NCJ Number
112619
Journal
American Jails Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1988) Pages: 31,34
Date Published
1988
Length
2 pages
Annotation
For the past 2 years, the New York City Board of Corrections has monitored incidents in which correctional officers have used force on inmates in City jails and have maintained a data base on such incidents on a personal computer (PC).
Abstract
The Board of Corrections maintains these data to identify officers who may excessively use force, to indicate the general level of inmate control in a facility, to measure possible effects of overcrowding, and to identify and solve problems that may be contributing to the need to use force. Data are taken from the unusual incident report that describes security-threatening incidents occurring over a 24-hour period. For each incident, the date, incident number, and facility are recorded in one file; and the name and shield numbers of officers involved in the incident are recorded in another. The two-file system reduces file size and minimizes redundancy and input time. Reports of processed data can be generated on the number of incidents and the associated rate per 100 inmates for each month and over several years. The PC can produce nine preprogrammed reports on officer use of force, as well as reports on inmate-to-inmate violence and ad hoc reports. The quick availability of violence information enables the Board to respond immediately to trends in incidents and to individual officers who may need attention.