NCJ Number
112607
Journal
American Jails Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1988) Pages: 8,10,12-14
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the concept of direct supervision as developed in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities in the 1970's.
Abstract
As part of a presidential directive to improve the Federal corrections system, metropolitan correctional centers (MCC's) were developed to serve as a model for State and local reform. The greatest influence on design was the requirement that facilities fit the BOP's unit management concept and provide a normalized living environment. This approach was designed to reduce costs and to convey positive behavioral expectations to inmates. When the Chicago MCC opened in 1975, initial fears about staff safety and the longevity of the nonsecurity furnishings and fixtures in the facility proved unfounded. Segregation units remained unfilled, staff suffered more assaults in the community than in the MCC, and fixtures and furnishings held up extremely well. By 1981, the podular design features of the MCC's had been adopted by many larger jails, but emphasis was still on remote surveillance and nondestructable detention equipment. The single exception was the Contra Costa County Detention Center in California, which had improved on MCC design features by incorporating an open lounge receiving unit, an outdoor recreation area for each unit, and a low-rise configuration. Although this facility achieved the same positive results as the MCC's, jail practitioners remained skeptical about this new approach. Consequently, training materials were developed that explained the principles underlying the effectiveness of direct supervision designs. The emphasis on improved inmate management, staff and inmate safety, and cost savings led to greater acceptance of the approach, and the concept has been implemented in over 50 sites. 5 notes.