Corrections Today articles from October 2000

Corrections Today archives from October 2000

Saluting Jail Professionals.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Executive Director American Correctional Association Running a jail is tough. Some justice experts say it is one of the toughest jobs in corrections for many reasons. One reason is the volume of intake and releases jails have every day...

The Importance of Jails.(social and political trends effect jail administration, overcrowding)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Jails are an integral part of our criminal justice system. There are approximately 3,300 jails in the United States. These jails hold one-third of our country's 2 million inmates. During the last 20 years, the number of inmates in prisons and...

Profile.(Wackenhut Corporation)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)(Statistical Data Included)
October 1, 2000... WCC, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is the largest publicly traded correctional management company in the world. Nearly 16 years ago, WCC's Chief Executive Officer George C. Zoley, Ph.D., guided the efforts of The Wackenhut...

Arizona's Female Inmate Population On the Rise.(female inmates to be moved to Arizona State Prison at Perryville)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... The number of the state's female inmates has increased so much during the past two decades that they now warrant their own prison, according to The Arizona Republic. Until this month, female inmates still were scattered among five prisons...

Crime Rate Falls In New Jersey.(Brief Article)(Critical Essay)(Statistical Data Included)
October 1, 2000... According to annual crime statistics released in August, continuing a nearly decade-long trend, crime in New Jersey fell last year in nearly every county to levels not seen in three decades, reported New Jersey's The Star-Ledger. New Jersey's 6...

A Jack of All Trades.(profile of correctional officer Robert Potvin)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Deputy 1st Class Robert Potvin can be referred to as a "jack of all trades." During the past four years of his correctional career, Potvin has worn many hats, including those of security correctional officer, transport officer, secondary...

The American Jail Association: A Strong Voice for Jails Nationwide.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... The American Jail Association (AJA) was created in 1981 when the National Jail Association merged with the National Jail Managers' Association. At the time, AJA was under the leadership of a president and had several hundred members. In 1986,...

Letter to the Editor.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2000... Rethinking About Lessons to Be Learned Recently in Corrections Today, Vincent Schiraldi wrote an article, "Lessons Can Be Learned," about Nathaniel Abraham, an 11-year-old boy who was "one of the youngest murder defendants in history" to...

Rethinking the Death Penalty.(history, moral and ethical aspects of death penalty in the United States)
October 1, 2000... While most Americans support the death penalty, polls have begun to show some slippage. According to a June 2000 Gallup Poll, public support for the death penalty has declined from 80 percent to 66 percent since 1994. This slippage in support...

Biometrics: Applying an Emerging Technology to Jails.(National Institute of Justice supports research into use of biometric technology in jails)
October 1, 2000... Although sometimes neglected by politicians, the public and the media, jails are an important part of our nation's correctional system. Jails are the most common type of confinement used in the United States and they perform multiple functions...

New initiatives From The NIC Jails Division.(National Institute of Corrections Jails Division)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Jails Division is adding several new initiatives to its service offerings. These initiatives address fundamental challenges in jail management and operations and are an outgrowth of the Jails...

San Antonio Offered Pathways to Success.(American Correctional Association congress)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... More than 4,500 corrections professionals were able to continue their pathways to success at the 130th Congress of Correction in San Antonio, Aug. 13-17. Congress attendees had the opportunity to network, enhance their professional development,...

San Antonio Workshops Address Critical Issues.
October 1, 2000... Editor's Note: Congress attendees continued on their pathways to success Aug. 13-17 with a number of workshops and seminars. Topics ranged from public health and medical-legal issues to special need offenders and infectious diseases. Following...

Opening Session Keynote Address.(American Correctional Association)
October 1, 2000... Editor's Note: The following is an edited version of the Opening Session keynote address delivered by Patty Duke, award-winning actress and author, on Aug. 13, 2000. I am honored to be in the presence of so many caregivers. When I was...

General Session Keynote Address.(American Correctional Association congress)
October 1, 2000... Editor's Note: The following is an edited version of the General Session Keynote address delivered by Sen. George Mitchell, 2000 Nobel Peace Prize nominee and chairman of peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, on Aug. 14, 2000. It is a...

