NCJ Number
67985
Date Published
1980
Length
21 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF STEPS TAKEN TO RESTORE ORDER TO THE STATEVILLE, ILL. PRISON AFTER A SERIES OF INCIDENTS IN 1978 AND 1979 DEMONSTRATED THE PRISON ADMINISTRATION'S LOSS OF CONTROL ARE ASSESSED.
Abstract
CHANGES INSTITUTED IN FEBRUARY 1979 TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS ENCOMPASS ADMINISTRATIVE REORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL ADJUSTMENTS, REDUCTION OF PRISON OVERCROWDING, INCREASED ENROLLMENT OF INMATES IN EDUCATIONAL CLASSES OR ASSIGNMENT OF INMATES TO INSTITUTIONAL TASKS, MORE AGGRESSIVE STAFF RECRUITMENT, RECLASSIFICATION AND REASSIGNMENT OF INMATES TO HOUSING ACCORDING TO SECURITY RATINGS, AND AN EXPANDED VISITING ROOM. THESE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE REMOVED THE MAJOR CAUSES OF TENSION, I.E., IDLENESS AND SEVERELY SUBSTANDARD LIVING CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, DESPITE TRANSFER OF GANG LEADERS, INMATE GANG AFFILIATIONS HAVE NOT DISSOLVED. SINCE THE CHANGES CITED, THE NUMBER OF DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AGAINST INMATES (E.G., ISSUANCE OF DISCIPLINARY TICKETS, DEMOTION TO LOWER GRADES, REVOCATION OF GOOD TIME DAYS) HAS INCREASED. FEWER GRIEVANCES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED BY INMATES CONCERNING BASIC NEEDS, BUT INCIDENT REPORTS OF INMATE ASSAULTS AGAINST GUARDS, GENERAL DISTURBANCES, AND ARSON ATTEMPTS TO ATTRACT ATTENTION REVEAL A CONTINUED HIGH LEVEL OF UNREST. TO AVERT FURTHER DISASTERS, THE REPORT RECOMMENDS SINGLE-CELLING PRISONERS, ELIMINATION OF THE LABOR POOL OF UNASSIGNED INMATES, DEFINITION OF CLEAR BOUNDARIES FOR INMATE CONDUCT, ROTATION OF POSITIONS ON THE PRISON GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE, ADOPTION OF A COUNSEL SUBSTITUTE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE INMATE ACCESS TO ASSISTANCE (E.G., OF SOCIAL WORKERS OR ADVOCATES), SHIFT OF THE ADVOCATE ROLE TO FOCUS ON GUARANTEEING FAIR PROCEDURES, ENHANCEMENT OF CORRECTIONAL STAFF QUALITY THROUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, AND EMPOWERMENT OF THE STATE PRISONER REVIEW BOARD TO HEAR APPEALS OF PRISON DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE RULINGS. TABLES AND GRAPHS ARE SUPPLIED. -- IN ENGLISH.