NCJ Number
106783
Date Published
1987
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Use of inmates for construction of correctional facilities will decrease the cost of building and at the same time provide incentives and training to develop skills.
Abstract
Overcrowding in prisons and jails is the most serious problem facing the criminal justice system today. The National Institute of Justice established the construction information exchange to provide for less costly ways to increase the number of correction facilities. Programs that have proved successful in South Carolina and a few other States are discussed. Details such as planning, feasibility, staff requirement, referrals, incentives, and wages of South Carolina's program are provided. Other States with similar programs are Texas, Florida, and Arkansas. Besides lowering building costs, the program provides opportunities to the inmates to acquire skills; offers career ladders for advancement; and provides incentives such as accelerated parole eligibility, earnings off sentence terms, and wages for good work and behavior.