Incarceration in Gristol-Serkonos
Incarceration in Gristol-Serkonos is one of the main forms of punishment, rehabilitation, or both, for the commission of an indictable offense and other offenses. As Gristol-Serkonos has two distinct legal systems, correctional facilities are managed by the Office of Correctional Services (OCS), a federal agency. Prison systems in Gristol and Serkonos are administered by the Gristol Ministry of the Solicitor General, and the Serkonan Office of the Peacemaker respectively.
According to the 2023 Annual Report authored by Office of National Statistics (ONS), there is a total of 38,674 adult offenders incarcerated in Gristo-Serkonan prison system. Youth offenders are covered by the Youth Criminal Justice Act of 2011, in the same ONS annual report, there are 800 youth offenders between the ages of 12 to 17. The Serkonans make up the largest share in the prison system, making up 60% of the offender population in 2019. The Gristolians make up the remaining 40% of the offender population.
Gristol-Serkonos has a recidivism rate of 35%.
Prison System
There are over 51 correctional facilities in Gristol-Serkonos, ten of those are designated for women and youth correctional facilities. Services are provided to inmates such as health, education, access to library, etc. The maximum sentence allowed in a Gristo-Serkonan correctional facility is 40 years. Additionally, sentences may be extended if a court rules that the inmate may still pose a danger to society.
Punishment in Gristol-Serkonos is solely the restriction of liberty though certain rights can be taken away should they be assigned to a correctional facility with a high security level. Inmates in all security levels are given the right to vote, but their ballot is for the constituency where their last known residence is. Under federal correction policies, offenders are often placed in the lowest security regime. An individual will proceed towards release starting from a maximum security correctional facility, and gradually moving towards lower security then through the transitional facility and eventually released to the community.
When inmates are not at work, school, or in recreational activities, they are with correctional officers and/or in their cells. Inmates have their cells searched once a day, and are granted very few pre-approved personal items. Urine samples are collected, usually targeted at random within the population of inmates who have a known history of drug addiction.
Inmates are provided with opportunities to attain education at all levels or career training while in the correctional facility, with additional training and education provided to inmates in transitional facilities.
Division of Correctional Systems
All offenders who receive a sentence of 24 months or greater must serve their sentence in a federal correctional facility administered by the Office of Correctional Services. Alternatively, offenders receiving a sentence less than 24 months or are incarcerated while awaiting trial or sentencing must serve their sentence in a correctional facility managed by the two constituent countries.
Members of the Royal Gristo-Serkonan Armed Forces who are sentenced under military law must serve their sentences at detention barracks designated by the National Office of Defence. For inmates with serious mental health conditions, the OCS has 5 regional treatment centres.
The Serkonan Prison System as well as federal prisons located within the territory of Serkonos provide healing lodges for Serkonan offenders. These healing lodges are designed to address factors that led to their incarceration and prepare them for reintegration into society.
Security Levels
Federally-administered correctional facilities are designated under various security levels. Correctional facilities operated by the Constituent Countries where offenders serve sentences of less than 24 months, or are held in pre-trial and pre-sentence custody, have cells at different security levels within the same facility.
Majority of inmates are considered "medium-security" risk.
Transitional Facility
A transitional facility is an institute within the Gristo-Serkonan Correctional System that provides inmates the opportunity to learn (or re-learn) the necessary skills in order to re-integrate into society. These transitional facilities provide social, medical, psychiatric, additional educational services for inmates before being freed.
Minimum Security
A minimum security correctional facility is defined as an "institution where the perimeter is defined but usually there are no walls of fences". These facilities have no armed correctional officers, no towers, no razor wire or electronic surveillance equipment. Inmates in a minimal security correctional facility are usually non-violent, and pose very limited risk to the community. Majority of the inmates are on work-release programs that allow them to hold jobs during the day. They are granted minimal restrictions on movement, association, and privileges.
Medium Security
A medium security correctional facility is described as an "institution where the perimeter is surrounded by a chain-link fences topped with barbed wire". Correctional officers are provided with firearms, but are not deployed within the perimeter. Inmates in medium security correctional facilities are considered a risk to the safety to the community, and are contained in an environment that promotes and tests socially acceptable behaviour. Inmates are under supervision of correctional officers and are expected to participate in their correctional program plans. These facilities are provided with training centres as well as educational and treatment facilities.
Maximum Security
A maximum security correctional facility is described as an "institution where perimeter is surrounded by high walls and fences with guard towers in strategic positions". Electronic security systems are placed to ensure that any movement within the perimeter is detected. Correctional officers in the guard towers are provided with firearms and there is an additional locked cache of less-lethal weapons within the facility in the event of a serious disturbance. Inmate movement, association and privileges are strictly controlled because inmates pose a serious risk to staff, other offenders and the community and are expected to interact effectively with other individuals and in highly structured groups such as in educational and treatment programs and skills development programs. Some inmates may be positioned in segregation units, due either to behavioural problems or out of concern that they will be harmed by other inmates, usually as a result of their crimes.