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Demystifying Community Corrections: Educating the Public

NCJ Number
190175
Author(s)
Margot C. Lindsay
Date Published
October 2000
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This booklet contains suggestions for developing effective community corrections.
Abstract
This project is dedicated to the propositions that: (1) successful community corrections depends on intergovernmental collaboration that recognizes the needs and promises of each level of government; (2) successful community corrections demands a genuine partnership with the community; (3) the optimum use of community corrections requires public officials and a public who understand its purpose and are willing to support its programs; and (4) small, relatively inexpensive changes in the right places can do much to increase the likelihood of successful community corrections. The paper offers a different approach to educating the public and its officials, different in both content and means of communication. It suggests placing community corrections within a context familiar to everyone, emphasizing the common goals shared by practitioners and members of the public. It proposes direct contact with key segments of a community, rather than the media, as the primary communications channel. The booklet describes several approaches to educating the public regarding community corrections and selecting the key constituencies. Resources