Decongestion
Definition
The reduction of overcrowding in closed prisons that follows when eligible low-risk prisoners are moved to a lighter-footprint open institution instead.
Related terms
- Open Colony
- The most relaxed tier of open custody, where a convict can live with family in colony housing, hold a paid job, and...
- Open Prison
- A correctional institution with no perimeter wall or armed guard, holding screened prisoners who report for roll calls on their own and...
- Open Work Camp
- An outdoor labour site holding screened prisoners under a lighter regime than a closed prison, often tied to agricultural or public-works labour.
- Reintegration
- The gradual process of rebuilding a prisoner's family ties, work habits, and community standing before release, which open custody is designed to...
- Semi-Open Institution
- A unit attached to or inside a closed prison's boundary that relaxes internal supervision (fewer locked wards, more movement) without removing the...
- Trust-Based Custody
- A supervision model that substitutes physical barriers with self-reporting, spot checks, and the threat of return to closed custody for a breach.