ABSTRACT

Prisons and jails need continuous “reform” because there are constant financial, political, administrative, psychological, and even biological pressures threatening to undermine conditions, practices, and programs. The heyday of the prisoners’ rights movement roughly spanned the period from 1960 to 1980. The active involvement of courts in prisoners’ rights cases meant that prison reform that was not achievable in the political arena was achievable in the judicial forum. Prisoners have little influence over the prison conditions, operations, and programs. Indeed, they are disenfranchised in most states. Ironically, perhaps, inmates’ main contribution to prison reform has been due to riots. Prisoners have also been known on rare occasions to engage in self-mutilation, hunger strikes, and other types of protests to make known their grievances and to bring about improvements in the conditions of their confinement. Professionalism is very important to the self-identity of prison wardens and managers. A corps of young National Service volunteers would help the prisons run more smoothly.