Policies and Resolutions.(Rehabilitation of juvenile offenders)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Member Input Sought on New Policies Editor's Note: The following proposed policies were approved for entry into the policy development process: Community Service, which was a resolution, and Inmate/Juvenile Offender Access to Telephones....

Anabel P. Mitchell.(American Correctional Association honor)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... ACA's highest honor was bestowed upon Anabel P. Mitchell and Reginald A. Wilkinson, Ed.D, at the E.R. Cass Awards Banquet, Aug. 16, in San Antonio. The following citations are printed as they were read during the event. In her 40-plus...

Reginald A. Wilkinson.(American Correctional Association honor)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... When reading a biographical sketch of Dr. Reginald A. Wilkinson, his talent and dedication are apparent. He has been a champion of correctional training, accreditation, restorative justice, victims' rights and the development of new...

Closing Plenary Session.(American Correctional Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Is the "City of the Future" Reality Today? A frequently asked question in political campaigns is: "Are you better off today than you were?" That same question was the focus of the Closing Plenary Session at the American Correctional...

THE EVOLUTION OF DIRECT SUPERVISION IN THE DESIGN AND OPERATION OF JAILS.
October 1, 2000... "If you want to know who your friends are, get yourself a jail sentence." Perhaps that statement by beatnik Charles Bukowski in 1969 was not the most profound ever uttered, but it was insightful with regard to what one could expect upon being...

Local Corrections And Communities: Working Together.
October 1, 2000... Most discussions on the advancement of professional partnerships between a jail and the community focus on the development, delivery and maintenance of meaningful programs for a diverse inmate population. With the dramatic and ever-changing...

PULLING CRIMINAL JUSTICE PRACTITIONERS TOGETHER.(New commission is liaison)
October 1, 2000... Effective management of jail populations requires involvement from all facets of the criminal justice system -- law enforcement, courts and corrections. Jail officials are at the mercy of decisions made outside their purview -- decisions that...

PERSONNEL: YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE.(Correctionial staff)
October 1, 2000... What are the FIVE most important resources of a jail? A Deputy sheriffs, correctional officers, counselors, contract staff and first-line supervisors. "Without staff there is no operation," states Lt. Terry Adams of the Arlington...

RETHINKING TRAINING.(Correctional institutions)
October 1, 2000... Training is one of the most critical elements needed to operate a safe, secure, humane and constitutional jail or prison system. Yet, training is one of the first things cut during tight budget times. Corresponding demands for more efficient...

TELEMEDICINE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN JAILS A NEW TOOL FOR AN OLD PROBLEM.
October 1, 2000... Historically -- and operationally -- one of the major problems for jail administrators has been handling inmates who are, or appear to be, mentally ill. An increasing number of inmates with mental illnesses are coming through facility doors as...

Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Drug Use, & Risky Behavior Among Miami-Dade County Jail Detainees.
October 1, 2000... The findings in this report focus on test results of more than 600 detainees housed in Miami-Dade County jails between October 1999 and February 2000. This article also analyzes the relationships between sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and...

PRISON PARTNERSHIP -- It's About People.(Habitat for Humanity's Prison Partnerships)
October 1, 2000... RARELY HAS A PRISON PROGRAM PROMISED POSITIVE RESULTS FOR AS MANY PEOPLE AS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY (HFH) INTERNATIONAL'S PRISON PARTNERSHIP. THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT PEOPLE -- THOSE IN NEED OF SIMPLE, DECENT, AFFORDABLE LACES TO LIVE THOSE IN NEED OF...

Privatizing & Regionalizing Local Corrections: Some Issues for Local Jurisdictions to Consider.
October 1, 2000... Due to ever-increasing public demands for improved operational performance and cost-effectiveness in local government, local government leaders must continually seek out and consider innovative public administration options. Two options...

