SUPERMAX PRISON

Supermax Prison

Supermax Prison

Supermax prisons are designed to house “the worst of the worst,” those inmates who are the most violent and disruptive in prison. No inmate can be classified directly to supermax upon entry into prison. Designed as an inmate incentive-building program, the philosophy behind supermax holds that inmates work their way into supermax through misbehavior and may then work their way out through good behavior. The assignment to supermax (which is an internal procedure that can continue indefinitely, sometimes for the entire length of an offender's sentence) is one of the few areas in prison administration where correctional staff have been able to retain a good deal of discretionary power. Consequently, segregation to supermax occurs for a variety of reasons; as a result, supermax critics claim that its use is often arbitrary (Austin, 2005).

An inmate can be assigned to supermax facilities as a result of engaging in any serious rule violation or exhibiting disruptive behavior—threatening or injuring other inmates or staff, participating in escapes or escape attempts, or possessing contraband, including deadly weapons or drugs. However, an inmate can also end up in isolation by associating with groups that are perceived as security threats, usually based upon gang, political, or religious associations (which are often linked to racial identity), as well as organized crime, terrorist, or drug cartel associations. Others who are likely to be segregated include the mentally ill, those with HIV, and offenders who have been placed in protective custody, such as informants (Haney, 2006).

Prisoners may be placed in supermax for indeterminate periods of time. Limited review procedures are in place to monitor the reasons and length of time an inmate stays in segregation. The average time spent in segregation nationally is not known; however, inmates have been known to spend years in supermax units, some being released directly from these high security units to the street with no transition programming. Given that inmates are assigned to these facilities for various reasons, many of which are based upon subjective criteria and the discretion of prison staff, supermax has been subjected to a good deal of legal scrutiny (Fellner, 2006).

Life In Supermax

Although supermax is often considered synonymous with older practice of solitary confinement, it represents a new and distinct phenomenon in both its practice and its proliferation. The guiding principle of supermax design is to restrict all communication and face-to-face contact with staff for security purposes. The features supermax units typically share include the creation of an entirely self-contained unit or facility where inmates spend twenty-three hours a day in confinement, with one hour for recreation, showering, and visitation (King, 2009).

Confined in sterile cells with no movable parts, prisoners live in worlds of concrete and steel. Cells have concrete walls, floors, ceilings, and furniture to help create a tamper-proof environment. Cell doors are usually solid steel with a narrow opening for food, materials, and handcuffing procedures. Staff members open the doors electronically from a control center where they maintain contact with the inmate via intercom and often ...