NCJ Number
144054
Date Published
1992
Length
53 pages
Annotation
This report analyzes a database assembled by the National Institute of Corrections during a survey of residential community corrections facilities, supplements the survey with case studies of a limited number of residential community corrections facilities, reviews pertinent literature, and synthesizes the results of these activities to present information and frame policy issues regarding residential community corrections facilities.
Abstract
The issues discussed are the role of residential community corrections facilities in the criminal justice system, their geographical and structural variation, type of operating agency, funding and financial issues, their access for female offenders, and policy issues and directions for the future. The reanalysis of 647 surveys and the eight case studies revealed that residential community corrections facilities are diverse in terms of population, organizational base, size, and mission. Despite this diversity, the facilities apparently serve one or more of three typical roles in the criminal justice system. They serve clients at the "front door" of the system as a direct sentence option or one directly accessed through probation. They serve as transition facilities for inmates exiting prison, and they increasingly serve as a release option for offenders ending their time in jail. Key policy issues include the need to target this relatively costly and limited residential capacity to achieve specific and realistic objectives. 12 figures, a 15-item bibliography, and appended survey methodology and case summaries