By Tate McCotter, NIJO Executive Director The September 12th headline from the Huffington Post states “Muslim Inmate Claims Kansas Prison Officers Harassed Her Over Headscarf.”1 The national legal advocacy group Muslim Advocates has notified the Leavenworth Detention Center (LDC), the Department of Justice and the US Marshals Service the “actions that have taken place in…
Standard D08.02.01: Suicide Risk Screening
By Tate McCotter, NIJO Executive Director THE DRILL: I don’t know of any jail administrator making a promise to their sheriff saying “We are going to eliminate suicides from happening at this jail.” Why not? While that is the best intention of every jail administrator and officer, the truth is that it is impossible to…
Medical Marijuana?… No, it’s Just Marijuana. Now what? – Part I
“Medical marijuana” is a trending national debate and hot topic. First let me break down the fallacy of the term, “medical marijuana.” Marijuana is a schedule I narcotic, still classified as such by the Federal government. Additionally, it may be important to understand a little history on cannabis/marijuana. “The Pure Food and Drug Act” was…
Prisoner Recreation: Right or Privilege?
A participant in a corrections law training session once asked me in frustration why prisoners should be entitled to recreation. He pointed out he had to pay $75 a month to belong to an exercise club,while his county had just consented to build a fully-equipped exercise room for the inmates in the jail.
Is recreation or exercise a right,or a privilege?
Using Solitary Confinement as an Inmate Management Tool – Part II
An important discretionary tool in maintaining safety and security is solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is a highly effective tool needed and utilized by jail and prison administrators. This allows for the separation of inmates who have demonstrated,through their actions,that they pose a threat to the safety of inmates,staff and the public. Administrators have no option but to isolate inmates who continue to engage in criminal activities while being incarcerated.
Using Solitary Confinement as an Inmate Management Tool – Part I
Corrections professionals are encountering an increasing trend challenging the use of solitary confinement. The conflict is mostly being stirred up by the media,legislatures,inmate advocate groups and the public. Some have tried to link isolated incidences where solitary confinement was in use with an in-custody death and or other situations regarding an inmate’s behavior,often tied to mental health issues.