carried out, confinements has three valid purposes--maintain custody, reduce delinquency through
problem solving, and acculturate prisoners.
8. The first purpose is to keep prisoners in custody. The laws and courts deprive persons of
their freedom for committing certain offenses. This loss of freedom is the punishment for
committing these offenses. But if this confinement is to serve any useful purpose, much more must
be accomplished than merely locking them up. The time spent in custody must be used in helping
them become productive citizens.
9. The second purpose is to reduce delinquency through problem solving. When saying the
word delinquent, it is not speaking of just the youthful offender, but any person who neglects or
violates duty or law. Delinquency is normally brought about by problems and misguided efforts to
solve or overcome these problems. The most common offense in the Army is AWOL. Yet very
few men go AWOL just for the pleasure of it. Almost always the cause of AWOL is some problem
that the man feels he can solve by running away from the army or by going to the source of the
problem. The same is true of other offenses. Few people commit crimes for pleasure; mainly, they
seek ways to overcome problems. If no effort is made to help a prisoner solve his problems while
in confinement, then the same person confined is released. If these problems caused the original
delinquency, then there is little chance of reducing the delinquency while the problems exist.
10. After the problem-solving process is initiated, the third purpose appears. This is to
acculturate the prisoner to the society to which he will return, whether it is in a military or civilian
society. By the word acculturate, it is meant to cause change in the prisoner by providing exposure
to the traits, beliefs, and knowledge of our society, hopefully resulting in the prisoner acquiring new
and blended social patterns. Too many times comments of model prisoners are heard. The purpose
is not to have the person adjust or change to the prison environment, but to prepare the prisoner to
reenter society. The harsh regimentation of an earlier era literally destroyed a man's spirit, and upon
release, the prisoner just could not fit into the responsibilities and standard of conduct of society.
The final purpose then is not to produce model prisoners, but to turn out well-motivated Soldiers
and citizens. All the efforts of correctional officers should be to help prisoners prepare to reenter
military service or civilian life.
11. AR 190-47 prescribes rather precise policies for operation and management of
correctional facilities. These policies can be summed up by the following five paragraphs.
a. Army confinement facilities will be operated and administered on a corrective rather
than punitive basis. It is intended that every phase from reception to confinement be directed to the
correction of the offender. This includes administering disciplinary measures for violations of
established rules. In short, military prisoners will be treated in accordance with their individual
needs with a view toward solving their problems and changing their behavior.
b. Military places of confinement will be administered on a uniform basis. This policy
provides for uniformity so that when a prisoner is transferred from one facility to another, he will
not require a lengthy period of adjustment. In addition, a correctional officer will be qualified by
his confinement experience and training to function as a facility commander in any type of facility.
c. Military prisoners will not be subjected to any form of punishment while confined,
except as specifically provided by law, regulation, and contained in the UCMJ. It is often necessary
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