Correctional Faclities

When prisoners are taken into a correctional facility, they must pass through an intake system in order to be classified based on what their assessment infers. Classification in corrections began with the idea that the inmates must be sick, that is why they commit crimes. Our laws specify that we provide total care for inmates including medical, spiritual, and psychiatric needs. Classification used as a tool for treatment has had many issues in our correctional facilities. Currently we use this classification system as a management tool to keep order and control of the inmates by minimizing the potential for prison violence, escape, and institutional misconduct. From the early beginnings of classification for medical reasons, to the use today as a control measure, the classification system is a powerful tool for management and treatment of offenders. (Bartollas, 2002) Upon arrival in a correctional facility, inmates enter into an assessment center where they are assigned institutions based on what classification the assessment infers. This center is an intake for offenders, and could be located as a part of the facility in larger institutions, or separate. By law, prisoners are entitled to medical care, mental health services, programs, and basic care needs such as spiritual services, visitation right services, and a sufficient law library. In the state of Texas a State Classification Committee (SCC) and designated staff of the Classification and Records Office (CRO) will determine the first unit to which each Institutional offender will be sent. Offenders do not have the right to choose their unit of assignment. Offenders are assigned to units by the SCC after their interviews and testing are completed. Offenders spend the first few weeks going through the diagnostic process. Data is collected on each offender. The SCC and CRO staff uses this data to place offenders with similar characteristics on units or facilities together. The SCC and CRO staff will make its...