NCJ Number
132934
Date Published
1990
Length
139 pages
Annotation
Intended for use by correctional officers working in adult prisons or jails, this handbook provides an overview of correctional law and describes major legal issues that correctional guards face with respect to prisoners' rights and their own rights and responsibilities.
Abstract
Historical overviews describe trends in the role of inmate lawsuits and employee lawsuits in corrections management and note the inmate lawsuits are generally civil rights actions, habeas corpus actions, or tort lawsuits charging injury due to negligence. Additional chapters explain the importance of the constitutional right of access to the courts, the balancing test that is applied when prisoners' rights conflict with the correctional institution's interest in security or other issues, and the meaning of the 14th amendment clause on due process and equal protection of the laws. Further sections consider first amendment issues related to religion, mail, publications, visiting, and expression; search and seizure law related to prisons; the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment; inmate suicide prevention; and the use of force by correctional guards. The rights of correctional personnel, issues related to AIDS in correctional facilities, and the issues and procedures involved in a lawsuit against a correctional employee are also detailed. Chapter notes and review questions and answers