NCJ Number
199921
Journal
Corrections Today Magazine Dated: April 2003 Pages: 82-85
Date Published
April 2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes how the formation of Georgia’s Jail Assistance Program helped Georgia counties overcome challenges in jail facilities and management.
Abstract
Georgia’s county jails faced considerable challenges in the 1990’s as overcrowding combined with inadequate staffing became commonplace. In response, Georgia sheriff’s initiated the Jail Assistance Program to identify and overcome administrative, security, and staffing issues. Six major concerns were identified as part of this jail initiative: (1) Federal court mandates; (2) jail crowding; (3) recruitment, training, and retention of staff; (4) new jail planning; (5) updating the Model Jail Operations Policy and Procedure Manual; and (6) updating voluntary jail standards. The first and most fundamental task of the Jail Assistance Program became to revise and publish jail standards for statewide use. The jail standards served as a guide for sheriff’s to assess their facilities and make needed changes. In order to help implement the revised standards, the staff of the Jail Assistance Program offered five training workshops and on-site technical assistance. The Jail Assistance Program also offered planning resources to guide counties in need of new or expanded jails. Another service offered by the Jail Assistance Program was the analysis of jail staffing requirements and the training required for staff at all levels of operation. As a result of the assistance provided to county jails, Georgia’s jails have become more uniform and refined in their operations, cutting down on staff turnover, litigation by inmates, and the unnecessary expenditure of valuable resources.