NCJ Number
225455
Journal
Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: 2008 Pages: 25-41
Date Published
2008
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article examines a behavior modification program used in prisons in England and Wales.
Abstract
An evaluation of the policy of incentives and earned privileges (IEP) in prisons in England and Wales found mainly negative effects on prisoner behavior and perceptions of fairness and relationships with staff. Some of these negative findings were due to the newly punitive climate in which the policy was introduced and the subsequent ethic underlying new discretionary practices. A key finding of the research is that prison officers deploy their authority through relationships with prisoners, but use the rules when relationships do not work. This is one of the reasons for the centrality of staff prisoner relationships to prison life. IEP is an important component of contemporary prison regimes but needs to be administered fairly, individually, and constructively. The study concludes that policies shape prison life, often in their impact on sensibilities rather than in intended ways. The evaluation illustrates the significance of prison staff discretion, relationships with prisoners, and fairness, to evaluations of prison life. The evaluation obtained data through various methods: a structured before-after questionnaire to random samples of 1,022 inmates and 565 staff in 5 varied correctional settings; a process study (interviews with 100 inmates and 125 staff); collection of institutional data; structured visits to 7 other facilities; and use of feedback seminars and implementation workshops. Figures, tables, and references