Preventing the Placement of Potentially Violent Juveniles and Adults in Minimum Security Correctional Facilities

• NCJ Number: 106331
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 52 pages
• Corporate Author: California Office of the Audit General
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services; California Office of the Audit General
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Report by the Auditor General of California

Annotation

The adequacy of security classification procedures used by the California Youth Authority (CYA) and the California Department of Corrections (CDC) was evaluated through interviews with staff and an examination of data for juvenile and adult inmates involved in escapes and assaults in 1986.

Abstract

Results indicate that the CYA relies too heavily on staff judgments in its limited security placement decisions. In addition, it does not routinely obtain criminal records from other States. Further, the CYA has placed wards in minimum security programs even when staff had determined that they belonged in programs offering higher security levels. Assigning potentially violent youth to minimum security programs imposes dangers on the public, staff, and other wards. In contrast, the methods used for assigning inmates to minimum security facilities of the CDC appears adequate. CDC staff use a point scoring system to determine inmate security risk and routinely obtain criminal history data on inmates from Federal, State, and local sources. Inmate classification score sheets are appended. (Author abstract modified).