NCJ Number
83430
Journal
Pennsylvania Association Probation Parole and Correction Journal Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1982) Pages: 27-35
Date Published
1982
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This review of several books and articles on corrections concludes that a change is needed in the current prison and that future research and testing of hypotheses regarding corrections are needed as the basis for policy formulation.
Abstract
Donald Cressy's 'Organizational Handbook' presents the foundation and the traditional ideology of prison organizations. Cressy notes that American society has expected prisons to perform four functions: retribution, deterrence, protection of society, and rehabilitation. He believes that prison officials have an increasingly difficult task of determining the appropriate mix of these four functions. Cressy tries to classify prison structures according to whether they are designed primarily for punishment and primarily for treatment. Among the weaknesses in Cressy's work are his failure to consider the roles of judges and lawyers, who determine the makeup of the inmate population. In contrast, Louis Diana has tried to show how gradual shifts toward what judges believe can help improve services rendered by the criminal justice system. Michael Knoll has cited data showing that imprisoning more people for longer periods will not reduce crime. Mario Merola, a district attorney, believes that judges should stop abdicating their responsibility and should ultimately decide when criminals should be released. Richard Quinney notes the diverse definitions of crime and claims that crime is both politically and economically related to society. Quinney's view that the State and multinational corporations control the surplus population through unemployment and then incarceration is not shared by logical prison wardens and State superintendents. Although all these views vary, the writers agree that prison organization is currently failing in its function to provide services to the public. This failure results from a lack of direction from strong public policy or policymakers. Stronger and more specific policies are needed based on careful research and hypothesis testing regarding retribution, deterrence, protection, and rehabilitation. Eleven references are listed.