Machine-Readable Data Production by the Federal Government

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68228/2/10.1177_000276427601900402.pd

A NOTE ON AMERICA'S "CLOACAL" JAILS

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. Copyright 1982 by The Policy Studies Organization.