NCJ Number
90468
Journal
Parks and Recreation Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1981) Pages: 40-45,77
Date Published
1981
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study reports on findings from a 1978 study that ascertained the status of recreation personnel and programs in State maximum security facilities, with particular attention to administrative attitude, program offerings, and levels and types of staff involvement.
Abstract
Fifty-eight maximum security facilities responded by returning both questionnaires: 38 male facilities, 16 female facilities, and 4 facilities housing both sexes. The respondents represented 40 States. Findings show that nationally recreation in maximum security corrections is in the embryonic stages of development from the perspective of rehabilitation or treatment planning, as evidenced by the dearth of recreation involvement in the classification process. Although administrators indicated that recreational programming is as important as vocational programming, the data on education staff and recreation staff-to-inmate ratio fail to support this opinion. Educating for the productive use of leisure time is a low priority. A wide variety of recreation program offerings were found; yet the emphasis still seems to be on sports. Offerings in the creative, nonverbal expression, service, and community-based programs were meager when compared to athletic offerings. Although the facilities are housing mostly young adult inmates, the data on treatment staff (including recreation) and inmate ratios, program offerings, and fiscal allocations suggest that little can be done to overcome the negative influence of older or more incorrigible inmates. The study also disclosed sufficient deficiencies in the areas of community activities, balance of activity offerings, inmate needs assessment, available recreation staff, ethnic activities, and financial resources to suggest that the majority of facilities fail to comply with standards 4419-4429 of the Manual of Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions.