NCJ Number
55205
Journal
Corrections Magazine Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1979) Pages: 54-62
Date Published
1979
Length
9 pages
Annotation
CORRECTIONS HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF A LARGE NUMBER OF STANDARDS AND GOALS EMANATING FROM DIFFERENT GROUPS: CORRECTIONS PROFESSIONALS, LAWYERS, JUDGES, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS.
Abstract
THE HISTORY OF CORRECTIONS STANDARDS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE LATE 18TH CENTURY WHEN THE PHILADELPHIA PRISON SOCIETY URGED SEPARATION OF OFFENDERS BY SEX AND SEVERITY OF OFFENSE, AND THE NEW AMERICAN PRISON ASSOCIATION PRESENTED ITS 'DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES.' SEVERAL MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DEVELOPED CORRECTIONS STANDARDS AND GOALS IN THIS CENTURY--THE AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION (ACA), THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. IN AN INCREASINGLY AGGRESSIVE AND SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN, THE ACA APPEARS TO BE ESTABLISHING ITSELF AS THE MOST PROMINENT. IT OFFERS ACCREDITATION FOR PRISONS DEMONSTRATING COMPLIANCE WITH ACA GOALS. ALTHOUGH LEAA IS NOW PROVIDING GRANTS TO INSTITUTIONS INTERESTED IN ACA ACCREDITATION, ITS OWN NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS AND GOALS (NAC) FORMULATED A SET OF STANDARDS IN 1973, CHARGING THAT THE ACA GOALS WERE WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONALS WITH CAREERS AND FORTUNES TIED UP IN THE OPERATION OF PRISONS. THE NAC GOALS HAD A MINIMAL IMPACT ON STATES, WERE NOT STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY LEAA, AND WERE QUICKLY DISMISSED AS TOO ABSTRACT BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WHICH BEGAN FORMULATING ITS OWN SET OF STANDARDS DESPITE THE CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE ($1.75 MILLION) SPENT IN DESIGNING AND PUBLISHING THE NAC STANDARDS AND GOALS. THE NATIONAL PRISON PROJECT OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION LATER CRITICIZED THE 340 JUSTICE DEPARTMENT STANDARDS (ONLY 9 OF WHICH DISAGREED WITH THE EARLIER ACA GOALS), CHARGING THAT THEY WERE DUPLICATES OF ACA STANDARDS AND WERE MUCH TOO VAGUE, HAD AN UNCLEAR PURPOSE, AND INVOLVED A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS. IN ADDITION TO COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS, MANY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, THE INTERNATIONAL HALFWAY HOUSE ASSOCIATION, AND THE OFFICE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT HAVE FORMULATED PRISON STANDARDS FOR THEIR OWN AREAS OF INTEREST. CORRECTIONS PERSONNEL REPORT THAT THE VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS OF GOALS SOMETIMES USEFUL TO THEM, ALTHOUGH MOST INSTITUTIONS DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THE STANDARDS. SOME CORRECTIONAL MANAGERS HOPED THAT ACA ACCREDITATION EFFORTS WILL AT LEAST GAIN THEM RECOGNITION AND FAVOR AMONG THE PUBLIC. (DAG)