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Evaluation of CDC's Prisoner Classification System Part I: The General Population of Inmates

NCJ Number
180559
Date Published
April 1997
Length
128 pages
Annotation
This is the first of three reports that evaluate the prisoner classification system used by the California Department of Corrections (CDC).
Abstract
The report is concerned with male inmates who have not been sentenced under the two- and three-strikes law. It examines how strongly the classification score is associated with inmate misconduct and discusses the possible impact of placement on misconduct. It also includes analysis of the classification score system and discussion of better ways to assess the risk of misconduct for male prisoners. The classification score had a small but positive and useful association with misconduct, an association that was much the same whether it was a classification or reclassification, suggesting that inmates do not “mellow out” over time. Higher levels of security suppressed misconduct beyond what would be expected based on classification score. While a substantial number of prisoners receive placements different from what may be implied by their classification score, the net impact of these “administrative placements” appeared to have reduced misconduct overall. Knowledge about past prison conduct told much about future prison conduct and that information should be taken into account. Notes, tables, figures