Direct supervision was introduced to the corrections field in the
early 1970’s. The two key elements of direct supervision are the
physical design of the facility and having a strategy for inmate
behavior management. The direct supervision model focuses on actively
managing inmate behavior to provide a safe and secure facility for the
public, staff, and inmate population.
Our
staff must continuously engage the inmate population and actively
supervise them. In doing so, this will allow our staff to identify any
problems the inmate(s) are having and rectify the situation before any
negative consequences. Our staff should promote a positive and
professional behavior in the living units.
The pod deputy has
full authority over the pod and must develop a working relationship with
the inmates. One way to measure if a pod deputy is operating under the
direct supervision model is if he/she knows the name of every inmate on
the pod, and if the inmate population believes there is no barrier
separating the deputy from them on the housing unit.
Nine Principals of Direct Supervision
- Effective Control
- Effective Supervision
- Competent Staff
- Safety of Staff and Inmates
- Management and Cost-Effective Operation
- Effective Communications
- Classification and Orientation
- Justice and Fairness
- Ownership of Operation