Poster #215 - The Inmate Bill of Rights and the California Model Can Transform Prison Rehabilitation

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

This paper explores how combining the Inmate Bill of Rights with the newly introduced California Model can create a prison environment that mirrors life outside, ultimately reducing recidivism and promoting a safer society. In 1968, the Inmate Bill of Rights guaranteed incarcerated people access to basic needs like food, reading materials, and medical care, and placed limits on how prison officials could restrict those rights. However, in 1994, the federal standard replaced this approach, allowing prisons to cancel programs and imposing lockdowns for nearly any "reasonable" institutional need. In 2024, California introduced the California Model, which is designed to promotes dynamic security, peer support, and trauma-informed care, it still operates under the federal standard which prioritizes on the institutional needs over the incarcerated population. This paper argues that without removing the federal standard and reinstating the Inmate Bill of Rights, the California Model cannot live up to its full potential. With 90% of incarcerated individuals eventually returning to their communities, creating an environment that supports rehabilitation is essential in reducing recidivism and promoting successful reintegration. Reintroducing the Inmate Bill of Rights alongside the California Model is a crucial step toward a correctional system that truly focuses on rehabilitation.

Author

• Gabriel Singer, Project Rebound SFSU