NCJ Number
55810
Date Published
1978
Length
552 pages
Annotation
THE COLORADO COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PLAN FOCUSES ON COUNTY JAILS, COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS, AND PROBATION FOR ADULTS, ANALYZES THEIR OVERALL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES, AND PRESENTS PLANNING GOALS.
Abstract
SPECIFICALLY, THE PLAN CONTAINS AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CONTAINING THE RECOMMENDED CORRECTIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS AND A SUMMARY OF THE PLAN'S RECOMMENDATION; A DESCRIPTION OF THE COLORADO CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM; A PROFILE OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ALONG WITH ITS PROBLEMS, ISSUES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING DEFINITIONS AND PURPOSE, ORGANIZATION, FUNDING, AND OPERATION; A DESCRIPTION OF COUNTY JAILS, A SUMMARY OF JAIL PROBLEMS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT; A PORTRAYAL OF PROBATION IN COLORADO, THE MAJOR PROBLEMS IN THE SYSTEM AND RECOMMENDATIONS; A DISCUSSION OF AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DESIGN OF A CORRECTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS STUDY DEVELOPED BY COURT RESEARCH ASSOCIATES AND OF RESULTS FROM THE CORRECTIONAL ECONOMICS CENTER COMPARATIVE COST-ANALYSIS STUDY; AND AN ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEM ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. THE PLAN POINTS OUT THAT THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM GREW IN A HAPHAZARD WAY, GENERALLY REACTING TO REFORMS BY ADDING AGENCIES AND SEPARATE PROGRAMS. THE RESULT WAS A SYSTEM CHARACTERIZED BY LACK OF CONSISTENT GOALS. THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE BASED ON THESE GOALS: (1) CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS MUST BE DIRECTED TOWARD RETURNING OFFENDERS TO SOCIETY AS LAW-ABIDING MEMBERS; (2) A COMPREHENSIVE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM IS NEEDED WHICH INCLUDES ADEQUATE DIAGNOSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENDERS INTO APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS; (3) RESTITUTION PROGRAMS SHOULD BE PROVIDED; (4) MINIMUM AND LEAST RESTRICTIVE MEANS OF CONTROL SHOULD BE IMPOSED ON OFFENDERS; (5) A GREATER NUMBER AND VARIETY OF STRUCTURED AND CONTROLLED ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION MUST BE FURNISHED; (6) WHEN POSSIBLE, CORRECTIONAL SERVICES SHOULD BE POOLED IN THOSE AREAS WHERE RESOURCES AND OFFENDERS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO JUSTIFY SEPARATE PROGRAMS; (7) A STATE SYSTEM OF ACCREDITATION FOR CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES SHOULD BE ADOPTED; AND (8) A STATE AGENCY TO MONITOR JAIL AND CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS, A DISCUSSION OF LEGAL RIGHTS OF INMATES, THE OREGON JAIL STANDARDS, A FLOWCHART OF THE PROPOSED FUTURE CORRECTIONS SYSTEM, AND THE METHODOLOGY FOR THIS PLAN. (DAG)