Inmate Behavior Management

This guide “presents six key elements that, in combination, will help jails reduce a wide array of negative, destructive, and dangerous inmate behavior” (p. v). These elements are: assessing risk and needs; assigning inmates to housing; meeting inmates’ basic needs; defining and conveying expectations for inmate behavior; supervising inmates; and keeping inmates productively occupied.

“Violence, vandalism, and other unwanted inmate behaviors prevail in many jails nationwide, and they frustrate jail practitioners who must ensure the safety and security of inmates, staff and the public... Effectively managing inmate behavior creates a safer environment for the inmates and staff and allows the jail to provide a valuable service to the public. Community safety is enhanced by strong jail management and facilities should aspire to create environments where compliance, respect, and cooperation are fostered.

In an attempt to create a system of strong management, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) introduced an initiative that was designed to teach administrators, managers, and corrections officers the most effective methods to control inmate behavior and optimize operational efficiency.

NIC calls the initiative Inmate Behavior Management or IBM. The comprehensive management system has six identifiable elements that work together to control inmate behavior and create an efficient and effective organization” (p. 1). These are:

• assessing risks and needs;
• assigning inmates to housing;
• meeting inmates’ basic needs;
• defining and conveying expectations for inmates;
• supervising inmates;
• and keeping inmates productively occupied.

This report explains how the Northampton County Jail implemented IBC. Within less than two years decreased 69%, from four formal misconducts per month to just one.

“Violence, vandalism, and other unwanted inmate behaviors prevail in many jails nationwide, and they frustrate jail practitioners who must ensure the safety and security of inmates, staff and the public... Effectively managing inmate behavior creates a safer environment for the inmates and staff and allows the jail to provide a valuable service to the public. Community safety is enhanced by strong jail management and facilities should aspire to create environments where compliance, respect, and cooperation are fostered.

In an attempt to create a system of strong management, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) introduced an initiative that was designed to teach administrators, managers, and corrections officers the most effective methods to control inmate behavior and optimize operational efficiency.

NIC calls the initiative Inmate Behavior Management or IBM. The comprehensive management system has six identifiable elements that work together to control inmate behavior and create an efficient and effective organization” (p. 1). These are:

• assessing risks and needs;
• assigning inmates to housing;
• meeting inmates’ basic needs;
• defining and conveying expectations for inmates;
• supervising inmates;
• and keeping inmates productively occupied.

This report explains how the Brazos County Jail implemented IBC. While the post-implementation study period was not very long, it appears that there is a positive trend in behavior change.

"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.

A comprehensive management system, called Inmate Behavior Management (IBM) is being rolled out by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC). It is comprised of six specific elements that work together to control inmate behavior and produce an effective and proficient institution.

This document explains “Element 4: Defining and Conveying Expectations for Behavior”. “It is intended to: Review what is known about how positive expectations influence behavior; Identify what concepts are important for jail administrators to understand as they attempt to apply this element to their facilities; and To provide resources that will assist jail administrators in providing training for their staff and in properly identifying positive expectations for inmate behavior “ (p. 3).

Seven chapters are contained in this publication:

• setting and conveying positive expectation of inmate behavior;
• the basics of setting and conveying expectations;
• setting positive behavioral expectations;
• the keys to conveying positive expectations;
• enforcing positive behavioral expectations;
• monitoring implementation; and support material regarding the multi-site approach and housing unit specific.

Appendixes include:

• “Tier Expectations for Residents”;
• “Notice to All Residents: Expectations of Residents, and Expectations of Staff”;
• and “Inmate Behavior Response Continuum (Acting and Reacting to Inmate Behavior)”.

Appendixes include copies of:

• “Defining and Conveying Expectations - Housing Unit Specific” 4 hour lesson plan (trainer’s guide), participant guide, and PowerPoint slides;
• and “Defining and Conveying Expectations - Multi-Unit Training” 6 hour lesson plan (trainer’s guide), participant guide, and PowerPoint slides.