pervasive and particular portrayal of prisoners on television and in movies, people often have an incorrect idea about just who is incarcerated and for what types of offenses. Therefore, understanding who actually is in prison is important. This chapter maps out the demographic of those incarcerated. In addition, the chapter underscores the problems that different types of prisoners bring to the institution. 
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