Fortress Corrections

• NCJ Number: 123089
• Journal: Corrections Today Volume: 51 Issue: 5 Dated: (August 1989) Pages: 216,222-223
• Author(s): J A Schwartz
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 3 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This article was previously published in the February 1989 issue of Corrections Today.

Annotation

This article presents the author's view of current public perceptions of American corrections, examines why the situation is as it is, and suggests what could be done to improve corrections' public image.

Abstract

The public view of corrections is largely forged through negative media stories and distorted political messages. Corrections professionals have done very little to publicize positive aspects of corrections programs and policies. This is due to the traditional philosophy of "fortress corrections," which has hidden corrections from public view, leaving the public to form its own conclusions about what is happening to sentenced offenders. Corrections administrators are not trained in public information functions. Without any ongoing and proactive public information program, there are no personal relationships between corrections administrators and reporters that can provide initial credibility in a crisis. Corrections also lacks widely read professional journals, and corrections research rarely receives public distribution. A prescription for change involves leadership that will broadly define public information and mount public-relations training programs for all managers and mid-managers.