IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITY BASED CORRECTIONS - AN EXPLORATION OF COMPETING GOALS OF EQUALITY AND EFFICIENCY (FROM CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONS - SOCIAL CONTROL AND CONFLICT, 1977 BY C RONALD HUFF - SEE NCJ-44951)

• NCJ Number: 44959
• Author(s): T BYNUM; C MASSEY
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 19 pages
• Grant Number(s): 77-NI-99-0036
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

ADOPTING A SOCIAL ORGANIZATION PERSPECTIVE, THE AUTHORS ANALYZE THE MANIFEST AND LATENT GOALS OF TWO POLK COUNTY, IOWA, COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS IN LIGHT OF DEFENDANT-DIRECTED VERSUS AGENCY-DIRECTED CONCERNS.

Abstract

THE AUTHORS ARGUE THAT THE 'CORRECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE' WAS REJUVENATED BY THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS MOVEMENT AND THAT THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A MORE PRACTICABLE AND SALABLE APPROACH THAN THE ALTERNATIVE OF ACKNOWLEDGING FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ATTEMPTING TO RESTRUCTURE IT TO MORE CLOSELY APPROXIMATE THE IDEALIZED GOAL OF EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW. THE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT, IN THE PROGRAMS ANALYZED, GOALS RELATING TO THE EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES AND THE CREATION OF PUBLIC GOOD WILL OFTEN COMPETED WITH CLIENT SERVICE GOALS. THE SURVIVAL OF THE PROJECTS WAS PLACED AHEAD OF ALL OTHER CONCERNS. THE AUTHORS RAISE THE QUESTION OF WHO THE CLIENT IS IN SUCH PROGRAMS -- THE DEFENDANT, THE COURT, OR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE DATA INDICATED THAT SYSTEM NEEDS TOOK PRECEDENCE OVER CLIENT NEEDS, AND THAT THE SURVIVAL OF THE PROJECT -- AND PROJECT STAFF -- DEPENDED ON THE SMOOTH COORDINATION OF CORRECTIONAL FUNCTIONS, THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, AND THE ACHIEVEMENT OF COST-EFFECTIVE MEANS OF DELIVERING 'SERVICES.' SINCE THE CLIENTS FOR THESE PROGRAMS TEND TO BE DRAWN FROM LESS RESTRICTIVE SANCTIONS, THERE IS SOME SUPPORT FOR THE ARGUMENT THAT THE EFFECT OF SUCH PROGRAMS IS TO WIDEN THE NET OF SOCIAL CONTROL. THE AUTHORS QUESTION THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE SYSTEM, WHEN IT IS A REPRESSIVE ONE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).