Prison Security

Life in prison is, overall, not a pleasant place to be. The violence in prison can be overwhelming and terrifying for both the inmates and prison staff. Security within a prison is the single most important factor; therefore prisons follow eight specific activities to insure safety.

The first of these activities is maintaining an effective inmate classification system by separating offenders according to risk, violence and escape. This is important in allowing all of the staff to know at all times who is the most dangerous and unpredictable and to secure them accordingly.

The second of these activities is physical security within a prison which allows prisons to be categorized as minimum security, medium security, or by maximum security. Theses categories help determine the physical security measures that need to be put into place, such as fencing, housing, perimeter security, and location.

Another activity of security is the constant implementation of security policies and procedures. The consistency is a vital part of letting the inmates know what the rules are and that they must be followed. This helps control inmate behavior.

The fourth activity followed is the control of inmate movement and accountability. Since many of the inmates move from place to place through out the day prison staff must be able to account for each inmate at any time of the day. This procedure ensures that no inmate is unaccounted for or given the opportunity to escape.

The next activity is the control of contraband items. Any items that could be used as weapons and any items that could be used to escape or cause sabotage are strictly prohibited. Any item that is unsanitary or harmful to ones heath is also no allowed. Inmates and their belongings are randomly searched to ensure that these items are not in inmate's possession.

The sixth activity is the implementation of an effective inmate disciplinary system. This activity focuses on the significance of expected inmate compliance and making sure that the inmates are taking responsibility for their actions. This activity also ensures that the inmates are disciplined in an appropriate manner.

The seventh activity used to ensure security is the creation of methods to separate unruly inmates or inmates at risk. This is a very important activity that is used to protect other inmates and staff from a potentially violent inmate. This activity is also used to confine or separate inmates at risk of assault or though individuals who are under investigation.

The last activity is the control and reduction of the likely hood of a prison riot or disturbance. This is probably one of the most important activities in a prison system for the fact that a prison riot is one of the most dangerous events that could happen in a prison. If the staff is out numbered by angry inmates the prison can be taken over and inmates could escape (Seiter, 2008). These activities all work together to the prisons as safe as they can be, especially for those working in the prison system. Inmate protection still seems to be a problem though, even with all of the precautions put into place there are still incidences including assault, rape, and even murder.
References

Seiter, R. P. (2008). Corrections, an introduction (2^nd Ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Worrall, J. L. (2006). Crime control in America, an assessment of the evidenceBoston: .

Pearson Education, Inc.

Stewart, E.C. (2007). The Sexual Health and Behaviour of Male Prisoners: The Need for Research. The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice,46(1), 43-59. Retrieved July 26, 2008, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1199104631).

Alig, M. (1997). Prison life: boredom behind bars. PaperMag Lifestyle. Retrieved July 26, 2008 from http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=417&page=1