NCJ Number
55610
Date Published
1979
Length
372 pages
Annotation
INTENDED AS AN UNDERGRADUATE TEXT FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENTS, THIS BOOK DEALS WITH U.S. CORRECTIONAL APPARATUS AND PROCESSES AND USES SOCIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND CORRECTIONAL STRUCTURE.
Abstract
BEGINNING WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CORRECTIONAL APPARATUS, ITS SIZE AND STANDING IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE BOOK GOES ON TO REVIEW THE CORRECTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOCIAL SCIENTISTS AND TO INTRODUCE THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE. THE SOCIOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO A MORE CRITICAL AND RELATIVISTIC STANCE TOWARD CORRECTIONAL SCHOLARSHIP THAN HAS BEEN EMPLOYED IN MANY PAST STUDIES AND ANALYSES OF CORRECTIONAL ISSUES. A RELATIVISTIC STANCE CONFLICTS WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT SOCIOLOGISTS ARE IMPARTIAL, OBJECTIVE OBSERVERS OF THE CORRECTIONAL SCENE. CORRECTIONAL IDEOLOGIES AND ALTERNATIVE VIEWS OF THE HISTORICAL PROCESS OF CORRECTIONAL CHANGE ARE DEALT WITH, THE CONCEPT OF 'PREVENTIVE IDEAL' ( A SET OF BELIEFS ABOUT THE CAUSES OF CRIME AND THE CORRESPONDING DERIVATIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO PREVENT FURTHER CRIMINALITY) IS INTRODUCED, AND TWO SUBTYPES ARE DISCUSSED--PUNISHMENT IDEOLOGIES AND REHABILITATIVE IDEOLOGIES. ALSO, A VARIETY OF REHABILITATIVE IDEOLOGIES ARE DISTINGUISHED AND DISCUSSED, AND THREE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROCESS OF HISTORICAL CORRECTIONAL CHANGE--CONSERVATIVE, LIBERAL-PLURALIST, AND RADICAL-ELITIST --ARE EXAMINED. THE PROBLEMS AND PROCESS OF CRIMINAL SENTENCING ARE ADDRESSED AND CRIMINAL SENTENCING IS PRESENTED AS A TYPE OF SOCIAL PROCESS INVOLVING INTERACTION BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF DIFFERENT OFFICES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. A SUMMARY OF SOCIAL SCIENTISTS' THEORIES AND RESEARCH ABOUT CORRECTIONAL PERSONNEL, OFFENDERS, AND CORRECTIONAL REGIMENS DEALS WITH DETENTION HOMES, JAILS, PRISONS AND TRAINING SCHOOLS, AND PROBATION AND PAROLE. THREE DIFERENT EVALUATIVE MODES ARE SUGGESTED FOR CORRECTIONAL EVALUATION--HUMANENESS, LEGALITY/DUE PROCESS, AND EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS--IN A SECTION REVIEWING EVALUATIVE RESEARCH PROCESSES AND RESULTS. THE FINAL SECTION DISCUSSES THE PROCESS OF CORRECTIONAL REFORM AND OBSTACLES TO REFORM AS SEEN BY CONSERVATIVES, LIBERAL-PLURALISTS, AND RADICAL-ELITISTS. REFERENCES AND INDEXES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)