State Corrections Agencies on the Web -- Who, What, Where, and Why?

The Internet, and more specifically the "World Wide Web", is a powerful technology for communication between computers. Through the Web, computers display "Web Pages" read from computers around the world and across the nation. These pages, which are computer files in a special format called HTML, can include words, graphics, sounds, and pictures. Computers with high speed connections to the Internet can display movies and video images. New formats for Web content will permit small programs to be retreived from the internet, to run on a local computer.

As of Summer 1996, there are more than 20 million Internet users, and the number of users appears to be doubling annually. Even prison populations do not grow that fast!

Despite the rapid growth, however, another reality is that today most people do not have routine access to the Internet, and many people have never accessed it. You are not unusual if you have ignored all of the hype about "webs" and "nets", especially when you work in a field like corrections, where priority must be given, day in and day out, to duties that affect the safety of the public, staff, and offenders.

Information Technology Affects Corrections; Some Agencies Have Been Quick to Create Web Pages

About Half of the State Correctional Agencies are Already on the Web

A recent search showed about half of the state correctional agencies and few state correctional facilities are on the Web. The rest probably are working on their pages, or they may have pages up and running, but not yet registered on the common search engines and indices.

Based on the contents of the pages that I have reviewed, it appears that most pages are intended to provide a channel for communication of public information. The simplest pages are what I call "tombstone pages" -- they are static announcements of the most obvious information about the agency -- the name, address, mission, and perhaps a brief listing and description of the chief administrators. Often such pages are part of a hierarchy of pages associated with a general unit of government. You start with the Governor, and progress through various state agencies.

It is typical for such pages to include pictures and biographical profiles of agency administrators. I have yet to figure out why such information is so prominently featured on web pages. Does the world want to know where a correctional administrator went to graduate school? Is the administrator looking for his or her next job?

Interesting and Useful Corrections Agency Pages

Florida's Department of Corrections Stands Out. Some agencies have more interesting and useful pages, however. Change is rapid on the internet, and new and better pages are developed every day. As of now, I nominate the following as some of my favorite corrections agency sites.

The Florida Department of Corrections has the most comprehensive and well-designed web page. The page contains the usual stuff, such as the agency mission, listings of key administrators, locations and addresses of institutions and agencies. The Florida site is organized into four broad categories of information.

• Latest Information covers the mission of the department, and recent facts and figures.
• DC Works provides statistics, budget information, and descriptions of facilities.
• DC People provides information about employment opportunities, announces the "employee of the Year", and general describes the agency's policies and structures related to human resource management.
• Chain Links provides links to other sites on the internet, including other correctional agencies, criminal justice web pages, and information about the talented people who developed and maintain the site.

Oregon and Feds Sell Prison-Made Products. Some "honorable mentions" are also in order. One of the most interesting and innovative sites related to correctional industries is Oregon's Prison Blues site. This site advertises prison-made bluejeans for sale to the public, but also offers a tour of the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, Oregon, and the garment industry facility, as well as a history of the program. As of June 1996, over 5,000 people had visited the site. You can order the bluejeans, and related garments such as tee-shirts, over the internet. The site also includes an "issues" section that includes links to prison policy related sites.

Another good correctional industry site is maintained by Unicor, the correctional industry associated with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. As with Oregon, there is an online ordering service, as well as useful informatin about available products.

New Jersey's Parole Board Lists Eligible Prisones; California and Illinois Look at Legislation; Utah Lists "Most Wanted"; Feds and Others Offer Statistics and Research. The New Jersey Parole Board provides a listing, by County, of all prisoners eligible for parole during the month. This is an excellent way to make important information available to the media, public officials, and the public, in a timely, inexpensive, and accessible manner.

For those who are interested in thoughtful presentations of information about correctional agencies and correctional policy issues, one interesting site is the California Legislative Analyst's Office which includes analyses of legislation related to correction.

Illinois has a similar page concerning the effectiveness of a pre-release preparation program.

The Utah Department of Corrections maintains another interesting feature of a web page -- a "Most Wanted" section, that includes vital statistics and pictures for a list of unsavory characters who have strayed from the arms of the law.

I was initially sceptical of this feature. After all, who browses the world wide web to look for criminals? However, this mode of information dissemination has several important advantages. Unlike dissemination in leaflets and through print and television media, the web page is available on demand, up-to-date, to anyone with an internet connection, not just official agencies with NCIC connections.

Several agencies have interesting planning and research collections. For example, the Federal Bureau of Prisons provides downloadable versions of recent research and statistics reports. The Louisiana Department of Corrections maintains an extensive statistical report, including graphs and tables.

An up-and-coming site is called The Corrections Connection. The site is intended to serve as a central point for individuals, agencies and organizations, to find each other on the Internet. The site features links to the American Correctional Association, the American Jail Association, and the American Probation and Parole Association. I describe the site as "up-and-coming" because much of the content is, at present "under construction". Of the three linked organizations, only the American Jail Association has meaningful content. The directory of businesses primarily identifies names and addresses, but contains few links to actual Web sites. However, the scope and vision of this site is promising, and it clearly deserves a featured spot on your browser's bookmark list.

Creating a Corrections Agency Web Page: Decision, Function, and Scope

Designing and Maintenance is Managerially Challenging. Designing and maintaining an official web page for a complex organization is managerially challenging. At the outset, a clear decision must be made as to the function and initial scope of the web page, which might include some of the following:

• Agency description
• Directory of addresses and phone numbers
• Directory of offices, programs, and facilities
• Mission statement
• News releases
• General public information
• Planning and research studies
• Analyses and updates of proposed Legislation
• Personnel recruiting information
• Training information, including schedules
• Links to other agencies and services on the web
• Awards and citations
• Listing of most wanted criminals
• Correctional industries
• Rules and regulations affecting the public, such as visiting
• Comments and feedback
• Required notifications, such as parole eligibility lists