Oversight Behind Bars: Bringing Meaningful Review to Jails & Prisons

Civilian oversight of law enforcement poses special challenges in jail and prison settings – a literally “closed society” that is removed from public attention and subject to near-total police control. While addressing police misconduct is never easy, the custody arena magnifies these difficulties: the victims face inherent skepticism, the possibility of retaliation is obvious and chilling, and access for outsiders is hard to achieve.

These realities speak directly to the importance of effective civilian oversight in the custody arena. However, and perhaps because of these same challenges, jails and prisons remain a branch of oversight where there is considerable room for growth.

Panelists:

Bob Barton: Bureau of Independent Review for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Bakersfield, California

Stephen Connolly: Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review, Los Angeles, California

Jody Kent: National Prison Project of the ACLU, Washington, DC

Robert Miller: Los Angeles County of Independent Review, Los Angeles, California

Moderator:
Barbara Attard: San Jose Independent Police Auditor, NACOLE President