Commission Examines Safety & Abuse in America's Prisons
Each year America spends over $60 billion on corrections. In 2005, more than 13.5 million people will have spent time in prison or jail, and on any given day, the incarcerated population will total more than 2,225,000 people. Over 750,000 people are employed by correctional agencies across the country. Yet, there is little understanding among the general public about what goes on inside correctional facilities, or the problems and dangers faced by those who live and work in a correctional setting.
In an effort to promote better understanding of the correctional system, the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization that has worked for more than 40 years to improve the administration of justice, provided funding to create the National Commission on Safety & Abuse in America 's Prisons. The Commission is co-chaired by former United States Attorney General Nicholas de B. Katzenbach, and the Honorable John J. Gibbons, former Chief Judge of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The 21-member, nonpartisan Commission includes other respected civic leaders, seasoned corrections professionals, advocates for the rights of prisoners, former prisoners, and members of the religious community. Over the course of a year in four public hearings, the Commission will explore violence, sexual abuse, degradation, severe overcrowding, inhumane treatment for the mentally-ill, and insufficient support for the men and women who staff facilities. The Commission will produce a report including practical recommendations that local, state, and federal policy makers can act on.
At the Commission's hearing in St. Louis on November 1, Theodis Beck, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Correction, described how the job of a corrections officer has become increasingly complex and challenging as the prison and jail population has expanded and grown more diverse and troubled. "Today's correctional officer must be able to look at situations from an inmate's perspective," said Beck. "He must be in tune to the changing situation of aging inmates, know how to deal with offenders who may be suicidal, be able to recognize gang signs and colors, speak foreign languages, and be sensitive to issues involving supervision of offenders of the opposite sex." Secretary Beck advocated greater support for correctional professionals and the commitment of public resources necessary to accomplish the correctional mission.
On day-two of the St. Louis hearing, Michael S. Hamden, executive director of NCPLS, addressed the need for the need for sound operational standards and oversight in the correctional setting. There are no mandatory national standards for prisons and jails, but the American Correctional Association - a professional association largely composed of correctional professionals - develops standards and accredits facilities that meet their standards. Hamden has served since 1998 as a member of ACA's Standards Committee and as a member of the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections. Initially a skeptic of accreditation, Hamden is now a believer in the accreditation process, but he described the limits of the process and distinguished between professional accreditation and other necessary forms of oversight.
The Commission is seeking information and accounts from people who are or have been incarcerated, and from people who work in a correctional facility. Accounts may be submitted to the Commission at 601 Thirteenth Street, N.W., Suite 1150 South, Washington, D.C. 20005. The Commission's final report and recommendations are expected in March 2006.
Link to the National Commission on Safety & Abuse in America's Prisons
