NCJ Number
79287
Journal
Tijdschrift voor criminologie Volume: 20 Issue: 5 Dated: (1978) Pages: 247-261
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The founding in 1921 and subsequent development of the Penitentiary Anthropological Service in Belgium to provide individual treatment geared to the personalities of delinquents and intended for promotion of social reintegration of offenders are outlined, and the effectiveness of the present system is evaluated.
Abstract
The Service is under the direction of the Central Social Service Department of the Justice Ministry, which controls services to offenders before, during, and after imprisonment. With new ideas of liberalization and individualization of penalties after the Second World War, the Penitentiary Orientation Center (POC) replaced and expanded the former services. The POC undertakes studies of the personalities of serious criminals, penitentiary orientation studies to follow up development of offenders and to assure appropriate prison placement, and special short-term studies on specific problems. Personality studies are based on autobiographies, social inquiries, a biographical inventory, behavior observations, and individual and collective tests. The report on each individual contains a diagnosis, records of prison treatment, and the status of the offender at release. Cooperative work with universities has facilitated formation of interdisciplinary research teams. The effectiveness of the POC has been negatively affected by the Center's lack of independence and limited authority built into its structure, and the failure of institutions to follow the Center's treatment recommendations. Furthermore, systematic evaluation of POC recommendations must establish whether or not they are effective. POC studies have been criticized for taking so long, for violating the privacy of study subjects, and for low quantitative output. In addition, both treatment and study units are understaffed and remain objectively aloof from inmates.