Assignment 2: Influences on Adult Corrections
Throughout this course, you have examined numerous dynamics, such as historical influence, leadership and management philosophies, environments and cultures, and offender management strategies that influence adult corrections. Another primary influence on the success and efficiency of adult corrections is the impact of state and federal political decisions.
Financial constraints in the state budget have resulted in pressure to reduce spending on prisons. The state corrections department must reduce operating expense by three million dollars within the next fiscal year. The department’s executive team has assembled a task force to identify areas for reduced spending. You are a member of that task force. Read the following scenario:
The state currently operates twelve institutions. The oldest institution, Big Correctional Facility (BCF), is the most expensive to operate. The BCF also requires approximately one million dollars in repairs during the next fiscal year to maintain operations according to state and federal prison operation requirements. The BCF has a capacity of two thousand five hundred offenders and is currently at maximum capacity. The facility houses medium- to high-custody offenders. Currently, all the prison facilities in the state that house such offenders are at maximum capacity. If the BCF is closed, the other medium- to high-custody facilities would require double-bunking to accommodate the number of offenders absorbed. The offender population at the BCF includes the largest number of violent gang members in the state. At present, there are approximately five hundred staff members at the BCF. The facility is located in a remote area of the state. The nearest corrections facility is approximately 200 miles away.
Submission Details:
On the basis of your understanding of adult corrections, by Sunday, October 23, 2016, in at least 300 words, post to the Discussion Area your response to the following:
Communicate a potential strategy for management of the BCF during the next fiscal year. Be sure to address the following points:
- Pros and cons of facility closure or continued operation
- Absorption of the two thousand five hundred offenders and five hundred staff members by the other facilities
- Public, offender, and staff safety