Administrative segregation

Date and country of first publication

1982
united states

Definition

{NoteAI} Administrative segregation, also known as ad seg, is a term used in correctional facilities to refer to the confinement of an inmate in a separate area or cell due to disciplinary or administrative reasons. In administrative segregation, inmates are isolated from the general prison population and are subjected to more restrictive conditions.

Administrative segregation may be used as a disciplinary measure for inmates who have violated prison rules or engaged in misconduct. It is also used for administrative reasons, such as protecting an inmate from harm, separating rival gang members, or preventing the spread of influence or contraband.

In administrative segregation, inmates typically have limited or no access to communal activities, such as group meals or recreation time. They may also have restricted access to personal possessions or privileges. The length of time an inmate spends in administrative segregation can vary, depending on the severity of the infraction or the administrative reason.

The use of administrative segregation has raised concerns regarding its effects on inmates' mental health and overall well-being. Prolonged isolation can lead to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and other psychological issues. Therefore, correctional facilities are often encouraged to implement alternatives to administrative segregation, such as therapeutic programs or other forms of discipline.

Further reading

Barak-Glantz I.L. (1982) "A decade of disciplinary, administrative, and protective control of inmates in the Washington State Penitentiary: A research note", Journal of Criminal Justice, 10(6), pp. 481-492. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2352(82)90080-0 10.1016/0047-2352(82)90080-0]

Ellis J. (1993) "Securtiy officer’s role in reducing inmate problem behaviors: A program based on contingency management", Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 20(1-2), pp. 61-72. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1300/J076v20n01_05 10.1300/J076v20n01_05]

Pizarro J.; Stenius V.M.K. (2004) "Supermax Prisons: Their Rise, Current Practices, and Effect on Inmates", The Prison Journal, 84(2), pp. 248-264. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1177/0032885504265080 10.1177/0032885504265080]

Jackson M. (2006) "The litmus test of legitimacy: Independent adjudication and administrative segregation", Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 48(2), pp. 157-196. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1353/ccj.2006.0018 10.1353/ccj.2006.0018]

O'keefe M.L. (2007) "Administrative segregation for mentally ill inmates", Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 45(1-2), pp. 149-165. Haworth Press Inc.. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1300/J076v45n01_11 10.1300/J076v45n01_11]

Toch H. (2008) "Cumulative default: The cost of disruptive prison careers", Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(8), pp. 943-955. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1177/0093854808318594 10.1177/0093854808318594]

O'keefe M.L. (2008) "Administrative Segregation From Within: A Corrections Perspective", The Prison Journal, 88(1), pp. 123-143. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1177/0032885507310999 10.1177/0032885507310999]

Kupers T.A.; Dronet T.; Winter M.; Austin J.; Kelly L.; Cartier W.; Morris T.J.; Hanlon S.F.; Sparkman E.L.; Kumar P.; Vincent L.C.; Norris J.; Nagel K.; Mcbride J. (2009) "Beyond supermax administrative segregation: Mississippi's experience rethinking prison classification and creating alternative mental health programs", Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36(10), pp. 1037-1050. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1177/0093854809341938 10.1177/0093854809341938]

Lanes E. (2009) "The association of administrative segregation placement and other risk factors with the self injury free time of male prisoners", Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 48(6), pp. 529-546. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1080/10509670903081342 10.1080/10509670903081342]

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Lanes E.C. (2011) "Are the "worst of the worst" self injurious prisoners more likely to end up in long term maximum security administrative segregation?", International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 55(7), pp. 1034-1050. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X10378494 10.1177/0306624X10378494]

Fries B.E.; Schmorrow A.; Lang S.W.; Margolis P.M.; Heany J.; Brown G.P.; Barbaree H.E.; Hirdes J.P. (2013) "Symptoms and treatment of mental illness among prisoners: A study of Michigan state prisons", International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 36(3-4), pp. 316-325. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.04.008 10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.04.008]

Labrecque R.M.; Smith P. (2013) "Advancing the study of solitary confinement", Prisons and Prison Systems: Practices, Types and Challenges, 57-70. Nova Science Publishers, Inc.. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/ ]

Garces C. (2014) "Denuding surveillance at the carceral boundary", South Atlantic Quarterly, 113(3), pp. 447-473. Duke University Press. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1215/00382876-2692146 10.1215/00382876-2692146]

Dill D.C.; Kopsick D.A. (2014) "Improving cooperation between customs and environmental agencies to prevent illegal transboundary shipments of hazardous waste", World Customs Journal, 8(2), pp. 47-62. International Network of Customs Universities. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/ ]

Pizarro J.M.; Zgoba K.M.; Haugebrook S. (2014) "Supermax and Recidivism: AN Examination of the Recidivism Covariates Among a Sample of Supermax Ex Inmates", The Prison Journal, 94(2), pp. 180-197. . DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1177/0032885514524697 10.1177/0032885514524697]

Garces C. (2014) "Ecuador's "black site" on prison securitization and its zones of legal silence", Focaal, 18-34. Berghahn Journals. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.3167/fcl.2014.680102 10.3167/fcl.2014.680102]

Morgan R.D.; Gendreau P.; Smith P.; Gray A.L.; Labrecque R.M.; MacLean N.; Van Horn S.A.; Bolanos A.D.; Batastini A.B.; Mills J.F. (2016) "Quantitative syntheses of the effects of administrative segregation on inmates' well being", Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 22(4), pp. 439-461. American Psychological Association Inc.. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1037/law0000089 10.1037/law0000089]

Batastini A.B.; Morgan R.D. (2016) "Connecting the Disconnected: Preliminary Results and Lessons Learned From a Telepsychology Initiative With Special Management Inmates", Psychological Services, 13(3), pp. 283-291. American Psychological Association. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000078 10.1037/ser0000078]

Borchert J.W. (2016) "Controlling Consensual Sex Among Prisoners", Law and Social Inquiry, 41(3), pp. 595-615. Blackwell Publishing Inc.. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1111/lsi.12221 10.1111/lsi.12221]

Balfour G. (2017) "It's Your Job to Save Me: The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers and the Death of Ashley Smith", Canadian Journal of Law and Society, 32(2), pp. 209-228. Cambridge University Press. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1017/cls.2017.13 10.1017/cls.2017.13]

Chadick C.D.; Batastini A.B.; Levulis S.J.; Morgan R.D. (2018) "The psychological impact of solitary: A longitudinal comparison of general population and long term administratively segregated male inmates", Legal and Criminological Psychology, 23(2), pp. 101-116. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12125 10.1111/lcrp.12125]

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(2020) "Consensus statement from the santa cruz summit on solitary confinement and health", Northwestern University Law Review, 115(1), pp. 335-360. Northwestern University School of Law. DOI: [htttp://doi.org/ ]

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