NCJ Number
135672
Date Published
1989
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This paper describes significant changes in the Prison Service of England and Wales since the 1979 report of the Interdepartmental Committee of Inquiry into the United Kingdom's Prison Service.
Abstract
Important initiatives since 1980 include developments in staff training and personnel management, the use of information technology, and management of the prison building program. Progress has also been made in the development of prison officers' social work role and in the greater involvement of volunteers and community-based organizations. Further, a strategy has been devised for managing the long-term prison system; a clear race relations policy and supportive training program have been introduced; and changes have been made in parole, home leave, and remission. A system of accountable management has been implemented that focuses on managerial performance and on accountability and efficiency in resource use. Functions of Prison Service establishments have been identified, and mechanisms for monitoring and assessing Prison Service performance have been established. Attention has been paid to ways in which management can improve the industrial relations climate involving working conditions and prison officer pay. Changes in the sentencing and custodial treatment of young offenders have been implemented to help juvenile offenders return to the community. The focus is on education, training, work and employment, personal responsibility, self-discipline, and physical fitness. Organizational structures and management procedures are periodicaly re-evaluated and refined to ensure their relevancy and efficiency. 4 charts