The development,function and future of home furlough programs

Home furloughs are widely recognized as serving valid correctional aims. This was not always the case: when temporary release programs were first established, prevailing penal philosophy emphasized isolation from the community and institutional efforts to achieve inmate reform. It was not until penologists began to address the offender’s post-release adjustment difficulties that temporary release came to be viewed as a valuable aid to offender rehabilitation. Today, the graduation of release that home furloughs can provide make temporary release programs a routine and valuable aspect of correctional programming. Home furloughs can serve a variety of correctional objectives in addition to their principal function of facilitating inmate readjustment to the community. Temporary respites from confinement may humanize the prison experience and promote therapeutic goals. Home visits may act as incentives for good inmate behavior and may serve broader aims than those addressed by more narrowly focused conjugal visiting programs. Finally, observations of the offender’s performance on furlough may assist parole officials in evaluating an offender’s readiness for release. Although the future of temporary release programs is unclear, it appears that the multitude of functions served by home visits will insure their place in correctional programming. However new influences on correctional managers, such as the reforms proposed in the “justice model for corrections,” will undoubtedly modify the administration of temporary release programs and may well lead to some unanticipated consequences for the correctional community.     

The goals of community-based corrections: An analysis of state legal codes

The increased reliance on community-based correctional programs has been influenced by rising offender populations and the need for states to lessen prison crowding. The ability of community-based corrections to provide rehabilitation, punishment, reintegration, and counseling services has been an issue among both researchers and administrators. Some researchers have asserted that community-based correctional programs have multiple or competing functions. This study examines 1992 legal codes for all fifty states to determine the legally prescribed goals as mandated by state legislatures. The findings suggest that rehabilitation is the primary legislatively mandated goal, and that most states have multiple purposes for handling offenders in the community. Suggestions for future research in the area of community-based corrections goals are made.     

当代国际行刑领域正在发生的变革

20世纪70年代由于监狱人满为患,重新犯罪率持续不降,很多国家开始在行刑领域进行改革。其基本内容包括:拓宽行刑目的,从矫正目的论发展到矫正、惩罚、帮助罪犯重返社会与剥夺多元目的论;改革监狱管理制度,从实施累进处遇制发展到推行危险管理制度;变革矫正制度,将"传统矫正"制度发展为"项目矫正"。我国需要研究国际社会在行刑领域的行刑变革理论与实践。     

The Importance of Ecological Context for Correctional Rehabilitation Programs: Understanding the Micro- and Macro-Level Dimensions of Successful Offender Treatment

The resurgence of support for offender rehabilitation has led to an increased emphasis on correctional program integrity. Treatment programs are now being evaluated and tailored in accordance with the principles of effective intervention, which are rooted primarily in methods of individual behavior modification through a social learning approach. The problem with this exclusive focus on the individual is that it fails to recognize the importance of certain ecological factors that have been shown to be significant predictors of recidivism. The purpose of the current research, therefore, is to examine the impact of structural characteristics on both treatment program quality and effectiveness of halfway house programs in Ohio. Our results reveal that ecological context influences the magnitude of program treatment effects largely indirectly though its influence on program quality. The implications of these findings for correctional theory and practice are discussed.     

The frequency and classification of the needs of offenders in community settings

Concern for the specific needs of offenders, or concern for “behavioral objectives” in community supervision practices, has increased considerably in the last twenty years. This article examines the development of needs-focused supervision technology in three different ways. An analysis of trends in correctional literature from 1964–1983 is conducted to see whether there have been changes in the types, frequencies, or variety of needs reportedly met by community corrections programs. Second, data on needs from ten separate needs-assessment studies are aggregated to compare need incidence across different setting and different offender populations. Finally, a factor analysis is performed on one set of needs data to determine whether the conceptual dimensions used to classify needs can be empirically validated.     

