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SELECTED JAIL STANDARDS - A COMPARATIVE SURVEY

NCJ Number
51984
Journal
Justice System Journal Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (FALL 1978) Pages: 100-113
Author(s)
S R BUCKMAN
Date Published
1978
Length
14 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A 1978 SURVEY OF STATE JAIL STANDARDS ARE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF A SIMILAR SURVEY OF JAIL STANDARDS IN LATE 1971.
Abstract
DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 1978, THE NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE MADE TELEPHONE CONTACT WITH EACH STATE TO REQUEST A COPY OF ITS MOST CURRENT COUNTY-LEVEL JAIL STANDARDS. AS THESE WERE RECEIVED, THEY WERE STUDIED TO DETERMINE THEIR ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS OF JAIL SERVICES AND FACILITIES; ENFORCEMENT, INSPECTION, SINGLE OCCUPANCY LIVING UNIT SIZE, MULTIPLE OCCUPANCY LIVING UNIT SIZE, DAY SPACE SIZE, JUVENILE HOLDING, JUVENILE-ADULT SEPARATION, MEDICAL SERVICES, USE OF NORMATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS, LIGHTING, VENTILATION, TEMPERATURE, ACOUSTICS, VISITING, TELEPHONE PRIVILEGES, RECREATION, LIBRARY, AND PLANNING COMPONENT. DATA IN THESE AREAS FROM THE CURRENT SURVEY ARE PRESENTED AND COMPARED WITH ANALOGOUS DATA FROM THE 1971 SURVEY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE COMPARISON OF THESE TWO SETS OF STANDARDS REVEALS THAT SIGNIFICANT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO IMPROVE LOCAL DETENTION FACILITIES. SEVERAL STATES INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT SURVEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING DRAFTS AND PROPOSALS, PASSING STANDARDS THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, AND UPDATING OLD STANDARDS THAT HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONS. IN SPITE OF ALL THESE ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS, HOWEVER, THE CRISIS IN LOCAL CORRECTIONS IS FAR FROM RESOLVED. MANY OF THE NEW JAIL STANDARDS STILL PERMIT LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS TO EXIST IN LOCAL JAILS. SOME OF THE MORE PROGRESSIVE PROPOSALS ALSO HAVE BEEN CIRCUMSCRIBED SEVERELY BY THE HESITATION OF GOVERNMENTS AND CORRECTIONS AGENCIES TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO CHANGES THAT REQUIRE SIZEABLE FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS. (RCB)

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