NCJ Number
79677
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The principal discussion points of the workgroup on correctional relationships with research are summarized.
Abstract
In the execution of prison terms, policy and research must be coordinated. Unfortunately, policymakers and administration complain about researchers' academic bias, while researchers feel frustrated that their study findings have little effect on policy. The problem results in part because research undertakings are at best tolerated by local prison administrations and because the central administration is far removed from the work of the research team. On the whole, the goals of cooperation between the two groups are not adequately defined: the administration views study results as nothing more than supplementary information while the research team expects immediate change. This problem could be overcome by establishing a central research institute after the Dutch model or a research staff within prisons and the Department of Justice, but researchers fear that such a solution would compromise research objectivity. A more viable solution is the formation of a supervisory agency to assure cooperation between the correctional administration and researchers. The agency would discuss issues raised by both sides, supervise research efforts, evaluate research results, and recommend application of the results to policy. Priority areas of research are programs which provide a judicial settlement of problem situations and problemsolving measures which promote alternatives to prison sentences. Research within prisons can be devoted to resocialization experiments and to introduction of changes in penitentiary practice. Imprisonment is meant to be a penalty with punitive character, but none is sent to prison just for resocialization. As resocialization has become a legitimate goal of imprisonment, research should consider such subjects as inmates' rights and the effectiveness of existing resocialization programs.