Corrections_Today_May_June_2020_Vol.82_No.3

Policies and Resolutions

and ensuring that such facilities are free of religious coercion; E. Permit access to chaplains by all offenders; F. Ensure neither participation nor nonpar- ticipation in religious activities affects evaluation processes or qualifications for other programs and opportunities by the offender; G. Ensure an offender’s opportunity to practice religious faith is consistent with current statutes and case law; H. Require application of individual rights to exercise religious faith and practice be bal- anced against the necessity of maintaining safe and secure correctional facilities, ac- commodating religious differences among offenders of different faiths, and ensuring that such facilities are free of religious coercion; I. Document the reasons for restriction of of- fenders’ participation in religious activities or programs, or for limitations of religious practices; J. Religious and faith-based services for of- fenders include opportunities for religious practice in the native languages spoken by a group of inmates.

due, in part, to state and federal mandates that do not consider the fiscal impact of compliance. Policy Statement: Adequate levels of funding are necessary to ensure that public safety and rehabilitation objectives are achieved and that adult and juve- nile correctional agencies are operated in a safe, secure and constitutional manner. Implementa- tion of sound correctional practices requires that institutional and community operations be adequately staffed and staff be properly trained. Correctional facilities and programs must have adequate resources to ensure that security, treat- ment and rehabilitation services are delivered cost-effectively in a safe and structured correc- tional environment. The American Correctional Association supports funding to ensure sound correctional practice. There should be adequate funding to ensure that: A. Appropriate remedies are available to ac- commodate the future growth in demand for prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, proba- tion and parole services, intermediate sanctions and other correctional services; B. Correctional programs and community hu- man services are effectively coordinated; C. Gender- and culturally-responsive offend- er programming is provided to overcome barriers to successful reentry, reduce re- cidivism and provide restitution to victims and reparations to the community; D. There are sufficient correctional personnel and adequate physical space necessary to operate efficient and effective correctional programs; E. There are sufficient community cor-

Public Correctional Policy on Fiscal Responsibility for Correctional Legislation

Introduction: The changing needs as well as the increased size of the correctional population in the United States have resulted in crowded facilities and excessive workloads for staff of many correctional systems around the country. These conditions are

rections resources to provide adequate supervision and services to offenders released to the community on probation

94 — May/June 2020 Corrections Today