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Monitoring, Inspection and Complaints Adjudication in Prison: The Limits of Prison Accountability Frameworks
Author(s) -
BEHAN CORMAC,
KIRKHAM RICHARD
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the howard journal of crime and justice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.462
H-Index - 7
eISSN - 2059-1101
pISSN - 2059-1098
DOI - 10.1111/hojo.12184
Subject(s) - prison , accountability , adjudication , corporate governance , transformational leadership , political science , power (physics) , criminology , law , public administration , sociology , business , public relations , physics , finance , quantum mechanics
This article examines the framework for prison accountability in England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. Despite variations in both policy and practice between the three jurisdictions, what is striking are the similarities in their shortcomings. These deficiencies, whether based on real or perceived grievances, potentially undermine efforts to call prison governance to account. The article argues that not only should the primary bodies involved in prison accountability be independent and robust, for prisoners to experience these bodies as legitimate, transformational changes in penal culture and internal prison power dynamics must be addressed.