NCJ Number
89490
Journal
Journal of Offender Counseling Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1983) Pages: 48-57
Date Published
1983
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study supports the hypothesis that in South Carolina, a State with a high commitment rate, a significant percentage of the institutionalized offenders could have been controlled, supervised, and helped within the community.
Abstract
Cases for review were selected randomly from all male offenders committed to the South Carolina Department of Corrections during 1978. A total of 101 cases were randomly selected for review: 74 males committed to prison and 27 probation males with presentence investigations. Four probation officers were selected from States outside South Carolina that conduct a comprehensive presentence investigation with recommendation as standard practice. The reviewers were separated into two groups of two. Each pair reviewed a case independently of the other pair and of each other, and each case was reviewed by each pair. The reviewers agreed on the assignment of a sentence for 73 percent of the cases. Thirty were for prison and 44 were for probation. Of the 61 cases that actually received prison, the reviewers agreed on an assignment of probation in 21 of the cases (32 percent). Suggestions for changing sentencing decisions include (1) increase the perception of probation as both punitive and rehabilitative; (2) identify the impact on the prison system of reduced commitments; (3) all defendants who have sanctions of more than 1 year of incarceration should have presentence investigations; (4) probation must be redesigned to serve a broader range of types of offenders; and (5) funds must be reallocated from institutional to community control. Tabular data and seven references are provided.