NCJ Number
62283
Date Published
1979
Length
34 pages
Annotation
THE MOVEMENT TOWARD HARSHER CORRECTIONAL CONDITIONS IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY IS CRITICIZED THROUGH PRESENTATION OF HIGHLIGHTS OF ALL CHAPTERS APPEARING IN PRISONS: PRESENT AND POSSIBLE.
Abstract
PENAL POLICY INVOLVES ATTEMPTS TO KEEP CRIME AT AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL THROUGH THE USE OF INTERVENTION STRATEGEMS. THESE INTERVENTIONS BEAR ON AT LEAST THREE DISTRICT GROUPS INCLUDING THE OFFENDERS, WOULD-BE OFFENDERS, AND THE PUBLIC. VARIOUS APPROACHES CAN ATTAIN A SINGLE GOAL, BUT THEY USUALLY DO SO AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS. LIFE IN PRISON IS MARKED BY INDIGNITY AND SORROW. POLICYMAKERS SHOULD DIRECT THEIR ENERGIES TOWARD KEEPING AS MANY CRIMINALS AS POSSIBLE OUT OF PRISON. THE BENIGN APPROACH OF THE SWEDES APPEARS PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE. ALTHOUGH ITS SYSTEM COULD PROBABLY NOT BE USED THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, MANY CONCEPTS SUCH AS PRISONER RETENTION OF VOTING RIGHTS COULD BE ADOPTED. THE CONCEPT OF PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED; CASE STUDIES HAVE PROVEN ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND ITS PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS IS SOUND. USE OF THE IMPRISONMENT SANCTION MUST BE RESTRICTED ONLY TO THE MOST DANGEROUS OFFENDERS. SENTENCING COMMISSIONS COULD CONSIDER VARIABLES IN A MORE RATIONAL FASHION THAN THE HAPPENSTANCE APPROACH OF TODAY, AND PRISON POPULATIONS WOULD BE REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY. THE PENAL POLICY ADOPTED BY A SOCIETY IS PERHAPS A TELLING INDICATION OF THE SOCIETY'S INTEGRITY. A MORE RATIONAL AND HUMANE PENAL POLICY SHOULD BE THE OBJECTIVE OF POLICYMAKERS, A POLICY WHICH INVOLVES BOTH CRIME CONTROL AND REHABILITATION. NOTES ARE INCLUDED IN THE CHAPTER. (LWM)