NCJ Number
53924
Date Published
1977
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER DISCUSSES THE REASONING BEHIND THE APPARENT SHIFT FROM ONE SET OF PENAL ORGANIZATIONS (TRADITIONAL PRISONS, PROBATION, AND PAROLE AGENCIES) TO ANTHER SET (HALFWAY HOUSES, WORK RELEASE FACILITIES, ETC.).
Abstract
SEVERAL BOOKS PUBLISHED IN THE LATE 1960'S AND EARLY 1970'S HAVE ARGUED THAT REHABILITATION OF PRISONERS IS BASED ON UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS AND THAT DETERMINATE SENTENING SOULD BE SUBSTITUTED TO DETER PERSONS FROM CRIME. TWO OF THE BOOKS MAINTAIN THAT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS BEING DIVESTED OF ITS SOCIAL CONTROL FUNCTION. IT IS STATED THAT THESE KINDS OF THEORIES UNNECESSRILY PIT THE INDIVIDUAL AGAINST THE SOCIETY OR THE STATE. THE PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONTROL SERVICES SUCH AS CORRECTIONS EXPAND OR CONTRACT SERVICES BASED ON CLAIMED DOMAIN OF SPECIFIC SERVICES AND PERCEPTION BY THE SIGNIFICANT EXTERNAL UNITS THAT ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE LEGITIMATES THAT CLAIM OF PUBLIC SERVICES. THE CLAIMS OF TRADITIONAL PUBLIC CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES HAVE BEEN MIDDLE RANGE (REHABILITATION, DETERRENCE, RETRIBUTION) BUT NOT TERRIBLY EXPANSIVE (CONCERNED ONLY WITH CONVICTED OFFENDERS). THE DOMAIN OF SERVICES HAS BEEN CONTRACTING AS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ASSUME THE DOMAIN SPACE ONCE OCCUPIED BY THE CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES (VOCATIONAL TRAINING, ALCOHOL AND DRUG COUNSELING, REINTEGRATION SERVICES). THESE PRIVATE AGENCIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED THE CAST OFF FUNCTIONS OF THE CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES CAN STRUCTURE THEIR BUDGET SO THAT CORRECTIONAL SUPERVISION COSTS ARE EITHER REDUCED OR RENDERED LESS VISIBLE THAN THEY WOULD BE UNDER CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES. THEY CAN USE VOLUNTEER STAFF AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE SHIFT IN DOMAINS REPRESENTS BOTH A MEANS OF LESS VISIBLE AND LESS EXPENSIVE SOCIAL CONTROL WHICH ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY LESS HUMANLY BRUTALIZING THAN THE INCARCERATIVE ALTERNATIVES. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)