CRIMINAL JUSTICE - SOME CRITICAL ISSUES (FROM INCARCERATION - BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS, 1977, BY P ECK AND G ENGLISH - SEE NCJ-56694)

• NCJ Number: 56700
• Author(s): C L NEWMAN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Texas at Arlington
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN CORRECTIONS, WHICH IS HEAVILY WEIGHTED TOWARD INSTITUTIONALIZATION, ARE CRITICIZED, AND THE NEED FOR A SOUND, CONSISTENT CORRECTIONS POLICY IS DISCUSSED.

Abstract

IN SPITE OF A RECENT EXPANSION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESOURCES AND COSTLY DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR OFFENDERS, THERE ARE STILL NO SATISFACTORY SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF CRIME AND NO VIABLE NATIONAL STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH OFFENDERS HAS EMERGED. INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THOSE WHO CANNOT SUCCESSFULLY OR SAFELY FUNCTION IN SOCIETY HAS DOMINATED PUBLIC POLICY WELL INTO THE 20TH CENTURY. ONLY RELATIVELY RECENTLY HAS IT BEEN RECOGNIZED THAT INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION ALMOST PRECLUDES SUCCESSFUL REENTRY INTO SOCIETY. WHILE THE POLICY OF ISOLATED INSTITUTIONALIZATION HAS CHANGED TO A LARGE EXTENT FOR THE MENTALLY ILL, THE POOR, AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN WITHOUT PARENTS, THE NATION IN GENERAL STILL DEALS WITH THE PUBLIC OFFENDER PRIMARILY BY IMPRISONING HIM. WHILE FEW CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS ARGUE THAT IMPRISONMENT HAS HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON CRIME RATES, THERE IS ALSO A RELUCTANCE TO TRUST NONCUSTODIAL COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS, TO THE EXTENT THAT ADEQUATE RESOURCES ARE PROVIDED FOR THEIR EFFECTIVE OPERATION. THE LACK OF DEFINITIVE CORRECTIONAL POLICIES HAS LED TO THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES: (1) ISOLATING OFFENDERS IN IDLENESS, WHILE CLAIMING THEY SHOULD LEARN AN OCCUPATIONAL SKILL; (2) DENYING THE OFFENDER A VOICE IN SELF-GOVERNMENT, WHILE EXPECTING HIM TO BECOME AN INDEPENDENT, RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN; (3) EXPECTING THE PROBATIONER OR EX-OFFENDER TO ESTABLISH LAWFUL PATTERNS FOR SUPPORTING HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY, WHILE PASSING LAWS THAT DENY HIM PARTICIPATION IN MANY OCCUPATIONS; (4) INSISTING ON PUNISHMENT, WHILE PROCLAIMING THE NEED FOR REHABILITATION; AND (5) INMATES ARE EXPECTED TO ADJUST TO THE ABNORMAL ROUTINES AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF PRISON, WHILE BEING EXPECTED TO ADJUST TO THE 'NORMAL' COMMUNITY UPON RELEASE. THE EXISTING CHAOS AND COMPROMISE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY CAN ONLY BE UNRAVELED THROUGH CAREFUL RESEARCH OF ALL EXISTING LITERATURE WITH A VIEW TOWARD STRUCTURING WHAT, FOR THE MOMENT AT LEAST, APPEARS TO BE THE MOST ENLIGHTENED APPROACH TO CORRECTIONS. (RCB)