Major report on prison failings

As well covered by TalkLeft here and the Washington Post here, the bipartisan Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons has today released a major policy report on the (sorry) state of prisons in America entitled “Confronting Confinement.”   As detailed on this webpage, the report covers four areas: (1) dangerous conditions of confinement — violence, poor health care, and inappropriate segregation — that can also endanger corrections officers and the public; (2) the challenges facing labor and management; (3) weak oversight of correctional facilities; and (4) serious flaws in the available data about violence and abuse. The report includes “30 pragmatic recommendations for reform — many of them based on good practices and exemplary leadership in particular correctional facilities around the country.”

The full 126-page report can be accessed at this link, and a much shorter summary of findings and recommendations is available here.  This press release details the background and efforts of the members of the Commission that produced this important report:

The 20 members of the Commission include Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, those who run correctional systems and those who litigate on behalf of prisoners, scholars, and individuals with a long history of public service and deep experience in the administration of justice.  Beginning in March 2005, the Commission held four public hearings in cities around the country, visited jails and prisons, consulted with current and former corrections officials and a wide range of experts working outside the profession, and conducted a thorough review of available research and data.  The Commission is staffed by and funded through the Vera Institute of Justice.