NCJ Number
183038
Date Published
1996
Length
220 pages
Annotation
This book presents a balanced representation of the most creative and innovative efforts of various Canadian jurisdictions to develop safe community-based programs for offenders that repair harm done by their crimes and reduce the use or length of imprisonment.
Abstract
The first section describes 13 initiatives that most fully provide the fundamental elements of "satisfying justice," as they are mindful of community safety issues, attempt to repair harm from crime, attend to associated needs related to the offense, and significantly reduce the use of imprisonment in cases that would typically yield a prison sentence. The second section highlights four emerging types of programs that are particularly effective in remedying the harm done to people by crime while having some impact on reducing the use or length of imprisonment. The third section presents a wider selection of initiatives that, for the most part, focus on providing sentencing dispositions that are in the better interests of the offender or the victim than a sentence of imprisonment. The final section describes initiatives that attempt to reduce the use of incarceration by reducing the length of time for which that sentence is actually served in a prison. These programs pertain to various forms of early release, prerelease preparation, and various types of supervision in the community until the sentence is completed. An appendix groups many initiatives according to type of offense or group served by a program. 27 references