NCJ Number
46930
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
GENERATIVE FORCES IN THE EVOLUTION OF INSTITUTIONAL CORRECTIONAL RESPONSE TO CRIMINAL ACTIVITY ARE REVIEWED FROM THE MORAL RELIGIOUS RESPONSE OF THE QUAKERS TO CONTEMPORARY TRENDS STRESSING PRISONERS' RIGHTS.
Abstract
PERHAPS THE MOST BASIC GENERATIVE FORCE IN CORRECTIONAL ARCHITECTURE WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION OF OFFENDERS AS A MORE HUMANITARIAN ALTERNATIVE TO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, TORTURE, AND PUBLIC HUMILIATION. ITS DEVELOPMENT IN AMERICA FOUND ITS BASIS IN THE 19TH CENTURY QUAKER BELIEF THAT A CRIMINAL OFFENDER COULD BE CORRECTED IF GIVEN SUFFICIENT TIME TO BECOME PENITENT FOR PAST ACTIONS IN AN ENVIRONMENT FREE FROM DISTRACTIONS. THIS CONCEPTION NOT ONLY OFFERED A CORRECTIONAL PHILOSOPHY BUT PROVIDED A CORRECTIONAL METHOD. IT HAD HUMANITARIAN OVERTONES AND APPEALED TO RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS. IN ADDITION TO THESE VIEWS, THERE WERE OTHERS: A CONCEPT OF PROBATION; PRISON REFORM EMPHASIZING HUMANENESS; AND REINTEGRATION OF OFFENDERS THROUGH SUPERVISED, SUCCESSFUL LIVING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. THESE MODELS PROVIDED THE FORMAT FOR TWO MAJOR CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONAL RESPONSES: INSTITUTIONALIZATION AND COMMUNITY-BASED TREATMENT. DESPITE RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL CHANGE, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE REMAINED LARGELY IMPERVIOUS TO REAL REFORM. SINCE THE 1960'S, HOWEVER, A NUMBER OF EVENTS HAVE TRANSPIRED WHICH SUGGEST THE POSSIBILITY OF A MORE GENUINE DEPARTURE FROM THE INSTITUTIONAL LEGACY. FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE TREND TOWARD COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONAL RESPONSES INCLUDE THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, A TREND WITHIN THE FIELD TOWARD SMALLER FACILITIES IN MORE URBAN LOCATIONS, OVERCROWDING IN EXISTING CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND EXTENSIVE JUDICIAL DECISIONS IN THE AREAS OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF PRISONERS. THE TREND TOWARD GREATER PRISONERS' RIGHTS HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES PLANNING AND DESIGN. THE COURTS HAVE ESTABLISHED MINIMUM SPACE ALLOWANCES AND STANDARDS FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, TREATMENT, WORK/ACTIVITY, AND LIVING CONDITIONS FOR INMATES. INSTITUTIONS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR FORM, PROVIDE ONLY TEMPORARY ISOLATION OF THE OFFENDER AND TEMPORARY PROTECTION FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT IS PROPOSED THAT AT THE THE VERY LEAST, CURRENT CORRECTIONAL RESPONSE SHOULD SEEK TO MINIMIZE USE OF INCARCERATION AND TO SEEK THE MOST HUMANE, SAFE, AND NONDAMAGING CONDITIONS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INCARCERATED. NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)