NCJ Number
103436
Date Published
1985
Length
90 pages
Annotation
A 1985 survey of 255 jails with 50 or less beds constructed since 1974 and onsite evaluations of 32 of those jails determined jail characteristics and operations and identified factors associated with effective jail management.
Abstract
The findings of the survey, which was conducted by KIMME Planning and Architecture under a grant from the National Institute of Corrections, cover the profile of the average small jail, the jail's relationship to other jurisdictions, staffing and staff training, inmate supervision, inmate programs and services, operational problems, and building characteristics. Data are also provided on space adequacy, facility problems, facility renovations, planning and transition, law enforcement operations and facilities, and inmate satisfaction. Among the problems experienced by many facilities were overcrowding, space shortages, and lawsuits. Problems were significantly less frequent in jurisdictions with adequate numbers of trained staff and which had done prearchitectural planning and were required to meet State jail standards. The supervision method also affected the problem incidence. Architectural features such as the materials used apparently had a lesser effect on jail operational problems. 49 tables and a user feedback form.