GRIEVANCE MECHANISMS IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS

• NCJ Number: 19594
• Author(s): J M KEATING; V A MCARTHUR; M K LEWIS; K G SEBELIUS; L R SINGER
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 153 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-TA-99-1005
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Ctr for Correctional Justice
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESCRIPTIVE PACKAGE SERIES

Annotation

SURVEY AND DESCRIPTION OF 17 OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL INMATE GRIEVANCE MECHANISMS OPERATING IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF NEW MECHANISMS.

Abstract

THREE BASIC TYPES OF MECHANISMS ARE IDENTIFIED - INMATE COUNCILS, GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES, AND OMBUDSMEN. THE WARDEN, STAFF, AND INMATES INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION OF EACH GRIEVANCE MECHANISM WERE INTERVIEWED ALONG WITH STAFF MEMBERS AND INMATES NOT DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MECHANISM. A FIFTEEN-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ALSO ADMINISTERED TO A TEN PERCENT SAMPLE OF THE INMATE POPULATION. RESPONSES TO THE INTERVIEWS AND QUESTIONNAIRE ARE DISCUSSED AND ANALYZED. THE 17 INDIVIDUAL GRIEVANCE MECHANISMS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED AND COMPARED. A DISCUSSION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE MECHANISMS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED AND COMPARED. A DISCUSSION OF THEIR IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERS THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS: PLANNING, TRAINING, ORIENTATION, ADMINISTRATION, AND EVALUATION. NINE PRINCIPLES ARE IDENTIFIED AS ESSENTIAL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MECHANISM THAT EFFECTIVELY HANDLES INMATE GRIEVANCES. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MECHANISMS SURVEYED FOR THE STUDY, THE INMATE QUESTIONNAIRE AND TABULATED RESPONSES, AND A LIST OF SAMPLE TRAINING MATERIALS AND CASE STUDIES.