There are three parts to this essay assignment. Check attachment to access the organizational chart for California’s Department of Corrections (DOC) and Rehabilitation. Second, check attachment for th

Page 267

Podular/Direct Supervision Jails

Rationale and Expanding Use

As noted previously, in the past, the federal courts have at times become more willing to hear inmate allegations of constitutional violations ranging from inadequate heating, lighting, and ventilation to the censorship of mail. One of every five cases filed in federal courts was on behalf of prisoners, 109 and 20 percent of all jails were a party in a pending lawsuit.110

Court-ordered pressures to improve jail conditions afforded an opportunity for administrators to explore new ideas and designs; therefore, over the past several decades and in response to the deluge of lawsuits concerning jail conditions, many local jurisdictions constructed what is now known as the podular direct supervision (PDS) jail, where inmates’ cells are arranged around a common area—in podular fashion, with no physical barriers between the officer and the inmates, having an open dayroom area—and inmate management style is direct in nature, with officers moving about the pod and interacting with the inmates to manage their behavior. PDS jails also typically offer more amenities in the living areas, including visiting areas, books, and telephones.111 The PDS jail (formerly known as “new-generation” jail) represents a comparatively new approach for addressing many of the earlier problems found in local jails.112

According to the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), the number of PDS jails increased in the United States from approximately 199 in 1995 to about 350 at present. Today, approximately one-fifth of medium- to large-sized jails use the podular architecture.113 This growing number, the NIC stated, “suggests that direct supervision continues to be adopted as a design style and management philosophy in large and small jurisdictions across the United States.”114

Departing from Tradition

PDS jails differ from traditional jails in several ways. First, the physical environment is different (See Figure 10-5). In traditional jails, cells are arranged linearly along a corridor, with officers being separated from inmates by bars, glass, or other physical barriers. Officers must patrol halls where their line of sight into each cell is severely restricted, and officers can observe what is happening inside a cell only when they are almost directly in front of it. In the PDS jail, inmates are separated into relatively small groups (usually 50 or fewer), housed in self-contained living units including several one- to two-person cells, a day room, and recreation space. These units, or “pods,” usually are triangular or wedge shaped so that jail officers have a direct line of sight into all areas of the pod at all times. The furnishings in the living units also differ and generally include carpeting, porcelain lavatories, moveable furniture that may be padded or plastic, and other “soft” fixtures. The direct supervision philosophy has officers stationed within the living area with no physical barriers to separate them from inmates. In these units, officers maintain a constant physical presence, but they also interact extensively with inmates.115