Negotiating BY The NUMBERS.(six-step model for hostage negotiations)
October 1, 2000... For neophyte negotiators, using verbal skills to convince a perpetrator to release hostages may seem daunting and even overwhelming at first. "Where do I begin? What if I say something that angers the hostage-taker? What if the hostage is...

GEORGE W. BUSH.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Party: Republican Born: July 6, 1946 Family: Married Laura Welch Two daughters, Jenna and Barbara Religion: Methodist Military: Texas Air National Guard, F-102 fighter pilot, 1968 to 1973 Current: Governor of Texas,...

AL GORE.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Party: Democrat Born: March 31, 1948 Family: Married Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson. Three daughters, Karenna, Kristin and Sarah, and one son, Albert Religion: Baptist Military: U.S. Army, Military Journalist in Vietnam ...

Leadership Changes In Virginia.(Sheriff Thomas N. Faust and Beth Arthur)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Sheriff Thomas N. Faust of the Arlington County Sheriff's Office recently became executive director of the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA). Faust, who has more than 23 years of experience in criminal justice and law enforcement, was...

Wilkinson Wins the National Governors Association Award for Distinguished Service to State Government.(Reginald A. Wilkinson)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... In July 9, Reginald A. Wilkinson, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and past president of the American Correctional Association, was presented the National Governors Association (NGA) Award for Distinguished...

Addressing Mental Health Needs of Juvenile Offenders.(Brief Article)(Transcript)
October 1, 2000... Editor's Note: The following is an edited reprint of a LegisBrief published by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in the August/September 2000 series. At least 60 percent of children in the juvenile justice system have...

Juvenile Justice Legislation 1999--Change in Focus.(new issues at forefront of juvenile corrections)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... According to an annual survey conducted by the National Conference of state Legislatures (NCSL), juvenile justice legislation passed during 1999 focused on different areas than in previous years. Often, these reflected new issues of the day,...

Managing Death-Sentenced Inmates: A Survey of Practices.(Review)
October 1, 2000... Managing Death-Sentenced Inmates: A Survey of Practices, by Maj. Daniel Hudson, American Correctional Association, 2000, 91 pp. There currently are 3,670 inmates on death row throughout the United States. Managing this population has become...

Restructuring Probation In England and Wales.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... Probation as a sanction delivery system is undergoing changes in organizational structure and in the way service is performed. Key to the recent rethinking of the probation effort is the development of a clearer focus for the task of probation....

Correctional Medical Service (CMS).(chosen by Delaware Department of Correction to provide services to inmates)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... * In June, Correctional Medical Services (CMS) was chosen by the Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) to provide comprehensive health care services to more than 6,000 inmates in DOC facilities beginning July 1. CMS has been providing...

DLR Group.(Auckland Remand Prsion, New Zealand)(Opus International Consultants)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... * DLR Group, a U.S. architectural and engineering firm, was called on earlier this year to assist New Zealand in the planning and design of the first prison project for that government in nearly 100 years. DLR Group worked with Opus...

Eighteen Jails and Their Public Health Partnership Initiatives.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); National Institute of Justice (NIJ); Health Resources and Services Administration; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration; Chicago Department of Public Health; Bristol Meyers Squibb Immunology)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 1, 2000... Editor's Note: Any opinions expressed herein are the authors' end do not necessarily reflect those of the US Department of Justice or the US Department of Health and Human Services. Public health officials recently have come to understand...

Hate Crimes Summit.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 1, 2000... The U.S. Department of Justice sponsored the Hate Crimes Summit, a day-long gathering held in late July that brought together 300 Immigration and Naturalization Service officers, Secret Service agents, district and suburban police, and security...

Low Cost of Heroin Blamed For Many Deaths.(northwestern States)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 1, 2000... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims that heroine costs about $20 a dose on the West Coast and that black tar heroin is readily available in Mexico and South America, the Chicago Tribune reports. This may be a reason for...

Execution Delayed Under New Clemency Rules.(John Raul Garza)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2000... According to The Washington Post, President Clinton delayed the federal execution of Juan Raul Garza, originally scheduled for Aug. 5, giving the Texas inmate's attorneys more time to argue for clemency. The delay of at least four months came...