Grants Help the Incarcerated Find Work and Schooling

Last Monday, the Department of Education announced new grants worth $1 million called, “Promoting Reentry Success through Continuity of Educational Opportunities” (PRSCEO). The grants will be awarded to the best support partnerships that help incarcerated individuals find education and workforce training after reentering society.

According to the Department of Education, about 700,000 individuals are released from federal and state prisons per year. However, 4 out of 10 released prisoners commit a new crime or violate the terms of their release within three years because programs often fail to reintegrate the prisoners back into society.

It is estimated that the failure of successful rehabilitation for prisoners costs states about $50 billion every year.

The grants were announced at the Correctional Educational Summit last week. The Summit addressed ways confined youth and adults can reintegrate back into society. Suggested improvements for reentry include support for education services, job training, and job searching during intake and prerelease. Additionally, job search services need to target the demands of labor markets that don’t regard criminal history. Lastly, reentry programs need to use technology to measure performance and outcomes and conduct evaluations.

Attorney General Eric Holder stated: “Expanding access to education is a proven strategy for reducing recidivism and preventing crime. By working together to support education and training programs for those rejoining our communities, the Departments of Justice and Education are helping to improve outcomes and ensure public safety.”

Grant applications will be accepted by the Department of Education until December 26, 2012. The Department of Education has announced that about two to four grants worth between $200,000 and $400,000 will be awarded. Announcement of the awards will occur in January of 2013.

Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, stated: “Promoting effective policies that offer education and workforce training will protect our communities and benefit our economy.”

Source: Department of Education

Former Corrections Officer Sexually Assaulted Inmate

The Department of Justice announced that Sylvester Bruce was sentenced on October 22, 2012 for sexual abuse of an inmate during 2010. Bruce was a former corrections officer at the Navajo Nation’s Shiprock Detention Center (SDC).

Bruce pleaded guilty in July. He admitted that he touched the victim’s breasts against her will, and he also lied to the FBI after they questioned him about taking pictures of inmates inside of cells.

Bruce is sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and will receive three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison. Additionally, Bruce can never have a career in law enforcement again, and he must register as a state sex offender.

Court documents indicate that Bruce placed his hands under the victim’s shirt and bra repeatedly after she made clear she was not consenting. Bruce knew where cameras could not see him, and he only touched the victim’s breasts in these locations.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzalez stated, “Every person in lock-up, regardless of the charge or crime of conviction, is entitled to be safe and certainly should never be victimized by the law enforcement officers responsible for guarding them. I commend the victim in this case for having the courage to step forward and assert her right to be free of sexual abuse, and for trusting the Department of Justice to protect her.”

The case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency under the Albuquerque Division for the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Baker and Fara Gold of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

Thomas E. Perez, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, stated, “Every person in official custody has the right to bodily integrity, and namely to be free from sexual assaults by corrections officers. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute these serious crimes.”

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

Inmate Receives 60 Years for Assaulting Correctional Officers

On October 16, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that Antoine Wallace received another 720 months in federal prison for assaulting and injuring federal officers at the United States Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado. He was currently serving a sentence of 218 months for robbing a bank in Maryland.

According to court documents, Wallace was in a meeting with correctional counselors before the assault began. The counselors told Wallace that his unit orderly job was being relieved, and he became furious. The correctional counselors called off the meeting.

Wallace became even angrier in the common area and soon returned to the area where the meeting occurred. He proceeded to punch the first counselor in the face and knocked him to the floor. The second officer went into a defensive position, but Wallace punched him in the face and made him fall to the floor as well.

Wallace left the office, but as the second counselor the office and called for help, Wallace began a second attack. He punched the counselor several more times in the face and caused his head to hit the concrete floor. A large pool of blood began coming out of his head.

Emergency staff at the prison responded to the call. The first counselor was sent to the hospital for head injuries. The second officer’s face was so badly damaged that he was unrecognizable. He was life-lined to the hospital and remained in intensive care for days. The second officer is now permanently disabled and can never work again.

U.S. Attorney John Walsh stated, “The defendant in this case severely injured a Bureau of Prisons counselor and caused him permanent injuries. For that crime, Wallace will spend the next 60 years of his life in prison.”

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

All You Need To Know About Jail

What is a Correctional Facility?

The institution colloquially regarded as Jail is included within the classification of a penal system existing within a country or nation. The Department of Corrections within the United States is a governmental branchresponsible for the regulation and oversight of Federal correctional institutions and prison facilities.

Although jails and prisons are both classified as correctional facilities that provide the means of incarceration, a contrast between both jail and prison exists within a variety of factors – this contrast is typically found upon the examination of not only the administration structure belonging to the prison or jail in question, but also to the respective size of the institution, the population of inmates, the duration of incarceration within the facility, the capacity of the facility, and the nature of the resources available with regard to the facilities in question:

What is a Jail?

A Jailis acorrectional institutionthat exists outside of the jurisdiction belonging toa specific Department of Corrections, as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Jails are typically utilized to incarcerate inmates on a more localized level; as a result, these types of facilities commonly exist withinthe jurisdiction of towns, cities, or counties. The following classification and detailing is common with regard to the classification of a jail in contrast to the classification of a prison:

A Jail is considered to house criminals for periods of incarceration that are far more brief than those taking place within the level of prisons

A jail typically houses individuals apprehended in the presumed involvement of crimes and criminal activities considered to be less severe than those incarcerated within a prison system

A Jails is typically regulated and overseen by the appropriate branch of local government in lieu of the overarching state government branch belonging to the state in which the jail resides

A Jail will typically house inmates for a period not exceeding a year’s time

Prisons are institutions that may exist within an individual states’ Department of Corrections; prisons may also be operated and regulated on a Federal level, which is typically under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP)

A Prison – in contrast to a jail – may range from security level to the level of inmate population; prisons can house inmates who have been convicted for the most severe crime

Inmates incarcerated in a prison facility may be sentenced to periods of incarceration ranging from 1 year to life imprisonment – in the event that capital punishment is facilitated in a specific state, a prison can administer that process

What Types of Jail Exist?

