NCJ Number
85519
Editor(s)
S Letman,
L French,
H Scott,
D Weichman
Date Published
1981
Length
101 pages
Annotation
These seven papers focus on such current correctional issues as the use of punishment in corrections and crime prevention; violence in prisons; and correctional problems specific to minority groups such as blacks, Hispano Americans, American Indians, and the elderly.
Abstract
One paper examines implications for the criminal justice system of research showing that punishment can change behavior. An analysis of problems associated with contemporary correctional approaches is accompanied by recommendations for future correctional strategies sensitive to individual dignity and self-worth and emphasizing community-based treatment programs. Another paper discusses the purpose, operation, and staffing of community-based correctional centers, with emphasis on the needs of black offenders. An analysis of the problems faced by the growing numbers of Hispanic inmates is accompanied by recommended measures for dealing with these problems. Historical trends and the current nature of prison violence are analyzed, with emphasis on the role of organized gangs. Common views of American Indian culture are presented, together with a description of contemporary Native American movements and efforts to improve the correctional treatment of American Indians. Society's and corrections' treatment of the elderly are described, based on a literature review. Chapter reference lists are included.