Designing and Implementing a Prison Assessment in Chile: A Call for Prison Reform
According to many international legal systems, including the Chilean one, when an individual is sent to prison the only right that is suspended while incarcerated is freedom of movement as in Western societies imprisonment is imposed as punishment, not for punishment. Different sources have denounced the situation of prisons as places of permanent punishment with overcrowding, overuse of solitary confinement, scarce access to rehabilitative programs, intrusive practices with visitors, difficulties for raising grievances, and mistreatment. However, previous reports on the conditions in Chile’s prisons had not followed a systematic methodology, nor have they offered a detailed description of different areas, making it difficult to establish priorities for change.
Methods
Based on a request from the Chilean Bureau of Prisons, I designed and implement a nationwide assessment on the situation of prisoners. The first step was reviewing international literature on prison assessment. Secondly, since assessments like this had not been conducted before, I met experts in the UK to get feedback. Thirdly, I designed and piloted a questionnaire with groups of male and female inmates in Santiago. Then, I arranged unannounced research trips to jails and prisons and visited 75 facilities. 2,100 inmates were surveyed in places such as classrooms, libraries or chapel day rooms. Correctional officers were never present in the survey administration area and the researcher remained in the room during the course of each administration to explain the characteristics of the survey and to assist participants in case they need it. The overall response rate was 78%.
Results
In terms of prison conditions, overcrowding, inadequate temperature of the cells, deteriorated bathroom conditions and lack of ventilation were the infrastructure problems most reported. Initial estimates for physical, psychological and sexual mistreat from other inmates and from guards were also obtained. Respondents complained that their visitors were treated unfairly but only a 29.6% knew how to fill out a grievance. Regarding access to in-prison programs, most inmates in the survey declared to have taken sports (44.6%) and attended to school (32.6%). Participation in psychological or social programs was limited to 23.1% of respondents and access to job-skills program was found only in 29.4%. Other findings have to do with having been in solitary confinement (36.6%), or being stolen (51.1%). Priorities to be implemented in each prison were also identified by inmates.
Implications
By designing and implementing the first national assessment on inmates’ perception of prison life, this work sought to establish an initial nationwide of the current human rights situation in Chilean prisons. In terms of policy recommendations, rather than encouraging comparisons between facilities at this point, the results of this study provided a basic baseline for each facility. In addition, this study suggests that improving the training of the prison personnel should be a priority for the Chilean prison system over the next years. Finally, to ensure continuous improvement, these results suggest that the creation of a new, independent prison inspectorate is needed.