Mental illness in the eyes of the law: examining perceptions of stigma among judges and attorneys

In response to the increasing numbers of mentally ill persons placed under the care of correctional institutions, community-based diversion programs have been established to address the unique needs and challenges of this vulnerable population. Given that legal personnel may serve as gatekeepers in placement decisions, and the lack of existing research examining their attitudes toward offenders with mental illness, the present study aimed to evaluate perceptions of dangerousness and treatment need among a sample of judges, prosecutors, and public defenders across the state of Mississippi. While controlling for age, results of a factorial MANCOVA revealed that public defenders, relative to both judges and prosecutors, endorsed more compassionate attitudes about defendants with mental illnesses. Furthermore, political ideology did not significantly influence attitudes toward mentally ill offenders. While judges and prosecutors endorsed more negative stereotypes about mental illness and perceived mentally ill defendants as a greater risk to the community, mean scores across groups suggested moderately positive attitudes overall. Study limitations, implications for correctional mental health providers, and directions for future research are discussed.     

Thy brother's keeper: A review of the literature on correctional officers

Individualized offender risk models do not account for expected reductions in risk that are caused by programmatic interventions, in part because of a presumption of program ineffectiveness. We examined two relatively unevaluated types of correctional programs—community-based prison release programs and prison furloughs—for adult males in the Massachusetts Department of Correction to determine whether there was an identifiable intervention effect on recidivism rates. We studied three samples of male inmates who were released during the 1970s, using base expectancy methodology to control for their background characteristics. We also examined 11-year trends in recidivism, comparing program participants to nonparticipants. Furlough participation, both alone and followed by prerelease, appears to have a pronounced and consistent positive impact on lowered recidivism. Implications for reintegration theory, risk assessment policy, and research are discussed.     

Policy-makers’ perceptions on their sex offender laws: the good,the bad,and the ugly

The views and attitudes that lawmakers have about sexual offenders and sexual victimization can be influential in criminal lawmaking. And given the popularity of sex offender laws, policy-makers are central players in how state justice systems respond to sex crimes. Therefore, state-level policy-makers from across the country, who sponsored and passed at least one sex offender law in their state, (n?=?61) were interviewed about sex offenders and sex crimes. Policy-makers believe sex offender laws are too broad. The laws extend to nonviolent offenses, low-risk offenders, and thus dilute the law enforcement potency of sex offender registries. Policy-makers view existing sex offender laws as necessary to enhance public safety and as proof that lawmakers are responding to the needs and concerns of the public. Sex offender laws were also discussed as a source of political capital; a way to help ensure reelection. The sexual victimization of children and the media’s coverage of sex crimes were instrumental in these state-level policy-makers’ decisions to sponsor sex offender laws. Policy and research recommendations are offered.     

Knowledge & attitudes towards felon-voting rights: an examination of the untapped perspectives of HBCU college students

Past punishment-related attitudinal research has focused on criminal sanctions and certain collateral consequences of conviction; however, few studies have examined attitudes towards felon disenfranchisement. Fewer studies have used a sample consisting of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students to examine attitudes towards consequences of conviction. This research examines views toward felon-voting prohibitions in a state that has one of the most restrictive laws in this area. It utilizes a modified version of a previously used national survey instrument, which measured attitudes toward felon enfranchisement based on variations of the correctional status of a convicted offender. The implications of the findings are contextualized by examining the role of public views on policy in a democracy; the significance of examining the attitudes of a sampling of students at an HBCU, and the need for more comprehensive research in this area.     

Toward a biosocial theory of offender rehabiltiation: Why does cognitive-behavioral therapy work?

Objective

The growing insights from neuropsychological research, including within biosocial criminology, have not yet been systematically incorporated into the study of correctional rehabilitation. Given developments in related fields, we argue that moving toward a biosocial theory of offender rehabilitation or neurocriminology will enrich our understanding and effectiveness of these interventions. A particularly promising area to investigate is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). In this regard, we examine research on the neural correlates of skills that are addressed in correctional cognitive skills programs.

Results

A review of the literature reveals that social skills, coping skills, and problem-solving skills are consistently associated with activation in the medial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, insula, and temporo-parietal junction.

Conclusions

CBT programs that effectively target social skills, coping skills, and problem-solving skills should correspond to increased activity in these regions. The implications of this research are discussed.     

