The Bridewell LLC Detention Facility provides it's service to the private corrections sector and houses an excess inmate population from surrounding counties and/or states. We seek to add clients from around the Midwest as well as pursuing a federal contract. Bridewell LLC was incorporated in January of 2004, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Polk County Land and Leasing Group LLC. Initially, the first client that enterd into an agreement was Polk County, Iowa.
The Bridewell Detention Facility management is based upon "Direct Supervision" jail philosophy, a more modern and humane approach over a traditional linear-style institution. Direct Supervision philosophy is a combination of management style and architectural design which facilitates increased staff and inmate contact and works to reduce tension and improve security within the correctional setting.
These facilities like the Bridewell Detention Facility are known as "Direct Supervision" jails, and they are generally regarded as the state of the art in jail design. In form, function, and style, they are significantly different from the old traditional jails. They have proven to be secure, safe, and cost-efficient places for inmates to live and for staff to work.
Bridewell's main purpose is to provide top-level service to its clients..
Direct Supervision Approach
• Control - In a Direct Supervision, Detention Officers "live" with the inmates. For 24 hours a day, a Officer is stationed among the inmates, directly controlling privileges and behavior, setting standards, and providing leadership. Any inmate(s) who challenges the Officers authority is immediately removed from the living unit.
• Tension and Violence - One of the first things visitors remark on when they tour a Direct Supervision jail is the low level of tension. Fights are rare and are quickly broken up. Weapons are not involved, and even the most thorough shakedowns rarely find them. Gangs do not form and vendettas do not develop. Sexual assaults are almost nonexistent. Shower areas are safe because they are constantly supervised.
• Staff - The atmosphere of the Direct Supervision jail is designed with the Officer in mind even more than the inmate. Without constant fear of assault, Officers pay attention to their jobs. They are encouraged to mix activities with the inmates and are given authority to solve problems on their own. Officers learn leadership skills that will equip them for management roles in the future.
• Privileges - Direct Supervision jails recognize that minor privileges mean a great deal to people in confinement. Staff uses privileges positively as tools for effective management. Inmates who do not behave, lose some or all privileges.
• Discipline - Inmates who are sent to segregation in Direct Supervision jails loose a broad range of privileges that they value. They are provided with constitutional minimums, but they loose freedom of movement and free access to telephone calls, recreation, television and socialization. They live in an institutional atmosphere, not a normalized one. Being sent to segregation is seen not as "macho" but as "dumb".
The Role of Staff
Detention Officers spend more time inside the jail than inmates do, year in and year out. Efforts to make the job less tense and stressful for officers pays off in may ways. In a traditional jail, officers are "guards" in a literal sense. The active supervision style of a Direct Supervision jail challenges the Officer, increases job satisfaction, and gives him or her a professional role.
Many of the "niceties" provided for the inmates actually benefit the staff more. Watching television, for instance, is a popular pastime. Officers who work the Direct Supervision jail use less sick time. New Generation jails have been able to utilize male and female Officers interchangeably.
Principles of Direct Supervision Jails
The National Institute of Corrections has identified seven principles common to New Generation jails:
• Safety - Both the design and supervision of the institution are geared to the safety of inmates and staff.
• Supervision - Officers are in direct contact with inmates at all times.
• Control - Staff are in control of the institution.
• Effective Personnel - Staff are given special training, have opportunities for career advancement, and provided with adequate salaries and support.
• Communications - Effective management depends on a clear flow of information. Officers are trained to give and get information in a low key way and are given the tools to obtain information quickly.
• Manageability of the Institution - The Detention Facility is effectively managed and maintained. High standards of sanitation and order are set by the Officers.
• Just and Fair Treatment - Staff are consistent and reasonable and maintain control through leadership, not by intimidation or authoritarianism.