Chapter 13
Covering Prisons and Jails
By Jenifer Warren

			In this chapter
			• Introduction • The Evolution of   Corrections    Early Punishment    Tough on Crime    Incarceration Numbers:     A Steady Climb • Prison Beat 101    Play the Rookie    The Federal System    Exploring Your Turf    Going In    A Diversity of Sources    Help Within Government    Documents    A Few Suggestions    Academia    The Good Ol' Bus Depot • Themes for Today    Prisons as Budget Busters    Private Prisons    Geriatric Prisoners    Prison Programs    Prison Gangs    Prison Medical Care    Labor Relations    Invisible Punishments—     Collateral     Consequences    Prison Rape • Rules to Live By    1) The importance of     reputation.    2) Stay in the gray.    3) Strive for story     diversity.    4) Read the mail.    5) Details, details,     details.    6) Take care of     yourself.

A Diversity of Sources

Once you’ve achieved a good understanding of the beat’s skeleton and official management structure, reach out to the myriad other figures connected to the correctional system. These include prison chaplains, medical directors, union bosses, inmate family groups, prison newspapers, religious or educational organizations that work with convicts, parole agents, and law firms that handle class action suits and other cases affecting the penal system.

In many states, portions of the correctional system—or even the entire system—are under the oversight of judges or court-appointed receivers and special masters. These officials may have control of medical care, mental health care, the management of juvenile offenders, or, as is the case with many county jails, the early release of inmates if the population exceeds acceptable capacity levels. While they may be reluctant to talk with you on the record, some of these officials will talk on background—and the reports they file with the court, along with status hearings and most other proceedings before a judge, are accessible to the public.

Help Within Government

State legislatures and local governments are another natural source for stories. While prisons and prisoners aren’t always top of mind for legislators,, some politicians do take an active interest in corrections, especially in recent years as prisons and jails have begun consuming an ever larger chunk of taxpayer dollars. Beyond their quotation value, these legislators can be useful to reporters in obtaining documents that might otherwise be unavailable; holding hearings that put agency officials on the hot seat; and championing policy changes that can serve as story fodder.

More important than elected representatives, however, are staffers who focus on corrections. Whether it’s the public safety committee in the state Assembly, or a county jail oversight panel, the analysts and others in the trenches can be a great source for journalists. These are the people with the closest connection to the players in the system, and the best ability to ferret out and pass on tips, trends and documents.

Documents

Documents can be invaluable as a source of story leads, as well as serving to buttress a story by providing written proof of what people are telling you. Prisons and jails are a function of government, and governments compile all sorts of records. You can, for example, discover the amount the state pays for the milkshake makers in the commissaries, and how much it costs to make the electrified fences work.

A Few Suggestions

• Become familiar with the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics website (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/correct.htm) and mine it for data that will add heft to your stories.
• Visit the website of your state’s corrections department frequently for information on inmate population forecasts—which can yield a quick daily story—as well as demographic data that can become a peg for longer pieces.
• Read state personnel board actions against officers and others who work in the prisons.
• Take the time to read and understand the correctional officers’ union contract. It will spell out work rules, pay and benefits, sick leave and other provisions that often yield stories.
• Get a copy of the relevant "use of force policy." What are the rules governing responses to prison and jail violence? Can officers use stun guns? When is lethal force warranted?
• Track campaign donations from the prison guards’ union and its allies to politicians, and track politicians’ votes on legislation affecting the prison system, including bills that lengthen prison sentences. Follow state capitol lobbying efforts by the union and prison contractors, including private prison operators, prison builders and others with a stake in the system.
• Many states produce a “daily log” of activity in their prisons, from riots and more minor disturbances to less noteworthy events. These provide a fascinating window on the system, and may reveal patterns or isolated incidents that merit a follow-up inquiry.
• Transcripts from parole board hearings can be a gold mine of information about offenders and their background. The hearings usually review the inmate’s criminal and personal history, as well as his conduct in prison and future plans. Since a prisoner’s central prison file, or “C File,” is very difficult to obtain, transcripts from these hearings can often provide the most complete and accurate picture available to reporters. 
• Use the federal Freedom of Information Act to get at information related to disciplinary actions against officers and other sensitive documents in the federal system. Federal lawsuits are another great repository of information related to federal prisons.

Academia

Like most beats, corrections also has its own flock of academics. Most of them reside in university criminology or sociology departments and in law schools, and they can be very useful to add national or historical context to a story. Some get involved, serving on blue ribbon commissions or advising governors. These are key connections.

Some universities, meanwhile, host mini think tanks that help states manage their correctional systems—and can provide a bonanza of good, fresh data for journalists. One example is the University of California, Irvine, which houses a Center for Evidence-Based Corrections, partially funded by the state. The center evaluates correctional programs and produces research to help policy makers get beyond the partisanship and emotion that so often dominate the corrections debate.

Finally, there are myriad organizations that concern themselves with all things corrections. Many are advocacy groups for one cause or another, so, if you use them, be aware of this and make sure your audience is, Others are more mainstream. These groups can produce useful data for your stories, tip you off to national trends and provide experts to comment for your stories.

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