NCJ Number
122634
Date Published
1987
Length
68 pages
Annotation
This handbook, divided into 14 chapters and intended for correctional line officers, describes the basic rights of imprisoned criminal offenders and focuses also on the rights and responsibilities of correctional staff.
Abstract
The handbook is intended to supplement and not to replace a thorough training program for correctional staff. It discusses the kinds of lawsuits prisoners can file and the liabilities of correctional staff for neglect and misconduct. Prisoners' first amendment rights are detailed as well as their rights to access to courts, lawyers, and legal materials. Prisoners' medical treatment and health standards are also discussed along with requirements for correspondence and visitation. Inmate privacy and protection rights are identified and requirements for rehabilitation and work programs are described. Other subjects discussed in the handbook include discipline and punishment, conditions of prison facilities, and use of force by correctional officers. The handbook points out that correctional law is dynamic and that legal consequences exist for every aspect of correctional activity. Correctional personnel are exhorted to make written notes as soon as possible after all unusual incidents that have taken place during their prison work.