NCJ Number
94445
Date Published
1983
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This workshop featured six papers on correctional systems in Pakistan, Malaysia, Fiji, Chile, and Japan. Topics explored included overcrowding, community corrections, and staff training.
Abstract
The speaker from Pakistan commented that conditions were not favorable for launching a modern community-based treatment program. Existing efforts -- Prisoners Aid Societies and Non-Official Visitors -- in his opinion were not effective due to inadequate community interest. The presenter from Malaysia focused on its severe overcrowding problems. Solutions involved more construction and the introduction of alternatives to imprisonment, since trials were speedy and conviction rates high. An analysis of Fiji's Progressive Stage System, a complex system whereby prisoners advance to more favorable treatment depending on their conduct and industry, concluded that is was difficult to administer and failed to motivate prisoners. After listening to an overview of Chile's prison system, participants identified two major problems: overcrowding and nonsegregation of prisoners. Another paper described Japan's recruitment and training efforts for correctional personnel, citing the rapid growth of yough staff and sharp decreases in more experienced and older staff as a problem. The absence of an overcrowding problem in Japan as attributed to the very small number of unconvicted prisoners.