NCJ Number
136143
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 70 Issue: 2 Dated: (Fall-Winter 1990) Pages: 57-73
Date Published
1990
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article examines two class action civil rights suits brought against the Baltimore City Jail and reports on the effectiveness of various techniques employed to achieve better living conditions for city prisoners.
Abstract
The Collins v. Shoonfield case involved conditions of confinement, while the Duvall v. Schaefer case concerned overcrowding. City plans to attain compliance with a Federal court decree on capacity provisions were aimed at reducing the jail's population rather than at increasing available bed space. The city proposed to bail out city jail inmates with low bails, to release up to 400 inmates with electronic bracelets that could be monitored by random telephone calls, to limit jail admissions, and to process jail inmates faster in local courts to reduce their length of stay in jail. Court masters were appointed in 1989 to advise about jail construction and maintenance. Since 1981, medical service delivery has been contracted to private firms, and jail staff have become more professional. Techniques that have been employed to fulfill the Federal court's decree on conditions of confinement and overcrowding include internal compliance monitoring, informal negotiations, the development of an effective inmate grievance process, the use of court masters, standards on health care and physical structure, motions, compliance plans, and alternative remedial devices. 6 references