NCJ Number
37707
Date Published
1974
Length
20 pages
Annotation
THE DIRECTORY OF COMMUNITY CONTACTS FOR CORRECTIONS CATALOGUED 414 PERSONS AND AGENCIES IN 23 COUNTIES WHOM HAD SPECIFICALLY EXPRESSED THEIR DESIRE TO BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE CORRECTIONS SYSTEM.
Abstract
THE IMPACT OF THE DIRECTORY WAS EVALUATED BASED ON THE RESULTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH 79 DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS STAFF AND WARDS AND SURVEY RESPONSES FROM 451 INSTITUTIONAL RESIDENTS, AND TREATMENT STAFF, FIELD STAFF, AND PAROLEES. FINDINGS INDICATE THE DIRECTORY WAS NOT DISTRIBUTED AS WIDELY, OR ADVERTISED AS EFFECTIVELY, AS WAS INTENDED AND THEREFORE, ITS USE WAS NOT AS HIGH AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN. IN THE INSTANCES WHERE THE DIRECTORY WAS USED, THE RESULTS WERE POSITIVE, WITH THE MAJOR USES BEING FOR PRE-RELEASE AND PAROLE COUNSELING AND REFERRALS. THE PROGRAM NEEDS PERCEIVED BY THE FOUR RESPONDENT GROUPS WERE VERY CONSISTENT AND COMPATIBLE. THE RESIDENTS AND PAROLEES REQUESTED MORE LAY COUNSELORS, SPECIAL GROUPS, AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS. FIELD AND INSTITUTIONAL STAFF CITED MANY NEEDS DIRECTLY TIED TO COMMUNITY-BASED SOLUTIONS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE DIRECTORY BE MORE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED, THAT STAFF BE GIVEN IN-SERVICE TRAINING IN COMMUNITY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND THAT THE MICHIGAN VOLUNTEERS IN CORRECTIONS ORGANIZATION BE FURTHER SUBSIZED AND EXPANDED. ALSO SUGGESTED IS A PILOT PROJECT TO PROVIDE FULL-TIME COMMUNITY ORGANIZING STAFF TO THE MAJOR INSTITUTIONS AND FIELD SERVICE AREAS. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE AN OUTLINE OF A PROPOSAL FOR ORGANIZING COMMUNITY SUPPORT OF CORRECTIONS AND A SUMMARY OF PROJECTS OF THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS RESOURCE PROGRAM (SEE NCJ-37706).