In the penal system controlling and managing inmate behavior is a challenging and costly task for administrations. Administrators have chosen to tackle this challenge by using a reward system to acknowledge good behavior. Commonly used rewards include reduced sentence time, converting partial sentence time to parole, and privileges granted while in jail (Augliere, 2015). Below we will focus on managing access to jail privileges like correctional fitness equipment while incarcerated.
With 15+ years of experience manufacturing correctional fitness equipment and selling it to hundreds of federal, state, provincial, and county jails across North America, we have had thousands of conversations with jail professionals who have shared their opinions about the role correctional fitness equipment plays in their facility. For many, it is a resource allowing inmates to exert energy and be easier to manage. For most, it is an incentivization tool to encourage good behavior, or inmates will lose their desired exercise privileges.
Exercising on correctional fitness equipment is one of the most used and desired activities by an incarcerated person. In some of the larger prisons, fitness equipment sees 15 hours of daily use as various inmate populations are cycled in and out of the rec yard or room. A high usage level means that if the equipment isn't super durable and tamper proof, the facility could encounter high upkeep costs and long repair periods where the equipment becomes unusable. Likewise, when inmates can't exercise, they are more likely to become harder to manage for correctional officers. Therefore, it is beneficial for both the officer's safety and the facilities' bottom line to be diligent in their equipment selection process.
Not all correctional grade fitness equipment is built equally. While it is important to look at the equipment's build materials and if the hardware is tamper proof or tamper resistant, one should also consider the features on the equipment that contribute to how it's used as an incentivization tool. A great example is the 100 lbs. weight stack system on Outdoor-Fit's Apollo Multigym. Access to the weight stack can be locked down through the pad locked access hatch, so inmates cannot use the high or low pulley. The weight stack is the most popular fitness station on this product, so when the administration threatens to take it away, the inmates are more likely to model good behavior, knowing its access can be removed at any time. Eliminating access to this station doesn't eliminate all exercise options on the Apollo Multigym, so inmates and correctional officers can still benefit from an active inmate population while still having a tool to incentivize inmates and promote good behavior.
