NCJ Number
133439
Journal
American Jails Volume: 5 Issue: 5 Dated: (November-December 1991) Pages: 18-21
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Functional fitness programs can provide an effective means of dealing with staff and inmate stress and avoiding increased inmate unrest, lower staff job satisfaction, and increased costs.
Abstract
Functional physical fitness consists of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, and body composition. A structured fitness program, a fully equipped gym, and a marked jogging trail facilitate agencywide fitness in at least one correctional facility. The Command Wellness Program at the Naval Consolidated Brig supports the facility's broader program of personal excellence. Sixty-five prisons operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) are fully equipped for fitness. The BOP fitness program consists of three phases -- creating awareness, intervention, and follow-up -- designed to manage stress. Staff stress often results from inmate stress which can also be dealt with by providing a sound exercise program. Some facilities report that inmates who exercise are better disciplined, cooperate more in team sport activities, and make more constructive use of their leisure time. BOP inmates have been brought together at eight pilot facilities to become peer educators, focusing on weight management, smoking, stress management, fitness, nutrition, and drug abuse.