NCJ Number
86083
Date Published
1981
Length
150 pages
Annotation
This report identifies the systemic factors contributing to the inmate disturbances in three Michigan prisons in May 1981, and recommendations are offered for actions that should be taken by the legislature and the corrections department to prevent future disturbances.
Abstract
While the disturbances at the State Prison of Southern Michigan, the Michigan Reformatory, and the Marquette Branch Prison can be related to certain precipitative causes, an identification of the systemic factors underlying the precipitative causes was deemed by the Joint Committee to be the most profitable approach to the analysis and recommendations. The investigation found that the policy orientation of the Michigan Department of Corrections (DOC) is fundamentally sound and that most policies are well-conceived in accordance with rational criteria; however, it was found that a broad range of departmental policies are not implemented as intended, and this nonimplementation of policy played a key role in provoking the disturbances. Many deficient personnel policies and practices were revealed; e.g., the DOC often hires the wrong people for particular jobs primarily because of inadequate preemployment screening criteria and procedures. The training of line employees is also inadequate. Added to these problems is the lack of an employee evaluation mechanism to detect and correct inadequate employee performance. Further, personnel practices result in the hiring and promotion of many employees who are responsible for implementing policies but who have an orientation much different from that of departmental administrators. Specific findings and recommendations are presented in the areas of prison overcrowding, employment practices and policies, institutional management, riot control, disciplinary process, risk and security classification, programs, prisoner grievance system, the parole board, sentencing, the appropriations process, and the implementation of recommendations. Materials related to the investigation are appended.