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A NOTE ON AMERICA'S “CLOACAL” JAILS
Author(s) -
Weimer David L.,
Reixach Karen
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-1338.1982.tb00669.x
Subject(s) - autonomy , state (computer science) , forcing (mathematics) , set (abstract data type) , compliance (psychology) , political science , public administration , business , psychology , computer science , law , social psychology , mathematics , mathematical analysis , algorithm , programming language
A large literature points to the abominable condition of American jails. Comparison of national surveys of jail conditions conducted in 1972 and 1978 indicates that what little improvement has occurred is minimal compared to remaining problems. A number of factors have prevented state‐set standards from achieving widespread improvement in local jail conditions: high costs, local autonomy and lack of credible threats for forcing compliance. The failure of New York State to implement adequate health standards illustrates the limitations of the standards approach. Other approaches, such as strategies for replacing local jails with regional facilities, deserve the attention of policy researchers.