NCJ Number
80486
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 43 Issue: 6 Dated: (November/December 1981) Pages: 85-88
Date Published
1981
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A method for determining the philosophical perspective of the management of a correctional institution is developed by examining the priority given to various inmate programs.
Abstract
O'Leary and Duffee have classified correctional policies into four categories that can be used to distinguish four corresponding philosophical approaches to the management of correctional centers. The four models are reform, restraint, reintegration, and rehabilitation. Generally, the differences between these models can be demonstrated in the emphases each has in relation to the offender and the community. The rehabilitation model, focusing on the offender as one who is 'sick' and in need of a cure, emphasizes counseling. Unlike the rehabilitation model, the reform model focuses on the needs and requirements of the community, with the offender having the responsibility to conform to those needs and requirements. In this model, the primary emphasis is on vocational training. The restraint model places the needs of the institution above both the needs of the offender and those of the community and gives top priority to recreation. The reintegration model emphasizes both the concerns of society and the needs of the offender. Education is given the highest priority, because it is believed that this offers offenders the knowledge and insight needed to understand society and discern a strategy for their personal reintegration. Identifying an institution's philosophy as measured by program priorities helps in explaining management decisions and predicting future directions. Two footnotes are listed.