THEORY OF SOCIAL REFORM - CORRECTIONAL CHANGE PROCESSES IN TWO STATES

• NCJ Number: 54463
• Author(s): A D MILLER; L E OHLIN; R B COATES
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 256 pages
• Grant Number(s): 72-NI-99-0009; 73-NI-99-0055; 74-NI-99-0176; 76-JN-99-0003; 76-JJ-99-0452; 71-35X-905A1
• Sponsoring Agency: Ford Foundation; Massachusetts Cmtte on Criminal Justice; US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Ballinger Publishing Co
• Sale Source: Ballinger Publishing Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SERIES ON MASSACHUSETTS YOUTH CORRECTION REFORMS

Annotation

THIS ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGE PROCESS USES THE YOUTH CORRECTIONS REFORM EXPERIENCE OF MASSACHUSETTS AND WISCONSIN TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL MODEL, TEXT CONCLUSIONS IN A MATHEMATICAL SIMULATION, AND ADDRESS REFORM ISSUES.

Abstract

TO BEGIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GENERAL THEORY OF SOCIAL REFORM AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE GENERAL PROCESS BY WHICH SOCIAL REFORMS ARE EFFECTED AND STABILIZED, TWO CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT REFORM MOVEMENTS ARE EXAMINED. THE ANALYSIS OF THE RESTRUCTURING OF A POLITICALLY PROTECTED BUREAUCRACY FOCUSES ON THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES WHICH CLOSED ITS TRAINING SCHOOLS IN 1972 AND SUBSTITUTED FOR THEM A DIVERSIFIED NETWORK OF COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONAL SERVICES. DISCUSSION OF THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF WELFARE'S TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS IN A SOCIAL WORK CONTEXT RATHER THAN A MERELY PUNITIVE ENVIRONMENT CONTRIBUTES TO THE THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE STUDY. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTIONS OF REFORM MOVEMENTS IN THE TWO STATES ARE FOLLOWED BY CONCEPTUALIZATIONS, THEORETICAL MODELS, AND DISCUSSION OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL LITERATURE RELATED TO THE GENERAL MODEL. THE PRINCIPLES AND PROPERTIES OF THE MODEL ARE ALSO USED FOR EMPIRICAL AND SIMULATION ANALYSIS. THE EVENTS WHICH OCCURED DURING THE TWO REFORM PROCESSES LEAD TO CONSIDERATION OF THE ROLES OF CRISIS, INVESTIGATION, AND SCANDAL IN THE REFORM PROCESS. SINCE REFORM INVOLVES A MAJOR SHIFTING OF POLITICAL POWER, THE METHODS BY WHICH SUCH CHANGE IS BROUGHT ABOUT AND CONSOLIDATED, ARE ADDRESSED. THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS INDICATE THAT THE MODEL, IN BOTH ITS PRELIMINARY AND ITS FINAL MATHEMATICAL STATE, CONSTITUTES A WORKABLE FRAMEWORK FOR GUIDING AND ANALYZING CHANGE IN A CORRECTIONAL SETTING. THE MODEL IS SHOWN TO REFLECT VARIOUS TYPES OF GENERAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY AND PERMITS THE CHARTING OF THE ESSENTIAL PROBLEMS AND FUNCTIONS THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED IN THE SIMULATION OF REFORM MOVEMENTS. IT ALSO IDENTIFIES IN A SYSTEMATIC WAY THE FUNCTIONS OF ALL OBSERVED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REFORM STRUGGLE. THE ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES LEADS TO PRESCRIPTIONS FOR ACTION WITHIN PRESENT REFORMS. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION AND MEASUREMENT. (TWK)