Topical Working Group on the Use of Administrative Segregation in the U.S.

• NCJ Number: 252490
• Author(s): Mary Beth De Ribeaux
• Date Published: October 2015
• Length: 190 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis; Issue Overview

Annotation

This topical working-group meeting, held October 22-23, 2015. was attended by stakeholders from a variety of research, practice, and policy domains for the purpose of facilitating the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) assessment of the current state of knowledge about the use of administrative segregation in U.S. corrections institutions, as well as to guide the development of a strategic and comprehensive research agenda on this policy.

Abstract

Panels provided current information from both researcher and practitioner perspectives on topics related to administrative segregation, and breakout sessions provided the opportunity for further discussion and presentation of ideas among attendees. A recap and summary of the first day of the meeting by an NIJ representative identified six issues that need addressing: 1) the characteristics of administrative segregation; 2) why it is used; 3) who is in administrative segregation; 4) the impact of administrative segregation; 5) how to limit the overuse of administrative segregation; and 6) how the evidence base can be improved. A common theme noted from the meeting's first day is the need for change in how correctional institutions manage residents and the need for support of correctional officers in any changes made in administrative segregation. Successes and opportunities discussed included the use of step-down programs, special units that address the needs of mentally ill inmates, non-validated gang members integrated into the general institutional population, and efforts to help correctional officers. Issues discussed on the second day of the meeting included safe alternatives to administration segregation, key research questions, and current data-collection efforts.