What Makes You the “Worst of the Worst?” An Examination of State Policies Defining Supermaximum Confinement

Abstract

As a response to an increasing prison population and as a counteractive measure to problematic inmates, many states within the United States have established supermaximum (supermax) prisons or supermax units within existing prison facilities. Many criminal justice researchers have questioned the efficacy of these specialized units. Although the National Institute for Corrections has established model criteria to dictate what types of inmates should be placed in supermax custody, existing research has not yet examined if the states have chosen to follow the criteria or substitute their own criteria for admission to supermax custody. The current study examines 42 individual state policies in an attempt to ascertain how states determine which inmates are considered the “worst of the worst” and deserve segregation in supermax facilities and/or units. Implications of these policies and directions for future research are discussed.