A NOTE ON AMERICA'S "CLOACAL" JAILS |
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| Authors: | David L. Weimer Karen Reixach |
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| Affiliation: | DAVID L. WEIMER is Associate Professor of Political Science and Deputy Director of the Public Policy Analysis Program at the University of Rochester. He is author of Improving Prosecution? (Greenwood, 1980) and The Straregic Petroleum Reserve: Planning, Implementation and Analysis;(Greenwood, 1982). He is currently interested in the use of scientific and statistical analysis by regulatory agencies and the courts. KAREN REIXACH is currently a graduate student in the Public Policy Analysis Program at the University of Rochester. She has been an active participant in criminal justice reform activities at the local and state levels. |
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| Abstract: | A large literature points to the abominable condition of American jails. Comparison of national surveys of jail conditions conducted in 1972 and 1978 indicates that what little improvement has occurred is minimal compared to remaining problems. A number of factors have prevented state-set standards from achieving widespread improvement in local jail conditions: high costs, local autonomy and lack of credible threats for forcing compliance. The failure of New York State to implement adequate health standards illustrates the limitations of the standards approach. Other approaches, such as strategies for replacing local jails with regional facilities, deserve the attention of policy researchers. |
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