|
|
| Arizona gets first female prison chief |
| By Capitol Media Services |
| Published: 06/17/2003 |
|
Saying changes are needed, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano on Friday named the first woman to run the 33,000-inmate state prison system. Napolitano said she chose Dora Schriro because she instituted an entirely new system of operating prisons during the eight years she ran the Missouri Department of Corrections. That method, known as a 'parallel universe,' requires inmates to live and work using the same rules -- and having the same responsibilities -- as they would have outside. The governor said the problem with the current prison operations is that inmates go from having every aspect of their lives regulated on one day to being a free person the next. Napolitano said Schriro's parallel universe system makes that transition less traumatic, something she said is important since virtually everyone behind bars now eventually will get out. Napolitano said the technique seems to work. She said that the recidivism rate in the Missouri prison system went from 34 percent when Schriro took over in 1993 -- a figure close to that of Arizona -- to close to 19 percent. Schriro, in a phone interview with Capitol Media Services, said she wants the prison system to be more than a place of punishment. 'It also is an opportunity to prepare people to return to the community,' she said. The key, Schriro said, is all of an inmate's time is used productively in preparation for release. That means not just work inside the prison but also mandatory schooling for those without high school diplomas, and compulsory drug treatment for those with substance abuse problems. 'Historically, when you walk through most prison systems you see people laying around,' Schriro said. 'And that's really a bad habit you want to break if you expect people to go home and get a job and keep a job.' There also is personal accountability, including forcing inmates to manage their time rather than having prison officials make those decisions. So if an inmate has to go to school, it is up to that person to figure out how to do things like go to the laundry for exchange linens or get a fresh uniform. Napolitano said Schriro's system does more than reduce the number of repeat offenders. She said one part of the parallel universe is an internal process within the system for handling inmate complaints similar to the informal alternative dispute resolution system that exists in civilian life. The result, the governor said, is that inmate lawsuits dropped from 1,700 a year when Schriro began in Missouri to 380 when she left that job. Schriro currently is corrections commissioner for St. Louis. She will earn $130,000 a year when she begins her job in Arizona next month. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think