Ethnicity, gender, and the Level of Service Inventory-Revised

Offender assessment and classification is becoming an increasingly important part of correctional supervision and intervention. Over the last several decades, several different methods and “generations” of offender classification have emerged. Of most value appear to be third-generation, actuarial, dynamic risk/need assessments. With any new correctional strategy, however, there is a need to investigate the use of these risk/need assessments on offender subgroups in order to inform issues, such as reliability and prevalence of criminogenic risk factors. The present study utilized data that were gathered using the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R). Results and comparisons of these assessments were investigated and presented for Native American and non-Native American offenders as well as male and female offenders. Discussion of the results, implications, and recommendations for further research are presented.     

Brick Walls Facing Reentering Offenders

Citizenship is a birthright generally afforded to all members of society. Upon reentry to the community from prison, offenders are expected to assume a citizenship role; however, existing structural barriers, as well as the actions and behaviors of law enforcement and community agencies, may reinforce the outcast persona. The offender needs social and psychological support to sustain a citizenship role, and the conditions of the current criminal justice environment may serve to undermine this support. Borrowing from procedural justice theories, this paper presents some of the sociopolitical challenges to the citizenship goal for offenders and provides some options to create an environment in which the offender can thrive and maintain a role as citizen. This paper also focuses on reducing the churning of offenders and select communities and identifies mechanisms to embrace the citizenship role such as building the self‐efficacy of offenders, employment programs that assist offenders in becoming economically and psychologically independent, and systemic processes to promote fairness and equity.     

Assessment of public attitudes towards sex offenders in an Australian population

Public attitudes towards sex offenders are believed to play a key role in the development of legislation and public policy designed to manage the risks posed by known sex offenders who live in the community. There have, however, been few previous attempts to validate methods by which public attitudes can be measured. The current study aims to address this issue by establishing the factor structure of the Community Attitudes Towards Sex Offenders (CATSO) scale with an Australian community sample and examine the extent to which demographic variables and support for sex offender management policies influence these attitudes. A sample of 552 participants recruited through online social media sites completed the CATSO as well as a number of items developed by the researchers designed to assess individuals' support for specific sex offender policies. Results of an exploratory factor analysis suggested the presence of four distinct factors which were labelled ‘social tendencies’, ‘treatment and punishment’, ‘crime characteristics’ and ‘sexual behaviour’. Individuals with higher levels of educational attainment rated sex offenders less negatively than those with lower educational attainment, while those who reported being supportive of community notification reported more negative attitudes towards sex offenders.     

Correctional officer attitudes toward inmates and working with inmates in a “get tough” era

The past few decades have seen an ideological shift to a more punitive attitude in policy and practice toward crime and criminal offenders. This study examined the orientation of local correctional officers toward inmates and worked with inmates to ascertain whether their attitudes mirror this punitive inclination. Findings indicate that despite the more punitive sentiment among the public and policymakers, officers still do not express a punitive attitude toward inmates and generally support rehabilitation programs for inmates. The study also looked at the impact of several individual characteristic and work variables on officer attitudes. Results show work variables are more strongly associated with attitudes among correctional officers. The implications of this research for correctional management are discussed.     

Public perception of sex offender social policies and the impact on sex offenders

This study examines the public perception of sex offender policies and the perceived impact of sex offender policies on the sex offenders themselves. Specifically, this study explores how the community feels about the effectiveness of policies such as registration and community notification (Megan's Law), and housing restrictions in reducing sexual recidivism. Data are collected from 115 participants from a nationwide online community message board. Results suggest that although most individuals support Megan's Law, they do not feel the policy reduces recidivism. Furthermore, the majority of the participants also do not believe that housing restriction statutes are effective in reducing sexual recidivism. When questioned about the policy impact on sex offenders, the majority of respondents agree that as a consequence of Megan's Law, sex offenders are afraid for their safety; however, they do not believe that residence restrictions hinder sex offenders' employment opportunities. Findings from this study are discussed as they pertain to public policy and sex offender reintegration.     

Community In‐Reach Through Jail Reentry: Findings from a Quasi‐Experimental Design

Offenders face a number of significant challenges upon reentry into the community, including securing employment, locating housing, and accessing adequate substance abuse and mental health treatment. These and related issues, if neglected, only bolster rising recidivism rates which have prompted renewed interest in rehabilitation initiatives such as inmate reentry. Many jurisdictions have implemented programs designed to improve offenders' success after prison, but jail reentry programs are far less common. This study examined the effectiveness of one such program, the Auglaize County (OH) Transition (ACT) Program. Using a quasiexperimental design, recidivism was measured a year after release to determine if participation in the ACT Program was predictive of successful reentry. Findings suggest that program participation is strongly related to outcome success as was criminal history. Implications for correctional policy and suggestions for additional jail reentry research are considered.     

