NCJ Number
133714
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 53 Issue: 7 Dated: (December 1991) Pages: 82,84-85
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
In 1989, the Big Spring (Texas) Correctional Center (BSCC) contracted with the Bureau of Prisons to provide a specialized, medium-security facility for foreign inmates. The inmates housed at BSCC are citizens of 48 countries, although 80 percent of them are Mexican.
Abstract
Most of the inmates are imprisoned for drug-related or immigration crimes. Most of the foreign inmates have deportation detainers lodged against them by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. All staff members at BSCC must be 21 years old and have, at a minimum, a high school education. The facility tries to recruit bilingual staff; regular training in correctional techniques, emergency procedures, first aid, CPR, and counseling, is supplemented by instruction in the various traditions and cultures of foreign inmates. Correctional staff have found foreign inmates to be easier to manage, more polite, and less likely to pose disciplinary actions. There are occasional conflicts between inmates of different nationalities, especially during recreational activities, but there is little racial tension. Although there is no traditional industry at this facility, inmates are offered a wide range of crafts, self-help programs, educational courses, and vocational training. Specialized food services, religious activities, housing arrangements, and library services also help to reduce inmate problems without increasing costs.