The presence of youthful offenders in facilities designed and operated for adult offenders creates issues for correctional administrators. The strategies for addressing these issues vary widely among states, depending on the system for committing youth to adult correctional facilities, the nature of the facilities utilized, and the experience of the staff dealing with youthful offenders. To better assess the issues facing correctional administrators and the management strategies currently in place, the project team visited several states with adult prisons and jails that house juveniles.
Table 12 presents summary data on the institutions that participated in this review. Sites were selected based on their distinct programs and the number of youthful offenders incarcerated in the adult facilities. One cannot assume that the facilities visited are typical of all adult facilities (jails and prisons) holding youthful inmates. The objective was to visit several facilities to document how various correctional systems are dealing with this issue.
The project team examined several components at each site. Members focused on gaining an appreciation of the way administrators perceive the youthful offender issue and identifying the management strategies each jurisdiction has developed. The findings of the project team are summarized below for each system and facility visited.
Arizona uses an objective classification system to guide placement in the super-maximum custody status. The classification instrument assigns points for a variety of factors, including the nature of the offense, escape history, and misconduct while in prison. The resulting score can be reduced by remaining free of serious misconduct while at SMU and by completing specific programs, such as the GED program.
The unit functions as a typical super maximum-security facility, allowing residents limited personal property, prohibiting audiovisual equipment, and requiring residents to wear a uniform. Youth are permitted to exercise outside the cell for three 1-hour periods each week and may take three showers per week. Visits are non-contact and limited in number and duration. Inmates are shackled and escorted by officers during all movements outside the cell. The day-to-day operation of the unit is similar to the operation of typical adult, super maximum-security units, with emphasis placed on discipline and control.
Services
SMU has a well-conceived array of programs for youthful offenders. Youth must participate in and complete two of three programs, listed below.
Hazelden’s
A Design for Living. This substance abuse treatment program is based on the Alcohol Anonymous 12-step program. The course consists of reading short booklets and completing a test, writing an essay, or both. Successful completion of the program reduces an offender’s classification points.
Cage Your Rage
This anger-management program is based on techniques developed at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Canada and assists offenders in recognizing feelings of anger, their causes, and methods to control and modify anger. This program is mandatory for all unit residents.
Biblio Program
This literacy self-help program is based on readings and essays from a list of materials. Upon completion of a reading assignment, the youth must write an essay on the material’s relevance to his life.
Program participation is based on a clinical assessment of each youth’s needs. The program offerings are designed to accommodate the disciplinary structure of SMU.
Youth must comply with grooming standards, attend study periods, and maintain their cells in accordance with SMU regulations. All youth are expected to participate in physical fitness, mental alertness, and recreational programs, which include word-search contests, puzzles, and fitness challenges and testing.
The facility offers a range of educational programs, including mandatory GED preparation. Residents who already have diplomas must complete a book report every 2 weeks. Vocational courses are offered, but college level courses are not available. Each resident is afforded 3 hours each day to attend classes. Instruction is provided in an area with adjacent study cells facing a common instruction area. In this manner, instruction can be provided on a face-to-face basis with group interaction, while maintaining a high degree of security. Instruction is enhanced with a variety of sophisticated instructional aids, and each study cell is wired for video and audio instructional systems controlled by the instructor.
This learning environment results in a positive atmosphere. Class participation is high, and residents seem to value the program and appear motivated to achieve their educational goals. Because educational programs provide one of the few opportunities that youth have for out-of-cell time and interaction, great significance is attached to participation in them.
Medical staff, including doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals, are available daily. Youth with serious mental health issues are not eligible for the program. There are no facilities in SMU for intensive mental health services, and sight and separation issues make using the larger facility’s mental health unit problematic. On the day of the site visit, 20 percent of the residents were receiving mental health treatment. Despite the prevalence of mental health issues in adult super maximum facilities, SMU staff did not indicate any special mental health needs for the youthful offender population. The relatively low level of serious mental health issues may be attributable to careful screening of candidates for the unit. A review of files did not reveal any indicators of serious mental health issues (e.g., suicide attempts) and showed that mental health services were routinely being provided.
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