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As a result Of these efforts, criteria for custody decisions have been validated, custody decisions are more insistent, prisoner program needs are assessed more systematically, and institutional violence has declined (U. S. Dept. Of Justice, 2004, pig. 3). In this short essay will be looking at the external and internal classifications in my home area, Lincoln, Nebraska. External versus Internal Prisoner Classification Systems External classification refers to what type of security level an offender will be sentenced to. This in turn, will determine a prisoner’s custody classification and which facility they will be assigned.
Internal classification governs facility- bevel decisions such as where and with whom the prisoner will be h used, the types of programs and services to which the prisoner should be assigned, and the prison industry or work assignment most appropriate for the prisoner. Most often, the intent of internal classification systems is to ensure that prisoners who are at risk for placement in a special management population are supervised accordingly. Minimizing classification errors requires both external and internal classification systems (U. S. Dept. Of Justice, 2004, pig. 9).
External prisoner classification Shortly after a prisoner is admitted to the prison system, the external classification system places the prisoner in one of several custody levels that directly affects the type of facility to which the prisoner will be assigned and, once there, the level of supervision the prisoner will receive. Here in Nebraska they use a minimum to maximum scale system. The broad categories of minimum, medium, close, and maximum security are used (U. S. Dept. Of Justice, 2004, pig. 11). The external prison classification system uses of both an initial and a classification process.
This is done mostly at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln, for Nebraska. Offenders are held for a 90 day evaluation before placing them in the most appropriate facility. Based on the prisoner’s traits at the time of admission, the initial instrument uses a predictive model to estimate the prisoner’s custody risk while incarcerated. Since the institutional adjustment of a prisoner who has no history of incarceration is unknown, the initial instrument places greater emphasis on the prisoners current offense, and criminal history.
Staff uses the initial screening process and initial classification form to determine the most appropriate level of custody for the prisoner. After a custody level has been identified, the prisoner is transferred to a correctional facility that best meets his or her security and program needs (L] . S. Dept. Of Justice, 2004, pig. 29). A prisoner’s external custody level is often modified through a reclassification process, which places greater emphasis on the prisoners behavior and conduct while incarcerated than does the initial classification instrument.
No later than 12 months after the initial classification process we do a reclassification instrument to score the prisoner on factors such as the type and number of misconduct reports against the prisoner, the prisoners participation in a variety of programs offered by the prison system, and the prisoners work performance. This reclassification is done from which ever facility the inmate is in and they are not sent back to the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln (U. S. Dept. Of Justice, 2004, pig. 29). Internal prisoner classification
To improve security, Nebraska prison systems use a second layer of classification, which is the internal classification system. When a prisoner arrives at the facility, the internal classification staff determine the prisoner’s housing unit and cell, facility program needs, and work assignment. The internal classification system identifies prisoners according to personality or behavior types (Nebraska Department of Corrections, 2013). They work to improve prisoner management at the facility level by add reusing housing, programming, and compatibility issues.
Most often, the intent of internal classification systems is to ensure that prisoners who are at risk for being placed in a special management population are supervised differently than other general population prisoners. By design, internal classification systems complement objective custody classification or external classification systems. The task of an internal system is to devise appropriate housing plans and program interventions within a particular facility for prisoners who share common custody levels, whether minimum, medium, close, or maximum (Nebraska Department of Corrections, 2013).