NCJ Number
159149
Date Published
1996
Length
487 pages
Annotation
This textbook describes the historical development of corrections and of criminal justice policies and discusses current issues concerning the nature of punishment and the current reliance on incarceration, with emphasis on the influence of prevailing political, economic, religious, and technological factors on corrections policies.
Abstract
Individual sections focus on crime as a social problem and feature of the United States culture, fear of crime; factors that distort the public's image about crime; the emergence of formal and legal punishment from ancient times to the present; and the conservative, liberal, and critical perspectives on corrections. Additional sections examine the organizational and subcultural aspects of imprisonment; the use of jails and detention; women, juveniles, and minorities in corrections; capital punishment; institutional violence and prison riots; prisoners' rights and inmate litigation; and policies and programs providing alternatives to institutionalization. The final section considers current issues and future trends in corrections, including drug policies, inmate health care, privatization of corrections, and future policies. Photographs; tables; figures; chapter discussion questions and recommended reading lists; chapter reference lists; and case, name, and subject indexes