NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE PRISON - ESTABLISHMENT OF RECOMMENDED POSITIONS - FEBRUARY 3, 1978 - JUNE 30, 1979 - AN EVALUATION

• NCJ Number: 55286
• Author(s): J CAHILL
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 14 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76/77-1-E/A-2105 F03/02; 79-1-A2105-F02
• Sponsoring Agency: New Hampshire Governor's Cmssn on Crime and Delinquency
• Corporate Author: New Hampshire Governor's Cmssn on Crime and Delinquency
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE CASE MANAGEMENT AND MINIMUM SECURITY PROGRAMS AT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE PRISON ARE DESCRIBED AND EVALUATED.

Abstract

THE PROJECT, INITIATED IN 1976 IN RESPONSE TO STUDIES REPORTING ON PROGRAM NEEDS AT NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE PRISON, EMBRACES TWO CLOSELY RELATED COMPONENTS: CORRECTIONAL CASE MANAGEMENT AND THE STAFFING OF A MINIMUM SECURITY UNIT (MSU). THE CASE MANAGEMENT COMPONENT PROVIDES FOR THE SERVICES OF A CORRECTIONAL COUNSELOR OR CASE MANAGER TO PROVIDE CONTINUITY OF SERVICES FOR INMATES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CORRECTIONAL PROCESS. BY FOLLOWING THE PROGRESS OF INMATES FROM THE POINT OF ENTRY TO THE PRISON, THE CASE MANAGER ASSESSES FOR EACH INMATE THE ADVISABILITY OF PARTICIPATION IN ANY OF THE SEVERAL TREATMENT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS AVAILABLE AT THE PRISON. THE MSU IS A SEPARATE BUILDING ON THE PRISON GROUNDS AND OPERATES INDEPENDENTLY OF MANY OF THE PRISON ROUTINES. EACH RESIDENT IS REQUIRED TO WORK AT ONE OF SEVERAL WORK ASSIGNMENTS AVAILABLE TO TRUSTY INMATES. MSU RESIDENTS ALSO ASSUME HOUSEKEEPING RESPONSIBILITIES. THEY ARE GRANTED COMPARATIVELY MORE PRIVILEGES THAN INMATES IN THE MAIN FACILITY IN THE AREAS OF VISITING PRIVILEGES, RECREATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESTRICTIONS. AN INMATE IS NOT CONSIDERED FOR ACCEPTANCE TO THE MSU UNTIL HE IS WITHIN 2 YEARS OF HIS MINIMUM RELEASE DATE. THE CASE MANAGER PROVIDES COUNSELING TO MSU INMATES IN A VARIETY OF MATTERS, AND HE MONITORS THE PROGRESS OF INMATES WHOM HE HAS IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIALLY SUITED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE MSU. SINCE ITS OPENING IN 1977, 187 INMATES HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO THE MSU. OF THE 161 CASES PAROLED OR RELEASED FROM THE MSU, 106 (66 PERCENT) HAVE NOT RETURNED TO THE PRISON. THIS COMPARES FAVORABLY WITH THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF INMATES HOUSED IN THE MAIN FACILITY. THIS STATISTICAL SAMPLE, HOWEVER, IS SMALL AND REPRESENTS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OF OPERATION OF THE MSU. THE EVALUATOR RECOMMENDS CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE CASE MANAGEMENT AND MSU PROGRAMS. INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT'S FUNDING HISTORY AND DATA ON MSU INMATES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)