REHABILITATION IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (FROM REHABILITATION - WHAT PART OF CORRECTIONS?, 1977, BY BRENDA BRADSHAW AND PETER J ECK - SEE NCJ-56718)

• NCJ Number: 56719
• Author(s): D SCHMDIT
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Texas at Arlington
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THREE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IS CORRECTIONS--HUMANE PUNISHMENT (PENITENTIARIES), REHABILITATION, AND DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION--ARE DISCUSSED AS PRINCIPAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CRIMINOLOGY OVER THE LAST 300 YEARS.

Abstract

THE 17TH CENTURY DEVELOPMENT OF PRISONS OCCURRED UNDER THE RATIONALE OF THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY WHICH MAINTAINED THAT OFFENDERS, WHO FREELY CHOSE THEIR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, SHOULD BE PUNISHED ACCORDING TO THE SEVERITY OF THEIR CRIME. THE PUNISHMENT, HOWEVER, SHOULD BE HUMANE AS COMPARED TO THE BRUTAL TORTURE THAT FREQUENTLY CHARACTERIZED PUNISHMENT PRIOR TO THE 17TH CENTURY. PENITENTIARIES WERE CONSIDERED TO CONSTITUTE HUMANE CUSTODIAL TREATMENT. THE THEORY, BASED PRIMARILY UPON A RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE, WAS THAT THROUGH A PERIOD OF ISOLATION AND CONFINEMENT, OFFENDERS WOULD NOT ONLY EXPERIENCE PUNISHMENT, BUT WOULD ENGAGE IN PENANCE WHICH WOULD LEAD TO REFORM OF THEIR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. THE SECOND MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN CORRECTIONS, WHICH OCCURRED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE POSTIVE SCHOOL IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY, WAS BASED IN THE BELIEF THAT THOSE WHO COMMIT CRIMES ACT UNDER THE CONDITIONING OF AN UNHEALTHY AND DEBILITATING ENVIRONMENT WHICH ESSENTIALLY COMPELS CRIMINALITY. OUT OF THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE REHABILITATION MODEL FOR CORRECTIONS WAS BORN. IT SOUGHT TO TAILOR CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS TO THE PROBLEMS AND NEEDS OF OFFENDERS, SUCH THAT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR WOULD BE CORRECTED DURING THE PERIOD OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION. SENTENCING BECAME RELATED MORE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF TREATMENT THAN THE SEVERITY OF OFFENSE. SINCE NEITHER OF THE AFOREMENTIONED MOVEMENTS HAS PROVEN OBVIOUSLY SUPERIOR IN IMPACTING THE CRIME RATE, THE CURRENT PERIOD IN CORRECTIONS HAS ADVOCATES FROM BOTH SCHOOLS WHO ARE ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE CORRECTIONS POLICY. A THIRD MOVEMENT IS EMERGING, HOWEVER, WHICH EMPHASIZES DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION OF OFFENDERS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE CONSIDERED TO BE OBJECTS OF A SELECTIVE PROCESS THAT INVOLVES ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF LAW-BREAKERS, WHO ARE GENERALLY POOR, UNEMPLOYED, UNEDUCATED RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES. COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MEET THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC NEEDS OF THOSE CONTACTING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE ADVOCATED AS THE PRINCIPAL THRUST FOR CORRECTIONS. (RCB)