U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Control in Prisons (From Accountability and Prisons, P 189-203, 1986, Mike Maguire et al, eds. - See NCJ-100462)

NCJ Number
100472
Author(s)
R D King
Date Published
1986
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews recent policies of inmate control in British prisons and critiques the recommendations of the Control Review Committee (CRC).
Abstract
In the 1970's, the British policy for reducing prison disorders was to disperse high security-risk inmates among the general population of several maximum-security prisons, offering a relaxed regime within a secure perimeter. From the outset, these dispersal prisons experienced control problems. This was apparently due to the repeated use of inmate segregation and the frequent transfer of unruly inmates to other institutions. The Control Review Committee, established in the early 1980's, has recommended the greater concentration of high security-risk inmates in prisons architecturally designed to minimize control problems (small units), with a range of complementary units and constructive programs. This recommendation is within the context of CRC suggestions for more rational planning for long-term prisoners, a more consistent system of security classification, and efforts to reduce opportunities for inmate manipulation of the prison regime. CRC recommendations should reduce prison control problems.