What is Direct Supervision

"Direct Supervision" is the new wave of the future for jails. It is a progressive jail behavior management system that has gained rapid acceptance in the past 20 years across the nation. Detention facilities that use direct supervision have significantly lower rates of assaults, extortions, and lawsuits than the traditional "linear" style of jail management. Direct supervision allows for less expensive construction due to the improved behavior of inmates.

With the direct supervision model, the detention deputy is continually supervising inmates by offering rewards and consequences. The deputy works within the housing unit and is in direct control of the inmates. The direct supervision management style manages behavior in a positive manner. Positive expectation of conduct is evident in the physical design of the facility. Deviation from the expected positive behavior results in progressive discipline or loss of privileges.

The direct supervision management style has been proven to be superior to our previous linear style because:

• The facility is cleaner
• Noise level is low
• Vandalism is almost completely eliminated
• Inmate behavior is positive
• Inmate assaults on other inmates or staff are drastically reduced or eliminated
• Inmates respond to staff direction
• Staff is more responsive and confident
• Stress on staff and inmates is reduced, resulting in fewer inmate behavioral problems

With all this in mind, one must remember that direct supervision does not work for all inmates. For the inmates that don't seem to fit in or have a difficult time following direction (8% to 10% on the average), we do have a segregation unit. Our segregation unit does not use the direct supervision model. Segregation employs more of the "high risk" type of inmates and has fewer privileges than does the direct supervision general population pod.