Corrections_Today_November_December_2020_Vol.82_No.6

Communications & Publications

Virtuous Prison, where offenders are expected to take responsibility for their actions, move to make amends, and expected to obey the law. All of this unfolds in an environment that employs the RNR model and believes the offender is capable of change. A “virtuous milieu” makes sure that no offender remains idle, that offenders engage in activities that have a moral purpose and engage with virtuous people such as volunteers and community leaders. A Virtuous Prison also invests seriously in the correctional workforce, raising the standard of correctional officer to an enriching and fulfilling occupation. Then there’s “The Feminist Prison,” which addresses the hardships of meeting the specific needs of incarcerated women inside of a system primarily structured for men. The Feminist Prison takes into consideration the high levels of trauma with the female population, and makes appropriate changes in staff-offender interaction to prevent re-traumatization. The impact of separation from children must also influence programming and policies, in hopes that the mother-child relationship can be supported in the best ways possible. High percentages of mental health disorders, often stemming from trauma, must be factored when deciding programming and therapeutic techniques. The Feminist Prison’s therapeutic lens is one of empowerment, where the woman receives the help and education she needs to overcome the sociopolitical and cultural contexts

that often led to her criminology (such as high rates of violence against women and girls, feminization of poverty, and sexual victimization). “The Racially Just Prison” avoids the practice of segregating portions of the population as a response to race tensions and gang affiliations around race. This author argues that such actions produce a short-term solution, but avoids the pervasive program of hatred and intolerance which perpetuates further criminality and leads to recidivism. A legitimate prison allows the inmates to have a voice, due process, and respect of one’s own self. Most of the efforts to make “The Safe Prison” concern predicting and preempting inmate crime and structuring a formal “control model.” However, research of prison managerial styles doesn’t convey that coercive controls such as high levels of supervision and greater use of segregation lead to safer prisons. These tactics certainly do not comply with creating agency in the inmate so that he can be successful in reentering society. A reform of the control model that maintains the strong sense of authority in the prison leadership may be needed, but the strength of the authority must come from being a legitimate institution rather than a rule of oppression. A legitimate prison

allows the inmates to have a voice, due process, and respect of one’s own self. Inmates in this setting feel that the prison is designed to help them, not just warehouse them. Correctional staff understand their legal authority over the offenders, but the legitimacy of that authority is conditioned upon offender attitudes about the legitimacy of the staff. “The Healthy Prison” is mindful of the rehabilitation of the mind and body. The Healthy Prison does more than just reach the benchmark of adequate health care for offenders. Wellness, mental health, nutrition and exercise are themes in the prison health care system. Rarely do criminologists have positive words for the private prison industry. This author, however, sees potential for “The Private Prison” to be an incubator for meaningful experimentation in prison reform. Private prison contracts should contain performance incentives that are based on the use of evidence- based practices for reduction of recidivism. In regard to the American way of rewarding innovation and the competitive free market spirit, The Private Prison capitalizes on what the United States does well already, and uses its position to be a leader of change that the public sector will surely fall in line with. “The Green Prison” addresses the rate of resource consumption of the American Prison System. Many examples are given of prisons with green initiatives. In addition to helping the environment, many of these

84 — November/December 2020 Corrections Today