NCJ Number
155833
Journal
Prosecutor Volume: 29 Issue: 3 Dated: (May-June 1995) Pages: 28-33
Date Published
1995
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Ninety four percent of all those incarcerated in the U.S. will be released within 4 years. Achievement of an effective corrections approach requires a combination of incarceration and rehabilitation.
Abstract
Using the case of Texas as an example, this article outlines a future vision for American corrections. The author argues that the root cause of crime is a combination of family breakdown and cultural influences. Crime, like poverty, drug use, and unemployment are the end results of these two factors. The average inmate is male, around 30 years old, with a drug or alcohol addiction, a low IQ, a low educational level, and few work skills. In addition, many inmates suffer from low self-esteem and troubled interpersonal relations. A total approach to corrections will equip inmates to function in a normal manner so that they can be accountable, responsible, and employable. The initiatives being taken in Texas to achieve this goal include a new concept in sentencing, task force study on recidivism and individualized treatment programs, new directions for the prison school system, massive volunteer effort, a drug treatment emphasis, extensive inmate work programs, and increased public works.