NCJ Number
134902
Date Published
1990
Length
75 pages
Annotation
These three papers describe the use of intermediate sanctions in Canada and the United States and the use of electronic monitoring of offenders in the United States.
Abstract
Canada is not experiencing the prison overcrowding that the United States is and therefore is unlikely to move significantly toward the development of intermediate sanctions. The lack of pressure from overcrowding also may explain why Canada places less emphasis on community services than does the United States; both the Federal and provincial jurisdictions seem to place much greater emphasis on the custodial aspect of their operations than on the community aspect. In addition, incarceration may be overused for offenses for which other alternatives could be considered. In the United States, prison overcrowding has led to the use of a variety of intermediate sanctions. Some of these, such as shock incarceration (boot camps) and shock probation, involve some incarceration and some involve fines, restitution, victim compensation, or community service. Electronic monitoring of offenders is also being explored. Figures, tables, and reference lists