NCJ Number
63745
Date Published
1979
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THIS ESSAY EXAMINES CORRECTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND LOOKS AT PUNITIVE AND CORRECTIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE CONCEPTS.
Abstract
CONTEMPORARY VIEWS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE CONCEPTS ARE DISCUSSED AND ADVANTAGES OF THE PUNITIVE VERSUS THE CORRECTIONAL APPROACHES WEIGHED. FIVE MAJOR AREAS OF CRITICISM AGAINST CORRECTIONS OR REHABILITATION ARE ISOLATED: RECIDIVISM IS TOO HIGH, CORRECTIONS CANNOT CORRECT, THE MEDICAL MODEL IS INADEQUATE FOR CORRECTIONAL TREATMENT, CORRECTIONAL MANAGEMENT IS INEFFICIENT, AND THE PURPOSE OF SENTENCING SHOULD BE PUNISHMENT RATHER THAN REHABILITATION. EACH OF THESE CRITICISMS IS EXPLAINED AND REJECTED. FOR EXAMPLE, CLAIMS THAT CORRECTIONS CANNOT CORRECT ARE POLEMICAL IN TONE AND BASED ON EVALUATIVE RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN POORLY DESIGNED. FURTHERMORE, CORRECTIONS, CAN BE EFFECTIVE AS EVIDENCED BY FOUR INNOVATIVE APPROCHES TRIED BY VARIOUS CORRECTIONS SYSTEMS. THESE INCLUDE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES THAT ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE FACILITIES PRIMARILY FOR TREATMENT APPROACHES (BASED ON THE U.S. AIR FORCE MODEL); USE OF TREATMENT TEAMS THAT MEET WITH THE OFFENDER ON AN INFORMAL BASIS, AND MAY BE HOUSED WITH THE OFFENDER, THEREBY GAINING SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO FASHION AN INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT FOR THAT OFFENDER; SOCIAL EDUCATION TO RETEACH SOCIAL ATTITUDES; AND, FINALLY, BIOCHEMICAL APPROACHES. THESE FOUR APPROACHES HAVE PROVEN EFFECTIVE WHEN USED WITH CERTAIN OFFENDER TYPES. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (RFC)