NCJ Number
119104
Date Published
1988
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Program-based prisons give high priority to rehabilitative programming compared to security measures, provide for prisons differentiated by treatment provisions, and provide the least restrictive alternative commensurate with community safety.
Abstract
Prison programs should be based on a balancing of the security, treatment, and order goals. They should be part of a well-planned prison system, differentiated according to varied activities tailored to individual inmates. Inmate classifications must go beyond assessments of dangerousness and encompass inmate treatment needs. Individual treatment plans should be developed in collaboration with the inmate. Prison programs are most effective when they are conducted in an environment with minimal restrictions. Inmates, therefore, should be moved to open prisons as soon as possible. Noncustodial measures should have high priority. Early release and parole should be granted at the earliest possibility as a rule, not as an exception.