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Effective Prison Leadership

NCJ Number
153147
Author(s)
K N Wright
Date Published
1994
Length
218 pages
Annotation
This book is based on the premise that the actions of prison administrators make a difference in the quality of incarceration, and the author describes how prison administrators should perform their jobs.
Abstract
The book is organized in three parts. The first section examines what is important in running a prison and how to get prison staff to pay attention to those issues. The focus is on building staff relationships and on establishing a sense of shared responsibility. The second section explores what quality incarceration means from the perspective of how inmates should be treated. The author argues for a citizenship model in which inmates have six fundamental rights: right to safety, care, dignity, work, self-improvement, and a future. He discusses how to handle severely disturbed or disruptive inmates for whom the citizenship model may not be appropriate. The third and final section considers the future of prison leadership. The author argues that effective prison administration requires careful attention to detail, well-defined standards that are consistently followed, respect for the rights of others, fair and reasonable application of rules and regulations, lawful and reasonable interaction between staff and inmates, and opportunity for personal growth in an environment free of bias and hostility. Notes