NCJ Number
198088
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 64 Issue: 7 Dated: December 2002 Pages: 78-81
Editor(s)
Susan L. Clayton M.S.
Date Published
December 2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the challenges to those involved in the widening of nationwide policy focusing on limited correctional resources for the most recidivism-prone offenders.
Abstract
Crowding in correctional facilities remains in existence in most parts of the United States, in addition to limited correctional resources. The system needs to aggressively pursue solutions to these issues. This article presents a challenge to all policy-makers, officials, and associations and advocates utilizing the limited correctional resources for only those offenders prone to recidivism. Volunteers of America is a national nonprofit, spiritually-based organization providing local human service programs and opportunities for individual and community involvement and seen as a leader in community corrections and corrections reform. The article discusses what works, a term used by correctional agencies nationally referring to principles and practices common to effective public safety and offender programming. The mission of what works is the embracing of public safety through offender change through risk control and risk reduction. In addition, diversion is broadly used in this article to include diversion from prison, jail, probation or prosecution. An investigation of how the system can reserve incarceration for chronic, violent, or dangerous offenders has been researched for years. The long-term objective is to reduce the growth of a costly prison welfare system. There must be a system-wide effort to access more resources for this shift in policy and practice. References