Georgia Department of Corrections, corrections in the future

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS | CORRECTIONS IN THE FUTURE

Impact of Criminal Justice Reform
Many states across the country, including Georgia, have passed or are in the process of passing criminal justice reform measures in an effort to restrain skyrocketing prison costs by providing sentencing courts with less expensive community based sentencing alternatives for low-level, non-violent drug and property offenders.
EFFECTS Reduce number of offenders requiring incarceration Significantly increase the percentage of violent and dangerous offenders
Changes in Prison Design and Operation
Due to a high percentage of violent and dangerous offenders, prison architectural firms have designed facilities that are intended to be safer to manage and cheaper to operate
NEW PRISONS Rely on smaller, self-contained living units or "pods" Each pod to house 100 or less offenders Discontinue use of large-scale cell blocks and yards to eliminate the congregation of large number of offenders Offender activities (i.e. eating, sleeping, visitation, showering, programming, education, medical and barbering) to be conducted within each individual pod
Benefits of New Design Effective management of violent prison population Significant decrease in risk of officer safety by reducing staff intensive large-scale offender movements Increase in flexibility in classification, offender housing and staffing in each pod Increase in security by limiting an offender's ability to smuggle and distribute contraband as well as coordinate facility-wide disturbances

Technology in Security and Operations
Technological advances play an increasingly important role in maintaining prison security and operations. Shrinking state budgets and a nationwide prison population of approximately 2.3 million fueled a trend to find more efficient, cost effective and sophisticated means of maintaining control of facilities.
VIDEO SURVEILLANCE Increased role in facilities nationwide Assists with officer surveillance Cost effective High video quality Remotely controlled to zoom in and out as well as change point of view Newer cameras are more durable and increasingly resistant
VIDEO CONFERENCING Delivers services to offenders within living units Used primarily for offender visitation Used in an increasing number of offender court appearances Helps enhance officer and public safety Reduces offender transportation costs
TRACKING OFFENDERS Future prisons will rely on technology driven counting and tracking systems Some jurisdictions are using Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking systems to monitor offender populations Electronic bracelets worn by offenders track movements RFID is the wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects RFID can be programmed to sound an alarm if an offender enters a prohibited area or if there is an unusual concentration of offenders in a ceratin area Other tracking technology exists, such as biometric entry point systems, but has yet to be deployed Prohibits an offender to enter an area through the scan of an offender's iris or fingerprint

Deterrents
Future prisons are likely to rely on technology to limit an officer's physical interaction with offenders during volatile situations
Electronic control devices such as tasers, Proven effective in reducing injuries to staff and offenders
Equipment that produces high frequency soundwaves Proven effective in disabling disruptive and combative offenders without the need for physical confrontation or restraint
Hardening Project
Implemented in March 2013 Concept: to harden all Level V (close security) prisons
through the construction, renovation and retrofit operations in order to establish a tiered disciplinary segregation mechanism for problem inmates, as well as increase security throughout all close security facilities
MODIFICATIONS Installation of barrel bolts, tray/handcuff slots, stainless steel fixtures, wall mounted beds and updated lockers, light switches and shower doors Hardened light fixtures and heater vents Issuance of OC spray and stab resistant vests to all on-duty Correctional Officers
TIER SEGREGATION SYSTEM Implemented in August 2013, estimated completion date November 2013 Divided into three tiers Tier I and II - locations at Hancock, Hays, Macon, Smith, Telfair, Valdosta and Ware State Prisons Tier III - Special Management Unit (SMU) located at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison (GDCP) Purpose: to create a managed and measured stratification oriented pathway for offenders to successfully transition from Administrative Segregation to lower-security levels and it provides greater management of long-term Administrative Segregation offenders

Tier I : Disciplinary, Protective Custody and Transient Housing
Involuntary and voluntary placement and management of offenders in short-term segregated housing Formal hearing held 96 hours after placement in Tier I 30 days or less in Tier I Assignment cannot exceed 30 days with the exception of involuntary/voluntary protective custody 30 day review conducted by Classification Committee Offender appeal of placement must be submitted within three business days of receipt of notice
Tier II : Administrative Segregation Long-term Administrative Segregation stratification plan that manages the institutional conduct and programmatic need of offenders assigned to the program Offenders eligible for placement in Tier II are General Population, Mental Health II and III Offenders placed in Tier II are a threat to safety of facility, leaders in a major disturbance or riot, failure in Tier I, leaders in major disturbance resulting in assault or homicide of other offender(s), possession of firearm, escaped or escape attempt from a secure facility, assaultive histories and/ or attempting to introduce or trafficking of cellular devices, drugs, tobacco or illegal contraband Three phases Formal hearing held within 96 hours of placement 90 days per phase/per review 30 day contacts with Counselor Nine months minimum stay
Tier III - Special Management Program (SMU) Established to protect staff, offenders and the public from offenders who commit or lead others to commit violent, disruptive, predatory or riotous actions, or who otherwise pose a serious threat to the security of the institution 90 day review by SMU Review Committee Recommendation formulated by committee to transition offender to next phase, retain in current phase, reassign to previous phase, transfer to Level V (Tier II program) or assign to general population

10/2013