The following types of jails are common within localized municipalities existing within the United States:

Local Jail: An administrative, penal holding cell – or an additional method of confinement – in which individuals requiring brief confinement may be held until the completion of processing

County Jail: A Jail that provides incarceration for inmates accused of crimes less severe in nature within the expanse of a county within a specific state

Prison vs. County Prison

In general, those that are convicted of a crime by the county courts, are held at county prisons. In addition, those that may be awaiting trial, may also be held at a county court. Individuals convicted of a crime will be held at the county prison in the county where they were convicted of committing a crime, not in the county where they reside.

The county courts handle different types of cases than the state and federal courts. In general, less violent offenders are held at county prisons. In addition, county prisons generally have a focus on rehabilitation to avoid those convicted prisoners from re-offending. A county prison may however also house violent offenders, but they are likely to have less restrictions than they would at a state prison.

How to Become a Prison Guards

The process of becoming a prison guard is often similar to that of becoming a police officer. If an individual wants to become a prison guard, he/she should obtain a bachelor’s degree from a four year college or university. Though state prison guards often do not require a college education, federal prison guards need to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

After locating an available position and applying to this position, an individual will be subject to a background investigation and a physical. Subsequently, he/she will be required to successfully complete a corrections academy program. This program can last from 3 to 12 weeks and involves military style training, much like that administered to police officers. He/she will be taught how to handle prisoners and how to use firearms, in addition to many other skills. Upon graduating from the academy, he/she must complete a probationary period, which will likely last for at least one year.

An Inmate And Cell Search in Jail

Depending on the jail will determine the amount of time an inmate search occurs. Generally, some type on inmate search will be conducted on a daily basis. Often these searches are quick and will involve a prison guard observing the cell.

More thorough searches will involve the inmates being removed from the cells and a prison official searching in all the areas of the cell, including under the bed and behind any other pieces of furniture. When inmates enter a jail facility they will be initially searched. In some jails, after an inmate has a visitor, they may be searched again. Inmate searches are determined and conducted by the staff at the jail. If an item is found, that is illegal in the jail facility, the inmate could receive punishment.

Becoming a Prison Guard

To become a prison guard, one should have a general interest in law enforcement. Furthermore, there certain aspects of the career that must be taken into consideration. A certain personality is necessary in order to be a prison guard, for it is inherent that one may deal with dangerous criminals, particularly in positions in state prisons. One must also have excellent awareness and have outstanding physical health as well.

The path to becoming a prison guard begins with the application process. In certain cases, this may require taking educational and training classes, though it is not always required. Furthermore, because a prison guard is a civil service career, a background check, drug and alcohol testing, and physical testing will be part of the application process. Exams will also be administered in order to evaluate the applicant’s overall understanding of the position, as well as applicable laws and prison regulation methods. An interview will also be part of the prison guard application process, where the applicant will be assessed in terms of how he/she is to deal with specific situations that may occur in a prison.

Legal jobs has more information on becoming a prison guard.

The 4 Security Levels in Prison

According to the United States Department of Corrections, there exist 4 primary levels of prison security levels; these levels are the following:

1. Maximum Security: This prison security level is the highest and most stringent; only the most violent offenders are incarcerated within a maximum security prison. Within a maximum security unit, there exist sub-units such as solitary confinement, protective custody, and special housing units (SHU). In most cases, maximum security prisoners are confined to their cells for up to 23 hours a day and are under strict monitoring.

2. Close Security: This prison security level is akin to maximum security in its construct – consisting of single cells and close monitoring – yet close security prisoners are entitled extended outside of their cells.

3. Medium Security: This prison security level most resembles a large residence hall which houses as many as 70 inmates in large, bunked sleeping quarters, as well as group toilet facilities. Although there is consistent monitoring, medium security prisoners are afforded various work assignments, which permits them to be out of their cells for longer periods of time.

4. Minimum Security: Akin to the medium security prison, minimum security prisoners are housed in dormitories, but are considered to be the lowest risk to the public. As a result, these prisoners are afforded the opportunity to participate in groups, sessions, and rectification projects in order to reform themselves.

A History of Prison in the World

The concept of a penal colony or jail can date as far back to around 400 B.C. in Jerusalem, where dungeons were used to hold prisoners that were incarcerated for committing crimes.

However, jail as it is known today is more closely related to the jail system that was implemented in Britain during the 19th century, arising out of the philosophy and views of Jeremy Bentham. Prior to Bentham, a penal colony or jail was simply a holding place or facility for criminals awaiting hanging. Bentham would be responsible for imparting the notion that having criminals incarcerated could also be used as punishment, which was a completely revolutionary concept at the time.

In the United States, the history of jail and the penal colony can be traced back to the colonies established in Pennsylvania, in particular, William Penn’s colony. William Penn would abolish some of the punishment tactics and codes from England that seemed too severe for the crime. Death was a common punishment, even for what can be considered minor crimes. Aside from major crimes such as murder, imprisonment in jail was used as a punishment, along with fines and labor.

Prisons were mostly used to hold those awaiting trial, witnesses, and even those that owed debts, though this would change with the onset of the American Revolution. As more people would become incarcerated, penal colonies would have to expand and become larger in order to house more inmates. One of the first major prison facilities that was constructed in the United States would also be founded in Pennsylvania, which would become known as the Eastern State Penitentiary, which began construction in 1822 and would be completed in 1836.

Prison