Crowding and the Quality of Prison Life: A Preliminary Reform Agenda (From Correctional Theory and Practice, P 139-145, 1992, Clayton A Hartjen and Edward E Rhine, eds. -- See NCJ-135949)

• NCJ Number: 135957
• Author(s): R Johnson
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Nelson-Hall Publishers
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Prison overcrowding has many adverse effects and can be addressed at little or no added expense by using a consumer-oriented approach that begins with surveying prisoners regarding their perceptions of both their needs and ways to meet those needs.

Abstract

Crowding is not the same as density, although they are related. Prisoners feel crowded under conditions of high density (many bodies), low resources (little to do), and limited control over their lives (few ways to avoid unpleasant encounters). Crowding intensifies the pressures prisoners experience as well as prisoner hierarchy and the domination it promotes. Surveying prisoners can aid reform by identifying the specific types of services needed and the ways they should be delivered. Areas in which reforms are often needed include counseling and mental health services, educational and vocational programs, recreational activities, food and clothing, and provision of private spaces for particular activities. Using the consumer-oriented approach can reduce the effects of crowding not only by responding to specific problems, but also by moving toward the general goal of prison reform. 11 references