NCJ Number
230754
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 72 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2010 Pages: 100-102
Date Published
April 2010
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article briefly describes initiatives undertaken by the Hampden County Sheriff's Department to infuse effective change in the operation and management of the Special Management Unit.
Abstract
Up until January 2008, the Hampden County Sheriff's Department in Massachusetts maintained a Special Management Unit (also known as the disciplinary and administrative segregation unit) which operated similar to other 23-hour-a-day lockdown units in jails and prisons across the country. The unit offered an environment of isolation resulting increased mental health problems by some inmates, leading to increased behavioral problems. In 2008, the department formed a working staff committee whose goal was to make the Special Management Unit a more positive and productive environment, where inmates were given the challenge and opportunity to change their behavior. This article describes the steps proposed and the implementation of these steps, which included classification changes, positive behavior reinforcement, access to programs, and the return to general housing.