NCJ Number
105069
Date Published
1985
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The concept of community has been prominent in correctional philosophy and programming throughout American history, although little consensus has existed over time regarding whether this community lies within the larger society or within an institution and whether the community should be benign or punitive.
Abstract
In the colonial period, deviance was regarded as the work of Satan, rehabilitation was regarded as impossible, and sanctions were harsh and carried out in the community. The Enlightenment brought with it the classical school of criminology, in which behavior was viewed as the result of choice and incarceration came to be regarded as the best way to reform offenders. Despite evidence of problems with prisons, correctional approaches did not change until the early 1900's. Then, the reforms of the Progressive Era reflected confidence in treatment, individualized programming, and the benign power of the State to do good. Probation, parole, and other approaches to community corrections flourished until recent years, when conservatives attacked these approaches for being too lenient and liberals attacked it for program shortcomings, lack of clear goals, and the widening of social control by the State. Current correctional literature focuses on punishment and incapacitation rather than on community and corrections. It often states that nothing works to rehabilitate criminals. The extreme shifts during the Nation's history have accompanied repeated efforts to seek a panacea for the crime problem. Despite the current pessimism, community-based programs appear to be the most humanitarian direction for American corrections in the future. 55 references.