How long did it last? A 10-year reconviction follow-up study of high intensity training for young offenders

Objectives

Most research has suggested that correctional boot camps are not very successful in reducing reoffending, but recent evidence has been more encouraging for programs that include significant rehabilitative components. In line with this, High Intensity Training (HIT) for offenders aged 18–21 at Thorn Cross Young Offender Institution in England was followed by a significant reduction in the number of reconvictions in a 2-year follow up. This article aims to evaluate the impact of the HIT program after 10 years.

Methods

The evaluation used a quasi-experimental design in which male young offenders who received HIT were individually matched, on their risk of reconviction, to a comparison group who went to other prisons. Official reconviction data, including the prevalence, frequency, types, and costs of offenses were used as the outcome measures.

Results

Offenders who received HIT had a significantly lower prevalence and frequency of reconvictions, but their superiority over the control group reduced over time (after about 4 years). However, the cumulative number of convictions that were saved increased steadily over time, from 1.35 per offender at 2 years to 3.35 per offender at 10 years. The cumulative cost savings also increased over time, and the benefit:cost ratio, based on fewer convictions, increased from 1.13 at 2 years to 3.93 at 10 years.

Conclusions

The beneficial effects of the HIT program became more obvious over time. More randomized experiments and long-term follow-up research, including regular interviews, are needed to evaluate the cumulative and persisting effects of correctional interventions more accurately.     

The benefit and cost of prison in the UK. The results of a model of lifetime re-offending

With prisons in the UK reaching full capacity, and with similar trends in other European countries and the USA, there is much political debate about the efficacy of prison and community sentences. This paper aims to inform this debate by testing the hypothesis that prisons are an effective and efficient way of reducing re-offending. A rapid review of effectiveness studies was performed to determine the relative impact of prison and community sentences on re-offending. An economic analysis was undertaken to transform the estimates of effect into estimates of the economic efficiency of alternative sentencing options in the context of the UK. When compared with standard prison sentences, a number of community-based interventions and enhancements of standard prison sentences were found to save money, both for the public sector and for society more broadly. Diverting adult offenders from standard prison sentences to alternative interventions saves the UK public sector between ￡19,000 and ￡88,000 per offender. When victim costs are considered, diverting offenders from standard prison sentences saves UK society between ￡17,500 and ￡203,000 per offender. It was concluded that standard prison sentences are not an economically efficient means for reducing re-offending.

Why longer prison terms fail to serve a specific deterrent effect: an empirical assessment on the remembered severity of imprisonment

For a prison sentence to exert a specific deterrent effect, the ultimate question is that imprisonment is remembered as aversive once the offender is released, and is contemplating future criminal activities. Drawing on insights from social psychology and cognition, this study assessed (1) how inmates remember the severity of their imprisonment following release, and (2) how the severity as experienced while being incarcerated (e.g. the worst or the last moment) affects its recollected aversiveness among a sample of Dutch inmates who were released for approximately six months (n?=?696). The findings indicated that the severity as experienced while being incarcerated is strongly related to the severity as recollected following release, net of the duration of confinement. Strikingly, to the extent that the length of imprisonment affected its recollected aversiveness, it did so in the opposite direction than traditional deterrence research presumes. Implications for correctional policy and future research are discussed.     

An empirical analysis of the ideological barrier in community corrections

This article examines the ideological perspectives of individuals involved with the administration of community correctional programs for juveniles. The primary purpose of the research is to assess the degree to which staff members in these programs embrace the innovative theoretical and operational concepts of community corrections. In general, the data indicates a tendency to cling to traditional, individualistic approaches to delinquency prevention. Newer concepts regarding the social aspects of delinquency and the need for systems level change were not found to be instrumental. Proposals are drawn from the study with respect to overcoming the ideological barrier in community corrections.