NCJ Number
153082
Journal
Criminology Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (November 1994) Pages: 7-10
Date Published
1994
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes Queensland's (Australia) Western Outreach Camps (WORC), which involve moving inmates from large prisons in urban centers and placing them in work camps in rural areas, and presents evaluation results.
Abstract
WORC now involves 10 camps scattered across southwestern Queensland. The camps hold between 10 and 25 inmates and are located on the periphery of towns in renovated buildings. Officers and inmates work 4 weeks on and 1 week off. On their week off, most inmates return home to their families in other parts of the State. Inmates become eligible for WORC toward the end of their prison term. Time in the scheme is counted as prison time, and most participants are released directly from the camp. WORC, according to evaluation findings, is much less alienating than conventional prison life. Some fine-tuning is needed to improve the development of work skills and community- inmate interaction. 6 references