NCJ Number
80234
Journal
Corrections Magazine Volume: 7 Issue: 6 Dated: (December 1981) Pages: 29-32,34-36
Date Published
1981
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The Reagan Administration's policies regarding corrections are discussed and commented on by professionals in the field, and contrasts in these policies with those of previous administrations are noted.
Abstract
Reagan has called for budget reductions for Federal corrections agencies; the elimination of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (temporarily saved by Congress); a deemphasis on prison conditions lawsuits at the Justice Department; a backing off from prison standards; and legislation that would modify the exclusionary rule, increase the use of pretrial detention, and require mandatory prison terms for crimes committed with guns. Under the Reagan philosophy, the Federal Government will probably not interfere with State or local actions but will also offer them little assistance. Those liberal service programs from the Nixon and Carter administrations that the Reagan administration thinks are ineffective against crime are slated for elimination. Reagan's emphasis appears to be on prison construction, the most important recommendation mentioned by the administration's Task Force on Violent Crime, although the funds for additional prisons have not been forthcoming. Another recommendation that has not been realized is the donation of Federal property to States and localities for prison sites. Regarding civil rights policy, policy shifts from earlier administrations include the greater emphasis on negotiating settlements before they go to court, the requirement that civil rights lawyers must consult the Bureau of Prisons before filing suits, and the use of prison standards more sparingly in proposing reforms. Photographs are included.