NCJ Number
141498
Journal
Large Jail Network Bulletin Dated: (Summer 1992) Pages: 4-6
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
In Shelby County (Tenn.), in which Memphis is located, nearly 50 percent of the inmate population is involved in some type of work, vocational training, or academic education program.
Abstract
During the past several decades inmates have changed from mainly rural to mainly urban in background, with many inmates having records of drug abuse, violence, or substandard reading and writing skills. In addition, between 1985 and 1988, the inmate population increased from 500 misdemeanants to approximately 3,500 misdemeanants and felons. The county also began housing State inmates due to capacity limitations of State prisons. In response to these changes, the county's Division of Corrections created a more corrections-intensive management team and expanded the inmate services staff to develop more programs to help inmates obtain workplace skills. The programs include Adult Basic Education, GED, word processing, a grant-funded Culinary Arts Program, a Landscape/Horticulture Program funded through State and Federal grants, and an Upholstery Program. Corrections administrators believe that the housing of State prisoners has aided efforts to promote long-term rehabilitation by enabling these inmates to maintain ties to the local workplace and labor market, thereby aiding their postrelease job searches. Recognizing the limits of grant and tax funding, correctional officials are now taking aggressive action to forge cooperative agreements with private enterprise. These efforts are intended to obtain additional capital to prison industries that can train inmates while helping to defray the cost of their incarceration.