PROBATION AND CONDITIONAL LIBERTY - THE MYTH OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

• NCJ Number: 57238
• Journal: Revue internationale de criminologie et de police technique Volume: 31 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER-DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 343-352
• Author(s): Y LEVEILLE; M NICOLAS; A NORMANDEAU
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Editions Medicine et Hygiene
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: French
• Country: Switzerland

Annotation

FOR COMMUNITIES, EXOFFENDERS, AND CRIMINOLOGISTS, THREE EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN CORRECTIONS IN QUEBEC, CANADA, SHOW THAT MANY PROBLEMS NEED TO BE SOLVED BEFORE SUCH A METHOD IS TRULY EFFECTIVE.

Abstract

THE CURRENT ATTITUDES OF CRIMINOLOGISTS, EXOFFENDERS, AND THE COMMUNITY REGARDING COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS OR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN PAROLE AND PROBATION ARE ILLUSTRATED IN THE EXPERIENCES OF THREE HALFWAY HOUSES OR COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL CENTERS. THE 'JOIN-IN' COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL CENTER, URGENTLY NEEDED IN GRANBY BECAUSE OF THE IMMINENT CLOSING OF THE WORK-RELEASE PORTION OF THE LOCAL PENITENTIARY, WAS ACCEPTED IN THEORY BY THE COMMUNITY BUT OPPOSED WHEN ACTUAL ZONING OF THE CENTER WAS DISCUSSED. ANOTHER PROJECT, THE KATIMAVIK CITIZEN'S COMMITTEE TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL CENTER IN JONQUIERE, MET WITH THE SAME CONFLICT BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE. THE THIRD PROJECT, THE ROSEMONT AREA 'NEW WORLD HOUSE,' WAS QUIETLY INSTITUTED IN AN AREA OF THE CITY BOTH MORE SIMILAR IN SOCIOECONOMIC MAKEUP TO THE EXOFFENDERS WHO WOULD BE HOUSED THERE AND IN A PRONOUNCED STAGE OF TRANSITION. THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT DEMONSTRATED THAT ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTERS WITHOUT FANFARE SEEMED TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR CREATION OF HALFWAY HOUSES. THE COMMON FEATURE OF THE THREE EXPERIENCES WAS THAT THE CITIZEN IS NOT PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE EXOFFENDER'S IMMEDIATE PRESENCE. CITIZENS MUST BE CONVINCED THAT CENTERS ARE VALUABLE TO OFFENDERS, AND THAT CONDITIONAL RELEASE OR PROBATION CAN REDUCE RECIDIVISM SIGNIFICANTLY. THE PREJUDICE MANIFESTED MORE SUBTLY IN CRIMINOLOGISTS MUST ALSO BE TREATED, IN THAT THEY MUST RECOGNIZE THAT CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTS ARE MORE CONDUCIVE TO CRIME THAN OTHERS, ACCEPT THE REALITY OF ORGANIZED CRIME, AND CEASE BEING THREATENED BY THE FAILURE OF TRADITIONAL TREATMENT FORMS. FOR RELATED DOCUMENT, SEE NCJ #56241. FOR AN ENGLISH SUMMARY TRANSLATION, SEE NCJ #59507. --IN FRENCH. (MHP)