NCJ Number
63173
Date Published
1980
Length
367 pages
Annotation
THIS TEXTBOOK IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD OF CORRECTIONS FOR STUDENTS ASPIRING TO A CAREER IN THIS AREA AND ALSO TO PROVIDE CURRENT INFORMATION TO THE WORKING CORRECTIONALIST.
Abstract
BEGINNING WITH A LOOK AT BOTH PUNISHMENT AND TREATMENT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE BOOK CONCLUDES THAT THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM BASICALLY DERIVES FROM A CLASSICAL-UTILITARIAN VIEWPOINT. RATIONAL PUNISHMENT AND TREATMENT ARE SEEN AS COMPATIBLE ELEMENTS BASED ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF MELIORISM. THEORIES OF DEVIANCE FROM SOCIAL PATHOLOGY TO THE NATURALISTIC VIEWPOINT ARE DISCUSSED. ALL MODELS REFLECT A PRIMARY EMPHASIS ON PROTECTING THE PUBLIC, REHABILITATING THE OFFENDER, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH. A REVIEW OF VARIOUS PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES INDICATES THAT TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS, BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION, AND REALITY THERAPY HAVE ALL BEEN POPULAR IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS. DISCUSSION ALSO CENTERS ON THE CORRECTIONAL PRACTITIONER'S BASIC TREATMENT TOOLS, SUCH AS COUNSELING AND INTERVIEWING, AND ON CORRECTIONS AND PSYCHIATRY, INCLUDING THE LIMITATIONS OF PSYCHIATRY, CRITICISM OF PSYCHIATRY, AND THE DEFENSE OF PSYCHIATRY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT IN CORRECTIONS CAN BE ADVANCED BY PSYCHIATRIC KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING SUIDICAL DISPOSITIONS, DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR, AND INDIVIDUAL DIAGNOSES. VARIOUS FORMS OF TREATMENT ARE EXAMINED, INCLUDING INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT, COMMUNITY-BASED STRATEGIES, DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT, AND SPECIAL TREATMENT PROBLEMS. PRISONS ARE FOUND TO BE BRUTAL, COSTLY, VIOLENT, OBSOLETE AND OVERCROWDED PENAL INSTRUMENTS. COMPARISONS ARE MADE BETWEEN THE AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM AND THOSE OF SWEDEN, AUSTRALIA, AND HOLLAND. NEGLECTED ASPECTS, SUCH AS THE FEMALE PRISONER AND EMOTIONAL REPRESSION, ARE EXPLORED. COMMUNITY-BASED STRATEGIES DISCUSSED INCLUDE INTEGRATED COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS, FURLOUGH, WORK RELEASE AND WORK FURLOUGH, PROBATION, AND PAROLE. THE CONCEPT OF DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT IS EXPLAINED USING SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. UNDER SPECIAL TREATMENT PROBLEMS, THE BOOK CONSIDERS ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE, SEXUAL PATHOLOGY, AND PSYCHOPATHY/SOCIOPATHY. FINALLY, THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS EXAMINED; THE INVESTIGATION COVERS THE SCOPE AND NATURE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, THE JUVENILE COURT, THE INSTITUTIONAL SIDE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE, DIVERSION, THE STATUS OFFENDER, AND TREATMENT THEORY AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS. PRESENT AND FUTURE CORRECTIONAL GOALS ARE REVIEWED AND PHOTOGRAPHS, FOOTNOTES, AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (PRG)