NCJ Number
101588
Date Published
1984
Length
7 pages
Annotation
These recommendations from the British Prison Reform Trust to the Chief Inspector of Prisons advocate the revision of inmate classification standards and procedures to ensure a reduction in overall security levels to lower corrections costs and facilitate offender adjustment in the community after release.
Abstract
The overall excessively high security levels in the British prison system are unjust and unnecessarily expensive. A reduction in the prison population is consistent with reduction in security levels to which remaining inmates are assigned. The Prison Department's plans to construct additional high-security facilities will reinforce the trends toward the overclassification of inmates. Although open prisons are now used more than in the 1970's, increased efforts should be made to fill the remaining beds. The classification procedure should be more open, and each inmate should be informed in writing as to why he has been assigned to a particular security level. A new appeals procedure should be established by the appointment of a Categorization Appeals Committee, to be chaired independently of the Home Office. Regular review procedures for inmates' security classification must be improved, along with classification training for prison staff. The Inspectorate should request the Home Office to submit forecasts of accommodation for each security level over the next 10 years.