Building Trust and Legitimacy Within Community Corrections

• NCJ Number: 249946
• Author(s): Wendy Still; Barbara Broderick; Steve Raphael
• Date Published: December 2016
• Length: 28 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance

Annotation

One in a series of papers that will be published based on the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Session on Community Corrections, this paper outlines principles and associated recommendations of a new model for community corrections that improves public safety while recognizing that people on probation and parole are members of the communities in which they live and are supervised.

Abstract

The proposed new model has six core principles. First, treat each individual on community corrections with dignity and respect that recognizes our common human capacity to make mistakes and change for the better. Second, realign incentives in the criminal justice system so that cost considerations at the local level do not systematically favor incarceration over alternative sanctions. Third, impose the least restrictive sanctions necessary for public safety and minimize the collateral consequences of criminal processing and conviction. Fourth, restore communities and facilitate their positive influences on residents' behavior and safety. Fifth, reduce institutional bias and work to ensure that all individuals receive fair, equal access to the justice system. Sixth, conduct regular evaluations of the implementation and impact of policies and practices, and make modifications accordingly. For each of these six principles of the proposed model for community corrections, recommendations are outlined for incorporating the principle into policies and practices. 9 figures and 33 references