Corrections Community

We just opened a behavior based honor cell in two of of male dorms of the county jail. Inmates selected were screened by all levels of staff. The Sheriff is opposed to allowing a microwave to be placed in the cell primarily for liability and public perception concerns. If your facility permits microwaves in housing units, please respond telling all about the success, failure, the good vs bad, etc. I would appreciate responses here or to me at leon.bradley@morgancoso.com

We are a county jail also-the folowing housing units all have microwaves:  3- 60 man direct supervision units/1- 34 direct dupervision unit and a 26 man inmate worker unit. We sell microwaveable items in the commissary (popcorn, soups, etc...) . While the inmates are in the dayspace they may use the microwaves for heating these items, if it is abused the imate receives a rule violation--burning things in the microwaves whether by accident or on purpose is rare, as we will remove the microwaves from the unit, so the other inmates discourage 1 or 2 from screwing it up for everyone. The inmates clean the housing units 2x daily, this includes the microwave area--if the micro is abused in anyway, it is removed for a period of time. If it is broken just from wear and tear it is replace as the budget allows. They are all industrial strength microwaves so they are pretty tough. Since it is direct supervision and the housing officer is touring constantly, abuse is very rare.

For the most part we haven't had too many incidents of inmates heating items up to use in an assault, we've had a few hot coffee/waters thrown around though.

I've been at and currently at a facility that have microwaves in the common living areas and I haven't seen any problems with them.  The inmates are less likely to do anything to them because it is for their benefit.  If their food tray sits too long or the food is not hot enough for them, they simply can reheat it.

Microwaves provides more options on commissary, better quality of food, more content inmate

Hey there,

Serveral years ago we built a New Direct Supervision Jail in Key West, Florida. We had microwave ovens for the inmates to use for their Commissary. Everything went okay for the first year and then we had inmates destroying the microwaves, burning things in them and we even had an inmate boil some water for coffee in front of the officer and then all of a sudden he threw it on another inmate (which burnt him pretty bad). This resulted in a Law Suit which they settled out in court. I am against microwaves in the Dorms for the inmates, because it just takes one incident to become critical - which could be your officer. It is not worth it!!!

Thank you!

Cpl. James Aguiar, Jr. #2154

Marion County Sheriff's Office

Ocala, Florida

We are direct supervision and have microwaves in all GP areas and have not experienced any serious problems with them. 

At the Jackson County Detention Center in Kansas City, Missouri we have had microwave ovens in our Pods only. The Pods have a Direct Supervision Officer on duty 24/7 and the inmates housed in the pods are inmate workers, inmate worker trainies, non-violent inmates or inmates with special needs. We have never experienced any problems and of course with bad behavior the use of the microwave can be stoped by the DSO in charge of the pod.

hopes this helps