COMMUNITY-BASE REINTEGRATION - SOME THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS OF POSITIVE RESEARCH FINDINGS

• NCJ Number: 63862
• Author(s): D P LECLAIR
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Dept of Correction
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY, PHILADELPHIA (PA) NOVEMBER 1979

Annotation

A DECADE OF RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS INDICATES THAT COMMUNITY-BASED REINTEGRATION PROGRAMS FOR INMATES CAN REDUCE RECIDIVISM.

Abstract

IN CONTRAST TO TRADITIONAL REHABILITATIVE THEORY, REINTEGRATIVE PROGRAMS DO NOT TRY TO TREAT A PERSON, BUT ARE DIRECTED TOWARD MINIMIZING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF IMPRISONMENT, PROMOTING COMMUNITY LINKS WHICH EXISTED PRIOR TO INCARCERATION, AND ESTABLISHING NEW TIES WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD. EXAMPLES OF SUCH PROGRAMS INCLUDE HOME FURLOUGHS, WORK RELEASE, AND CONJUGAL VISITING PRIVILEGES. IN 1972, LEGISLATORS CREATED A REINTEGRATIVE PROGRAM IN MASSACHUSETTS WHICH GRANTED QUALIFIED INMATES FURLOUGHS DURING ALL PHASES OF IMPRISONMENT, ENABLED THEM TO PROGRESS FROM MAXIMUM THROUGH MINIMUM SECURITY FACILITIES, AND PROVIDED PRERELEASE PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE EFFECT OF THESE MEASURES ON POSTRELEASE BEHAVIOR WAS EVALUATED BY EXAMINING RECIDIVISM RATES. STUDIES FOUND THE LOWEST RATES OF RECIDIVISM AMONG INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN COMMUNITY FURLOUGHS AND PRERELEASE PROGRAMS, AND WHO HAD BEEN MOVED THROUGH INSTITUTIONS WITH DECREASING SECURITY LEVELS AND SIZE. BECAUSE THE STATISTICAL TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS 'BASE EXPECTANCY RATES' WAS USED, FURTHER RESEARCH FOCUSED ON THE ENTIRE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM OVER A 6-YEAR PERIOD AND DISCOVERED THAT RECIDIVISM RATES SYSTEMATICALLY DROPPED AFTER THE REINTEGRATIVE PROGRAM WAS INTRODUCED AND WERE PROPORTIONAL TO THE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE NEW PROGRAM. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON PRISONIZATION LEADS TO THE CONCLUSION THAT REHABILITATION PROGRAMS ARE SABOTAGED BY THE REHABILITATION PROGRAMS ARE SABOTAGED BY THE COUNTERVAILING INFLUENCES OF PRISON CULTURE. BY MOVING INMATES AMONG INSTITUTIONS AND ENCOURAGING LINKS WITH THE COMMUNITY, REINTEGRATIVE PROGRAMS NEUTRALIZE THE EFFECTS OF PRISONZATIION AND ASSIST PRISONERS TO COPE WITH LIFE AFTER RELEASE. A COMPARISON TABLE OF RECIDIVISM RATES, A PROGRAM CHART, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (MJM)