Arrendale State Prison (ASP), Essay Example

Arrendale State Prison (ASP) is located at 2023 Gainesville Hwy. Alto, G.A. 30510 in Haberham County.  ASP is an all female prison that houses adult and juvenile felons. ASP also houses probationers sentences to a residential substance abuse treatment program.  The have a “special mission” security level and a capacity of 1476.  A Children Center is also present for the inmates and their children.  Adult felons take part in a strategic intervention drug program (SIP).  The prison offers multiple counseling groups and services including: family violence therapy, re-entry, parenting, motivation for change and a career center among other counseling services (Arrendale State Prison, n.d.).

Dooly State Prison (DSP) is located at 1412 Plunkett Road Unadilla, G.A. 31091.  DSP has a capacity of 1702 prisoners and is a medium security facility.  DSP’s population consists of adult males whom are not suitable for a county jail due to the nature of their offense and/or physical limitations.  DSP has a produce farm that ships fresh goods to other state facilities.  Inmates are assigned to jobs through the prison’s general work programs.  DSP offers individual and group counseling, a sex-offender psycho-educational program, moral recognition therapy, family violence counseling, reentry skill building, substance abuse programs and various other counseling groups (Dooly State Prison, n.d.).

Lee State Prison (LSP) is located at 153 Pinewood Drive Leesburg, G.A. 31763. LSP’s general population consists of adult male felons.  LSP is a medium security facility and has a capacity of 762.  LSP provides inmates with literacy remedial, adult basic education, and general education diploma classes. LSP’s counseling services include: re-entry skill building, moral recognition therapy, recovery skills and relapse prevention, active parenting, basic computer/typing, career center, family violence, and Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous (Lee State Prison, n.d.).

Walker State Prison (WSP) is located at 97 Kevin Lane Rock Spring, G.A. 30739.  WSP is a medium security prison with a general population of adult male felons. WSP’s maximum capacity is 444 inmates.  WSP is a “Faith and Character Based” prison that focuses on moral development.  WSP has community partners that help the offender’stransition into the community.  This program has resulted in a 12% recidivism rate over 3 years versus the average 28% for the general population (Faith and Character, n.d.). WSP offers numerous counseling services including: individual and group counseling, veterans services, family services, fatherhood services, a career center and a prison fellowship mentoring program(Walker State Prison, n.d.).

Calhoun State Prison (CSP) is located at 27823 Main Street Morgan, G.A. 39866.  CSP’s general population consists of adult male felons.  The prisons capacity is 1677 inmates and it is a medium security facility.  The prison operates on the “principles of effective intervention: Risk Principle, Needs Principle, Responsively Principle, Treatment Principle and Program Integrity.”  The website states the program is designed to target the inmates criminal thinking, substance abuse issues, as well as education and employment need.  CSP offers: sex offender psycho-educational program, substance abuse groups, faith and character based groups, family violence, moral recognition therapy, and re-entry counseling (Calhoun State Prison, n.d.).

Four of the five prisons reviewed are medium security prisons housing adult male felons.  Of the four there were varying programs. CSP and WSP appear to be the only prisons operating under a philosophy or intervention of any kind. DSP and LSP do not appear to have any specific intervention guiding the prison. Career centers were only located at LSP and WSP.  Career centers should be offered at all prisons to reduce recidivism. Individual counseling should also be provided at all facilities, as many offenders have histories that are riddled with trauma and loss.  Working through personal issues and conflicts can assist in better mental health outcomes.

ASP focused more on family and allowed for the infant to stay with the mother.  Being that ASP is a female prison and the rest were all male a child center does not really apply.  However a focus on family could be of use to the other facilities as family ties may reduce recidivism.  WSP did have a focus on family and fatherhood, which has proven successful as seen in the lower recidivism rate.

All of the prisons had basic academic, recreational, and religious services.  Not all had an “English as a second language” class, which may be very useful to non-English speaking offenders.  The ability to speak English will help with obtaining employment upon release into the community.

References

Arrendale State Prison, n.d. Retrieved on November 8, 2014 from: http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/GDC/FacilityMap/html/S_50000256.html

Calhoun State Prison, n.d. Retrieved on November 8, 2014 from:http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/GDC/FacilityMap/html/S_50000204.html

Dooly State Prison, n.d. Retrieved on November 8, 2014 from:http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/GDC/FacilityMap/html/S_50000205.html

Faith and Character, n.d. Retrieved on November 8, 2014 from: http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/NewsRoom/Publications/FCBI.html

Lee State Prison, n.d. Retrieved on November 8, 2014 from: http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/GDC/FacilityMap/html/S_50000258.html

Walker State Prison, n.d.). Retrieved on November 8, 2014 from: http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/GDC/FacilityMap/html/S_50000254.html