NCJ Number
135736
Date Published
1990
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Many intermediate sanctions are available in the U.S. that satisfy public demands for offender accountability while contributing to the solution to prison overcrowding.
Abstract
Probation in the U.S. is administered by hundreds of agencies operating under different laws and philosophies. Some factors considered when determining whether probation will be granted include the defendant's age and potential for change, criminal record, relationship with his family, evidence of deviant behavior, and attitude of the community toward a particular offense or offender. A more attentive form of probation is intensive probation supervision which incorporates a high level of contact between officers and participants, frequent drug tests, adherence to nightly curfews, compliance with prescribed treatment programs, and full-time employment. Halfway houses offer a variety of specialized programs; most have rigid curfews and alcohol and drug tests. Community Treatment Centers (CTCs), or Federal halfway houses, provide two operational components: pre-release and community corrections. Inmates are required to pay a subsistence expense of up to 25 percent of their earnings to the halfway house. Community service and home confinement are two other non-custodial measures. Financial accountability can take the form of restitution or participation in the Federal Inmate Financial Responsibility Program. Boot camps, or shock incarceration, are gaining credence as an alternative to traditional imprisonment for young offenders. Incarceration completes the continuum of sanctions; in Federal prisons, prison programs include various industries, literacy programs, other educational and training courses, programs for female offenders, and religious programs. Other institutional issues include health problems, AIDS, drug and alcohol treatment, aged or handicapped inmates, family emergencies, separation cases, and inmate misconduct. 59 notes