NCJ Number
149948
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Dated: (Summer 1994) Pages: 358-365
Date Published
1994
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Until 1992, Boards of Visitors of English penal institutions acted as quasijudicial bodies dealing with serious offenses against prison discipline and served as public watchdogs to guard against prison authority abuses; the recent withdrawal of their disciplinary powers was intended to enhance the Boards' credibility by stressing their independence from prison authorities.
Abstract
To assess prisoner awareness of Boards of Visitors and their roles and duties, interviews were conducted with a sample of 140 adult male inmates at a training prison. About 95 percent of inmates had heard of Boards of Visitors. Most information about Boards was acquired anecdotally, and about 55 percent of inmates knew that Board duties included inspection, attention to inmate welfare, and dealing with grievances. Many inmates, however, doubted that Board duties were accomplished effectively. Further, many inmates knew virtually nothing about Board composition and did not recognize the Boards as being independent. Despite the withdrawal of the Boards' disciplinary powers, inmates still regarded them as largely invisible, irrelevant, aligned with prison management, and ineffective. 8 references