NCJ Number
133382
Journal
Journal of Humanistic Psychology Volume: 28 Issue: 4 Dated: (Fall 1988) Pages: 45-62
Date Published
1988
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Since the 1970's, a general public consensus has emerged that the era of prison-as-rehabilitation is over. This shift toward more punitive values has been accompanied by an increase in prison overcrowding, evidence that the effect of imprisonment on offenders is largely negative, and a belief that neither incarceration nor conventional alternatives, including fines and probation, meet the needs of crime victims.
Abstract
Criminal restitution offers an alternative, and perhaps more humanistic, approach to punishment in which the offender directly repays the victim or community through personal service or earned money for his crime. The author argues that criminal restitution meets the three criteria of a humanistic political reform: a reconceptualization of underlying assumptions, a synthesis of conflicting political positions, and a promotion of higher levels of psychological health. Criminal restitution is the only penal philosophy that requires the offender to make amends for his actions. It reconciles the conflict between moralist and consequentialist views of punishment. Finally, restitution promotes psychological health by recognizing the unique worth of each individual, providing therapeutic value to both offender and the victim, and emphasizing community involvement in conflict resolution. 51 references