The American jail: Problems, politics, prospects

Discussions of America’s local jails inevitably center around their plethora of problems. Not only are these problems pervasive, but they are also enduring. Numerous proposals have been advanced to improve jail conditions and operations. Most have failed to such an extent that some scholars have spe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Thompson, Joel A. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 1986
In: American journal of criminal justice
Year: 1986, Volume: 10, Issue: 2, Pages: 205-221
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
County Board
Mandatory Sentence
Local Jail
Jail Inmate
Local Official
Description
Summary:Discussions of America’s local jails inevitably center around their plethora of problems. Not only are these problems pervasive, but they are also enduring. Numerous proposals have been advanced to improve jail conditions and operations. Most have failed to such an extent that some scholars have speculated that jails are simply immune to reform. It is the contention of this article that most of the problems facing contemporary jails are rooted in the unique political nature of the jail as an organization. Consequently, serious efforts to affect change in jail conditions must recognize the limited options placed upon jail reforms by the political environment, or they must originate from outside the local political setting.
ISSN:1936-1351
DOI:10.1007/BF02887470