Inmate Behavior Management: Guide to Meeting Basic Needs

"Experience has shown that if a jail does not meet the basic human needs of inmates, the inmates will find a way to satisfy their needs in ways that may be unfavorable to the orderly operation of the jail. Understanding what motivates human behavior provides jail administrators with a very useful tool for managing inmates since it helps explain both good inmate behavior and bad. This document not only provides guidance to jail practitioners as they implement this element, but it also provides self-assessment checklists to determine how well the jail is doing in the delivery of basic needs and suggestions for area of improvement. It is our hope that by using these tools corrections professionals will realize the benefits of improved inmate behavior" (p. v). Chapters cover: the importance of meeting inmates' basic needs; meeting basic needs and how the concept contributes to inmate behavior management; the role of various jail divisions in meeting inmate needs-security, medical, maintenance, housekeeping, laundry, foods service, inmate programs, training, and administration; the connection between basic needs, inmate misconducts, and grievances; self-assessment of basic need; monitoring implementation; conclusion; and using the resource materials-Incident Spreadsheet, Incident Summary, Grievance Spreadsheet, Self-Assessment regarding Physical Needs, Self-Assessment regarding Safety Needs, Self-Assessment regarding Social Needs, Self-Assessment Results, Inmate Satisfaction Survey, and the Inmate Survey Results.