NCJ Number
185645
Date Published
2000
Length
7 pages
Annotation
New York States operates the largest shock incarceration program for sentenced prisoners in the United States, with a capacity for 1,290 male inmates, 169 female inmates, and 222 beds dedicated to orientation and screening.
Abstract
The program is structured as a therapeutic community due to its emphasis on substance abuse treatment in response to the documented substance abuse histories of most program participants. The program provides a minimum of 675 hours of substance abuse treatment to each inmate during the 6-month program. For every 100 shock inmates released, the New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) estimates it saves $1.61 million which it would otherwise have to spend for the care and custody of these inmates. For the first 22,116 releases from the program, the DOCS saved an estimated $682 million in both operating and capital costs. Each year, supervised crews of shock inmates perform thousands of hours of community service. Shock inmates are in academic classes for just 12 hours each week but still perform relatively well on the General Equivalency Diploma. In addition, shock graduates are more likely than other parolees to be successful on parole supervision despite remaining at risk for longer periods of time. The legislative background of the shock incarceration program is presented, and the history and structure of the program and the screening of eligible inmates are briefly examined.