Timeframe: 3 Years
START: Staffing, Resources, Technology, Treatment of Inmates
Happy New Years, so might as well make this post maybe the most radical transformation step of START requiring Congress’s leadership- Refining the Incarceration Experience/Treatment of Inmates. No I don’t mean more Club Med type perks, nor do I mean more solitary confinement:)
As I mentioned in the first couple blogs, my personal view is that inmates need to learn personal accountability and to apply themselves while in prison in return for the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves at the cost of the generous financial package tax payers provide; room, board, healthcare, recreation, education etc. Otherwise what’s the point of paying for 10 years for a criminal’s detainment , when all they are is an older version of themselves 10 years later and still going to be a burden on society one way or another? Just to punish someone? That’s like society shooting itself in the foot in my view.
To remind you, I’m speaking about non violent, first and second time offenders(low security risk) throughout this START Plan, not repeat or violent offenders. Personally I’m in no rush to suggest changes for the repeat/violent population, given how much is still required for the focus on this population, which also happens to be the majority of inmates(55% in 2024) and the higher probability of making a difference for society and in their lives. I believe it also applies at the State Penitentiary level where we also have 2 million+ inmates. I saw the other day that the State of California alone has a $15B, yes a billion, budget for prisons, more than 2x the BOP! Think about all 50 states and the total cost, it’s crazy what society incurs to “punish criminals” and create repeat offenders all the while complaining about it!
We have a fundamental contradiction in our approach to justice and frankly society’s views of justice, that we need to resolve. The DOJ, Courts, and all prosecutors have a focus that deals with alleging the maximum crime and prosecuting those criminal offenses with maximum sentences as punishment. That’s it. As you would expect long sentences don’t lead to successful life transformation or positive attitudes toward the system and society!
Meanwhile the BOP has a mission around security of inmates, coupled with reducing recidivism via rehabilitation and successful reentry of offenders into society. In effect, at as low a cost as possible, manage an inmate’s incarceration while developing their life skills and employment skills while serving time, to sustain a productive life on the outside and thus won’t return. What if the inmate doesn’t care or try? Today, nothing! Sometimes they don’t try because of the ridiculous long sentences they receive, which will be my next blog post. Or as likely they may not know any better given their background.
So seems we have a built in contradiction between the DOJ and the BOP for one, even though the DOJ “manages” the BOP. And we have a contradiction between inmate incarceration(doing time and going from medium to low to camp security based on risk scores only), and programming of life skills for inmates so they can be be held accountable for obtaining life and re entry skills while doing time. I can vouch today that other than high school level FSA classes to earn FSA credits, there is little activity or accountability for inmates toward obtaining life and reentry skills. Period.
Simply put, most spend their time “recreating and playing games”, with no consequences for doing so. It’s not necessarily their fault, as many don’t know any better, which is part of “why” they are here. I referenced earlier in the blog series the “public school system” and that’s partially what I meant. Just like today’s high school graduates who can’t read, write or do math, they were just pushed along to the next level, tests or accountability not withstanding. At least they had class daily, hopefully homework daily, and extra curricular activities for those so inclined. And they had tests! BOP inmates don’t even do any of that! One class, one hour/week, no homework. Maybe two classes for the 5% who are trying. That’s it! The FSA classes are supposed to be life skill related and some are, but the intensity of one class per year for one hour/week just won’t cut it for what this population needs. So what to do about it?
New Approach
I told you this might be a bit radical! Fundamentally, in my view, we need to get away from a time and security centered incarceration approach, with some generic high school level programming for life skills, and get to a daily, weekly, monthly activity and accountability model(yes with appropriate security taken into consideration). This includes incentives for doing well, and consequences for not. It also requires much more specific group programming for each category type of offender- drugs, sex offender, and white collar. This in turn requires specialization of BOP staff/outsourced staff partners much beyond untrained/non caring guards teaching classes, more like the specialized medical talent in Healthcare who are not “converted” guards.
While I don’t want to bake out all the details, directionally the BOP should be directed to:
1. Group the 3 types of offenders together into their own Units to optimize socialization/group rehabilitation/resource allocation by BOP
– how to break old habits, how to get along with others, basic work habits like being on time etc.
– mental and psychological and behavioral classes/training and group therapy related to their type of crime
2. Create BOP University thru Partnerships with professional Institutions(ie.. UC San Diego, Allan Hancock, IBEW, etc), mainly online where possible and quit the ineffective internal education programs and converted guard model. Make sure the BOP University offers:
– individual counseling/treatment from Intake Exam results
– reading/writing/math classes thru GED+ as REQUIRED for ALL
– educational track/classes for BS/BA/MS
– vocational track/ training for 10 top career categories
– work release track for white collar offenders and those with camp level security points
– all the above FSA certified thru Institution and BOP
As a federal agency, the BOP should make available to all the State Prison Systems access to the University classes, resources, and programs in my view.
3. Implement a military high school equivalent model approach toward inmates
– Do a serious 60 day Intake Assessment
i) Full Medical/Psychological/Behavioral etc., opposite the simplistic(if any) BOP does today
ii) Assess Reading/Writing/Math Skills- must be above GED levels as BOP defines
iii) Basic Life Skills- responsible, deadline focused, accountable for actions, follow through, personal financial skills etc.
iv) 4-6 hour Daily Physical Regimen, including activities, obedience, following orders, etc.
– Once Inmate has completed 60 day Assessment then determine specific plan around i-iv above plus educational or vocational or work release path for Inmate . Regardless, all inmates required to have:
– Daily 6 hours of classes, or job training, or work release, plus 2 hours of home work-
i) multiple classes per day like high school
ii) weekly and monthly tests
iii) successful class final tests
– Daily 2 Hours of Instructor led organized physical exercises
– No inside TV, social or card activities 8 am-5pm weekdays
4. Discipline for not complying with regimen/failing tests/missing classes etc.- scaling to toughest penalty
– loss of phone/email privileges-30/60/90 days
– loss of commissary- 30/60/90/180 days
– SHU- 30/60/90 days
– loss of FSA credits- 60,90,180 days
5. Integrate Half Way House with the results of programming above. Today’s “one approach fits all” is a losing approach. Combined with insufficient halfway house capacity thus requiring quick release, its truly a recipe for disaster. Inmates by Type should have a merit based program they must achieve to be released to home confinement or supervised release.
6. Modified Supervision Tactics post Release based on Inmate type and track record of inmate in progressing toward life skills
– ongoing counseling, performance monitoring requirements
– ongoing disciplinary or life skills for period of time
– satisfactory vocational or educational metrics achieved and maintained
– other appropriate methods of accountability other than random drug tests alone
Instilling inmates with the basics of reading, writing, and math skills, combined with life skills and either a vocation or education or work release is the key to reduce recidivism and increase the likelihood of success for reentry. Especially when combined with built in accountability and consequences for inmates. Once this approach is agreed to, much can be done by Congress with new laws and in the BOP to once and for all address and fix its operational changes. Short of a radical change in the Incarceration Experience of Inmates similar to the above, in my opinion nothing much will change in the BOP’s success of its mission nor in our recidivism rates and other costs to society of repeat offenders.
