Research Findings and Recommendations: Conditions of Confinement: Physical Plant Standards Revision, Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI)

• NCJ Number: 127479
• Author(s): S A Carter; R Miller; R Wener
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 265 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: American Correctional Association; National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report summarizes a research initiative designed to inform the efforts of the American Correctional Association to revise the standards for the physical facilities of adult correctional institutions (ACI) and to publish the third edition of its standards.

Abstract

Information came from a literature review and practitioner surveys focusing on more than 10 years of experience with the ACI standards. The study re-examined the role of professional standards in corrections, established new criteria for assessing the contents of standards, and acknowledged the importance of the need for more comprehensive evaluations of physical conditions. The analysis also emphasized the importance of providing staff with safe and appropriate working conditions. The report established performance objectives as the basis for recommending new and revised ACI standards and suggested a new format and organizational framework. Specific recommendations include revising maximum facility size by decentralizing the design and operations, revising the criteria for cells, revising requirements for natural light, and upgrading standards for environmental conditions. Charts, tables, checklists, and appended methodological information, findings, and lists of legal cases