NCJ Number
163770
Journal
Practicing Anthropology Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: (Summer 1992) Pages: 22- 24
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
One way of applying an anthropological perspective to criminal justice would be to establish a status reinstatement ceremony as a rite of passage in which those who have successfully completed their probation or prison and parole terms successfully would be recognized as full- fledged members of society again.
Abstract
The rite of passage is a recurrent theme in human behavior. The conceptual framework of the rite of passage has been applied to a wide variety of phenomena including birth, puberty, marriage, death, initiation into a college fraternity, and inaugration of a President. It is also useful to regard the criminal justice process in our society as a rite of passage. However, society currently does not regard the convicted offender as once more an acceptable member of society following the completion of the sentence. Convicted offenders are often feared and mistrusted by the public, regardless of whether they are rehabilitated. The eventual recidivism results at least partly from the ex-offender's marginal status in society. Some States already have some provisions such as a certificate of rehabilitation to recognize that offenders have completed their punishment. A status reinstatement ceremony would not eliminate crime but might help to alleviate it. This concept should be broadened to make it more routine. Photograph