Correctional institutions historically have used external classification systems to determine the security and custody level of an offender's placement. Methods of internal classification--determining housing, programming, and work assignments within a facility--often have been more informal, subjective, less standardized, and more inconsistent. Inmate assaults and subsequent litigation in many states, along with an increased emphasis on offender rehabilitation, have highlighted the need for structured internal classification systems to complement existing mechanisms for external classification.
