NCJ Number
100262
Date Published
1983
Length
82 pages
Annotation
This 1983 California cost-benefit analysis of single cells, multiple cells, and dormitories for housing pretrial inmates found that single cells are preferable.
Abstract
The study reviewed relevant empirical studies and court decisions, surveyed selected county officials to determine their experience with personal injury settlements before and after building single-cell jails, and interviewed jail managers and jail management experts. A number of jail housing models were assessed to compare construction costs. The various housing types were compared on construction costs, staffing, safety, legal liability, and manageability. A jail with all single cells cost approximately 21 percent more than an all-dormitory design, and a jail half single cells and half dorms was 10.6 percent more expensive than an all-dorm jail. This cost differential was significantly mitigated by savings in staffing costs over the 30-year life of the building. The study found that the single-cell unit performs best on staffing factors (effectiveness, cost efficiency, and job satisfaction) as well as on safety performance. Personal injury lawsuits and settlements are more common in multiple-occupancy facilities. Single-cell facilities are easier to manage, as they produce less inmate stress and offer greater flexibility for classification and operations. The appendix contains a study of the cost-benefit comparison of multiple occupancy and single cells for the Sacramento County jail. 37 references.