NCJ Number
57772
Journal
Corrections Magazine Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1979) Pages: 60-65
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THE GLOOMY PROSPECTS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE, NATIONWIDE WORK-RELEASE INITIATIVE ARE UNDERSCORED IN THIS ARTICLE CONTRASTING INFREQUENT BUT OPTIMISTIC STATE SUPPORT FOR WORK-RELEASE WITH OVERWHELMING COMMUNITY OPPOSITION.
Abstract
IN THE EARLY 1970'S, FEDERAL OFFICIALS ENDORSED WORK-RELEASE AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION AS THE FUTURE OF CORRECTIONS, AND ALTHOUGH A FEW STATE PROGRAMS IN THIS AREA WERE FOUNDED AND FLOURISHED, BY THE LATE 1970'S, SUCH ALTERNATIVES TO CONVENTIONAL INCARCERATION REMAIN LARGELY UNDERUSED. IN FACT, ONLY THREE STATES--FLORIDA, MICHIGAN, AND NORTH CAROLINA--MAINTAIN LARGE-SCALE WORK-RELEASE PROGRAMS. WHILE THESE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN THE TARGET OF AGGRESSIVE PUBLIC OPPOSITION, THEY HAVE SURVIVED THE OFTEN INTENSE LEGISLATIVE DEBATE THAT HAS VIRTUALLY PUT AN END TO WORK-RELEASE IN NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA, AND ELSEWHERE. THE DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS OF NEGATIVE COMMUNITY REACTIONS TO WORK-RELEASE ARE BEST ILLUSTRATED IN THE CASE OF NEW YORK. BEGUN IN 1969 WITH 25 INMATES FROM AUBURN PENITENTIARY, NEW YORK'S PROGRAM GRADUALLY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE SOME 1,100 INMATES ON WORK-RELEASE. HOWEVER, A SERIES OF EVENTS IN 1977 BROUGHT A NEAR DECISIVE END TO WORK-RELEASE IN THE STATE. WITHIN DAYS OF EACH OTHER, THREE WORK-RELEASEES, ACTING SEPARATELY, COMMITTED A MURDER, A RAPE, AND A LESSER, THOUGH VIOLENT FELONY. THE PRESS PROVIDED DAMNING--AND INACCURATE--COVERAGE OF THE INCIDENTS, AND SOON THE STATE LEGISLATURE WAS FORCED TO SERIOUSLY RESTRICT THE SCOPE OF WORK-RELEASE. BY 1978, ONLY 317 MALE AND FEMALE INMATES WERE ALLOWED WORK AND ACADEMIC FURLOUGHS. EVEN IN MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA, WHERE WORK-RELEASE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN VIGOROUSLY MAINTAINED, HEAVY RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN PLACED ON PRISONER ELIGIBILITY. IN MOST CASES, INMATES HAVE TO BE WITHIN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF MONTHS OF THEIR PROBABLE RELEASE DATE AND CANNOT HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF CERTAIN CRIMES. PHOTOS ILLUSTRATED THE TEXT. (KBL)