NCJ Number
146317
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 40 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1994) Pages: 18- 36
Date Published
1994
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Overcrowding in California's jails has resulted in jail conditions that have been found to violate constitutional provisions. Complaints alleged by prisoners, court ordered remedies and attempts by jail administrators to comply are the focus of this article.
Abstract
Conservative criminal justice trends have resulted in an explosion in prison and jail populations causing overcrowding and the resulting strain on resources. Since the 1970s, with the rise of the prisoner's rights movement, numerous court orders have been issued against prison and jail administrators across the country because of the deteriorating conditions in correctional facilities. Court orders have set limits on the size of the jail populations and require improvements in conditions. This study focuses on the California jail system and the conditions that have led courts to find it in violation of the Constitution. It analyzes the number and types of violations that have been alleged in inmate complaints and the types of remedies ordered. The political, legal and economic difficulties jail administrators face in attempting to comply with court-ordered reforms are discussed.