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Navy Introduces New Uniforms for Brig Inmates

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) — To enhance security and provide for public safety, all pretrial and post-trial prisoners confined in Navy shore military correctional facilities (MCFs) will begin wearing a Navy non-military standardized prisoner uniform (SPU) May 1.

Wearing of the SPU will be mandatory for all prisoners, regardless of Service affiliation.

Currently, all prisoners confined in Navy shore MCFs wear their respective Service utility uniform.  The “military model” approach adheres to a Navy philosophy, that the approach curbs abusiveness, maintains structure and discipline with core military values to influence positive behavior in an effort to support the prisoners’ rehabilitation.

“However, having prisoners wear their Service uniform creates security and public safety challenges, such as difficulty in distinguishing staff from prisoners,” said Jonathan Godwin, senior corrections program specialist with the Corrections and Programs Office, Navy Personnel Command.

“Prison populations are largely comprised of prisoners incarcerated for crimes against people, which is reflected in courts-martial judgments with longer sentences and more less-than-honorable discharges from service,” Godwin added. “Additionally, punishments consist of total forfeiture of all pay and allowance, and it is rare for a prisoner to return to active duty.”

Pairing these challenges with a prisoner population almost exclusively in a non-pay status and not returning to duty, the costs associated with buying and maintaining Service uniforms becomes a tremendous and unnecessary fiscal burden to the Navy and the taxpayer.  The price for a Service-specific military utility uniform with one pair of trousers and a top is approximately $95. When you add in a fleece jacket, the total easily exceeds $150.

The new SPU top and trousers will cost approximately $18.50. Adding a belt, buckle, ball cap and watch cap, and the price is about $22.  Then add a jacket and the complete price to clothe a prisoner will be about $45.

There will be two, distinct in color, uniforms worn by prisoners with the prisoner’s legal status determining which will be worn. The pretrial prisoner uniform will be chocolate brown in color and post-trial prisoner uniform will be a tan-colored uniform.

The SPU consists of MCF issued shirt/blouse, pants, web belt with open-faced buckle, and Service-issued undergarments, service-issue socks and boots or facility approved footgear.  Additional SPU accessory items consist of a prisoner jacket and a baseball cap and/or beanie/watch cap.

“In addition to the enhancement of correctional security, improved public safety and significant fiscal savings, the wearing of the new SPU will produce numerous benefits across a wide range of Navy corrections operations,” Godwin said. “These include an SPU with a neat and professional look, an easier-to-maintain and care-for uniform, and less wear and tear on equipment, i.e. washing machines and dryers, and less cleaning supplies, i.e. laundry detergent.”

The SPU will be provided and funded by the Navy MCF.  During in-processing into a Navy MCF, prisoners will sign for the uniforms and they will be held responsible for care and maintenance. Upon release from confinement, the prisoner will return the issued SPUs back to the MCF.

Also beginning May 1, clothing and packing list for prisoners entering confinement will no longer require four sets of utility uniforms and jackets.  However, prisoners in pretrial-status will require their service dress uniform for court appearances.

Commands placing a service member into a Navy MCF for confinement are encouraged to review the required confinement documents and clothing packing lists, which can be found at www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/correctionprograms/brigs.

From Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

16 Responses to “Navy Introduces New Uniforms for Brig Inmates”

  1. MINN-KOTA says:

    I always enjoyed seeing people in the airport wearing the Navy jogging suit top and bottom. With limited exceptions, those are dirt-bags being sent home from boot camp. Thank you for your attempted service.

  2. SamHill says:

    This is what they will put a regular guy in when he tries to show his family a picture of the rack he was sleeping during the last 6 months he was away from home.

    Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton, who lost/shared an actually uncountable number of classified documents, among many other things, walks free…

    • Bob says:

      WTF does this have to do with the Navy adopting a new uniform?

      • SamHill says:

        Nothing, it is a prison uniform.
        A prison uniform that regular dudes who might misplace one piece of crypto would end up wearing. Meanwhile the people in charge can give away everything intentionally and they still walk free. It is a travesty of justice, we should be concerned.

  3. Jack Boothe says:

    I love the insult to Navy officers and CPOs by putting convicted prisoners in khakis (or what the article, and my wife, refers to as the “tan” outfit). At least when they leave prison, they can say they were khaki wearers in the US Navy.

    I would have thought a single piece jump suit in pink, like the ones used by Sheriff Joe in Arizona, would have been more appropriate.

  4. Ton E says:

    The Navy couldn’t get standard prison jumpsuits why? The Navy has to have a uniform for everything I guess….

    • SamHill says:

      You aren’t wrong. When I was in we had to keep current at all times:
      1x dress blues
      1x dress whites
      2x working blues
      2x working whites
      4x utility uniforms
      6x coveralls

      The tailor bill every time you got promoted was massive. And they’d do stuff like have multiple inspection days in a row to make sure you sewed every one of them, no matter the season. The stuff was not velcro either, it was all sewn. Very costly and time consuming. The dress blues had 13 buttons to undo each time you had to take a leak…

      Still wouldn’t trade it for anything, but the uniforms definitely needed some simplification.

      • Ton E says:

        I’m AF I’d lose my damn mind if I had to maintain that many uniforms.

  5. jbgleason says:

    Let’s give prisoners belts and shoelaces. GREAAATTTT idea.

    Did anyone consult with anyone who has ever worked a day in a correctional setting before they made this decision?

    • SSD says:

      Yeah, they’ve been incarcerating prisoners for a couple of centuries.

    • SamHill says:

      If an inmate is gonna do it, they are gonna do it.
      I know of one that used the elastic from his underwear to strangle himself in the middle of the night. The vast majority of inmates aren’t suicidal, and the ones who are, you won’t stop them, generally.

  6. Sommerbiwak says:

    Just let them wear up all the smurfcam stocks.

  7. EODMadBomb says:

    Wow, yet another Navy uniform!
    I wonder if every member has to keep one on hand…just in case. It might be good motivation to stay out of trouble.

  8. Jim says:

    Boots. That way they can really put the boots to the C/Os or other prisoners.