The Department of Corrections has established many committees and subcommittees to review its use of administrative segregation in an effort to reduce the use WHILE also reducing prison violence. Here is an article describing an effort in the Somerset facility.
Published in the PittsburghTribune Review (07/04/2016)
Prisons to follow discipline model set by Somerset facility
By Natalie Wickman
A punishment model that has reduced the number of prison assaults at the State Correctional Institution at Somerset during a pilot phase will be expanded in July and implemented at nine other state prisons.
The Swift, Certain & Fair model is designed to lessen inmate aggression by administering penalties quickly and consistently, in turn curtailing violence.
The pilot started in January in one housing unit at SCI Somerset, and in April, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections extended it for another 90 days. It will be expanded to another housing unit in July.
The Somerset prison was chosen for the pilot because of 20 assaults on the staff and 35 assaults on inmates in 2015, according to Brett Bucklen, director of research for the corrections department. Statewide, 719 assaults were reported on staff and 638 on inmates last year, he said.
From January through April, assaults at SCI Somerset dropped to three on the staff and seven on inmates, putting the prison on track to end 2016 with 21 assaults on inmates and nine assaults on staff, Bucklen said.
The pilot also has reduced stress and misconduct levels among staff and inmates, he added.
“Providing inmates with clear behavior expectations and specific consequences, which are implemented immediately in a consistent manner when they engage in such behavior, will alleviate the uncertainty and anxiety of how and when the consequence will be imposed,” said Amy Worden, press secretary for the state corrections department.
Less anxiety reduces the risk of aggression from both inmates and staff, she said.
Bucklen said the program will be implemented at the following of the state’s 27 prisons: Muncy, Frackville, Camp Hill, Houtzdale, Benner, Albion, Coal Township, Mercer and Dallas.
Read more at http://triblive.com/mobile/10630935-96/somerset-inmates-staff.
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