Strategies for Reducing Recidivism CH 1 o Retribution just desserts people who engage in criminal behavior o Deterrence punishment is so bad that neither the punished Four major goals of sentencing deserve to be punished offender specific deterrence nor others general deterrence will commit the crimes Incapacitation deprives offenders of the capacity to commit crimes o because they are physically detained in prison o Rehabilitation want to change offenders so they will not continue committing crimes Wide range of strategies used in corrections incapacitation deterrence rehabilitation community control structure disciple challenge programs and other combinations of rehabilitation and control community is an attempt to reduce the delinquent or offender s capacity opportunity for criminal activities Structure discipline and challenge programs use physically mentally stressful experiences designed to change offenders in positive ways rehabilitation or deter them from future crime wilderness programs correctional boot camp increasing surveillance and control or the structure and discipline while also providing rehabilitation services drug courts Community control the surveillance and supervision of offenders in the Other programs combine rehabilitation and control or structure by Changes in the philosophy and practice of corrections The age of indeterminate sentencing and rehabilitation Under the indeterminate model of sentencing legislatures set maximum 1960 s indeterminate sentencing systems focus on rehabilitation Prisons correctional institutions prison guards correctional officers authorized sentences judges sentenced offenders to imprisonment probation and fines and set maximum durations correctional officials had power over granting good time earned time parole boards set release dates Reductions in length of prison sentences could be given for satisfactory prison behavior good time or for participation in work or educational programs earned time Individualization of sentences Environmental explanations focused on inner city slum environments and questioned how an individual growing up there could be responsible for later criminal behavior Decision making almost totally up to parole boards correctional authorities Psychological perspective considered offenders ill and in need of treatment Emphasis on rehabilitation services and reintegration The programs were poorly implemented and funded A time of change 1970 2000 Martinson s 1974 summary The Justice Model of Sentencing and Corrections o He concluded that rehabilitation has no effect on recidivism nothing works Criticisms o The methodology used in the research was inadequate that only a o Programs were poorly implemented few studies warranted any unequivocal interpretations Critics of indeterminate sentencing argued that poor and minority offenders were discriminated against imprisoned offenders were coerced into programs and offenders who challenged prison conditions were denied parole Sentences should be decided on the basis of fair and just sentencing policies Based on retributive notions of deserved punishment The idea that sentence should fit the crime just desserts Not designed to reach some utilitarian motive rehabilitation crime control Relevant factors to consider in sentencing crimes of conviction and the offender s past history of criminal activity Under this model no individualized treatment and discretion eliminated thus all offenders would be treated similarly by the CJ system Legal rights of inmates became important to courts and corrections The largest policy effect was the need to change from an indeterminate sentencing model to determinate flat sentencing o Rehabilitations should be voluntary not coerced o Under this sentencing model a specific crime would carry a clearly identified sentence length parole release would be eliminated sentence lengths would be determined by guidelines that considered only past history of criminal activity and the current crime of conviction crime Crime Control Incapacitation and Deterrence Crime rates escalated from 1965 1975 and continued through the early o This may have led to increased emphasis on the need to control 1990 s Incapacitation for as long as offenders are incarcerated they clearly cannot commit crimes outside of prison o Crime could be reduced if career criminals were identified and incapacitated Interest in incapacitation as a crime prevention strategy grew because of concerns about the efficacy of rehabilitation raised by the Martinson report rising crime rates public fear of crime o Mid 1970 s Practices that can be attributed to incapacitation strategies habitual offender laws abolishment of parole mandatory sentences three strikes laws War on Drugs Another major factor that affected sentencing and corrections It was thought that increasing arrests and punishment for drug offenses would be effective in reducing illegal drug use and sales This war has and continues to have an effect on correctional populations and minorities Intermediate Sanctions Most jurisdictions in the U S have a intermediate sanction program Proposed as an ideal way to provide a range of sanctions between probation and parole These sanctions could be scaled in severity to be proportionate to the seriousness of the crimes committed The additional control and threat of sanctions were expected to deter offenders from future criminal acts or restrict them so they would not have the opportunity to reoffend Ex intensive supervised probation or parole ISP house arrest boot camp prisons day reporting centers electronic monitoring o Used in conjunction with other tools of supervision urine testing The sanctions are used as a front end options for probationers or as back end options for those released on parole or community supervision Prior to the 1970 s intermediate sanctions referred to as community corrections 1980 s and 1990 s involved increased control over offenders Truth in Sentencing o Focus on increasing control over offenders and making community supervision more onerous so that the punishment was retributive The amount of time offenders serve in prison is almost always shorter than the time they are sentenced to serve by the court Prison crowding good time reductions and earned time incentives continued to result in early release of prisoners In response states created truth in sentencing laws o Require offenders to serve a substantial portion of the prison sentence imposed by the