NCJ Number
109782
Date Published
1987
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Direct supervision is a new model for management and design of jails and prisons and has been found through formal evaluations to work well.
Abstract
This approach developed from what the Federal Bureau of Prisons has learned in several prisons and three prototypical jails, called Metropolitan Correctional Centers (MCC), built during the 1970's. Officers are placed in housing units where they are in constant, direct contact with inmates rather than in control booths. The design provides a normal type of setting with rooms rather than cells, and inmates have much more privacy than in traditional jails. Correctional officers get to know inmates well and to recognize and respond to trouble before it escalates into violence. Staff skills of negotiation and communication become more important than physical strength. Compared to traditional jails of similar size, MCC's and other direct-supervision jails have much less violence, homosexual rape, vandalism, and graffiti. The jails cost the same or less than traditional models. Operating costs are difficult to compare, but sick leave is generally lower and job satisfaction higher in direct-supervision jails. These facilities require careful classification and screening to eliminate the 5 to 10 percent who are mentally ill or especially violent and require more structured settings. Direct supervision will not directly reduce recidivism, but it can reduce the harm caused by traditional jails and help provide a setting in which rehabilitation programs may work. Photographs and diagrams.