Objective Jail Classification Project

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Objective Jail Classification (OJC) should be the heart of every jail’s operations. When incarcerated individuals are classified according to their risks and needs, proper management and rehabilitative programs can then be set to more successfully address them. Since the inception of NIC’s Point Additive Classification process, the field has seen increases in female intakes, changes in the levels of seriously mentally ill and substance-addicted arrestees. Violent gang membership has risen and rival members need to be kept separate but still have their needs addressed equitably. New laws such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) have been enacted, which specifically address many functions of a jail’s operation to increase inmate and staff safety need to be taken into account but were not part of the original process. Accurate inmate classification also plays a key role in determining facility designs for jurisdictions replacing outdated and/or dilapidating jails. Determining the security levels for housing areas, types of recreational and program spaces allows the funding authority to hone in on more precise expenses.

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