Protective custody is a type of imprisonment (or care) to protect a prisoner (or other person) from harm, either from outside sources or other prisoners. Many administrators believe the level of violence, or the underlying threat of violence within prisons, is a chief factor causing the need for PC units. This factor was cited by Anderson (1980) and Vantour (1979), with the following broad elements noted as contributing to the problem. Prisoners have the opportunity to request protective custody if they get the impression that the environment they are living in is harmful to their well being. Their request may be granted if the officials rule that the prisoner is truly at risk. Protective custody might simply involve putting the person in a secure prison (if the threat is from the outside), but usually protective custody involves some degree of solitary confinement. For people who are threatened because of their association with a certain group, moving them to another section of the prison may be sufficient.
Read more about Protective Custody: History of Starting PC Units, Design Concepts For PC Units, Other Usages
Famous quotes containing the word protective:
“Adolescence is a time when children are supposed to move away from parents who are holding firm and protective behind them. When the parents disconnect, the children have no base to move away from or return to. They aren’t ready to face the world alone. With divorce, adolescents feel abandoned, and they are outraged at that abandonment. They are angry at both parents for letting them down. Often they feel that their parents broke the rules and so now they can too.”
—Mary Pipher (20th century)