Mainstream and Crosscurrents, Second Edition
Chapter 13
Corrections in the Community
Community corrections in context
Prisons work only in a limited
and partial manner.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
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Community corrections in context
The criminal justice system has multiple
goals …
 Incapacitation
 Retribution
 Rehabilitation
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CrossCurrents Community corrections in context
Probation and Parole: Controversial Issues
The release of nonviolent offenders,
charging probationers the costs of their
supervision, and assessing fees for criminal
justice services are efforts to reduce prison
crowding as well as criminal justice costs.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
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Diversion
 Offenders may be diverted to
alternative programs at a number of
points in the criminal justice system.
 Diversion programs limit the number
of people who enter the criminal
justice system.
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Probation
 Probationers outnumber parolees.
 Probation is a widely used
sentencing alternative because it
accomplishes several positive
outcomes.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
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Probation
State probationers outnumber federal probationers.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
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© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Probation
Probation officers at work
 Investigation
 Supervision
 Service
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
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© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Probation officers at work
Presentence investigation
The probation officer collects
information about two important aspects
of the case …
 Legal history
 Social history
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
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© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Probation officers at work
Supervision
 A form of punishment
 A form of surveillance
 Intensive supervision probation is
used for dangerous offenders.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
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10
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
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Probation officers at work
Service
Impediments include …
 High caseloads
 Uncooperative offenders
 Sparse resources
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
11
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Probation
Private probation


Many states find it difficult to provide enough
officers to adequately supervise everyone on
probation.
Private probation–A form of probation
supervision that is contracted to for-profit private
agencies by the state.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
12
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Probation
Private probation

Advantages

Staff qualifications
 Profit motive
 Ethical concerns
 Social-class bias
Cost
 Effectiveness
 Public perception

Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
Disadvantages

13
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Parole
Differences between parole & probation
 Probation instead, parole after
 Governing authority
 Parolees & probationers are different
 Probation & parole officers have
different jobs
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
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© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Parole
State parolees outnumber federal parolees.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
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© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Parole
When to parole
Three competing issues …
 How much time should inmates
spend in prison?
 The rehabilitation issue
 Limited number of prison beds
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
16
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Parole
When to parole
Parole decisions are based on …
 Time served
 Prison adjustment
 Pre-parole plan
 Inmate interview
 Victim-impact statements
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
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© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Parole
Re-entry and "Making It"
About as many inmates successfully complete
parole as return to prison.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
18
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Parole
Re-entry and "Making It"
Obstacles to successful re-entry
 Prisonization
 Weakened social ties
 Stigmatization
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
19
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Intermediate sanctions
 Intensive supervision probation
 Drug testing
 House arrest and electronic monitoring
 Fines
 Boot camp prisons
 Shock probation
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
20
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Intermediate sanctions
Intensive supervision probation
Probation officers assigned to the most
problematic offenders have small
caseloads and more frequent contact
with clients.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
21
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Intermediate sanctions
Drug testing
Probation and parole are conditionalrelease practices, and drug testing is
usually one of the conditions.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
22
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Intermediate sanctions
House arrest & electronic monitoring
Allows offenders to maintain family ties,
work, take advantage of community
resources, and save the state the cost of
incarceration.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
23
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Intermediate sanctions
Fines
Fines are often used in conjunction with
other types of sanctions, such as short
periods of incarceration. They also have
many advantages as a criminal sanction.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
24
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Intermediate sanctions
Boot camp prisons
Designed to address a number
of issues …
 Identity
 Discipline
 Cost
 Punishment
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
25
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Intermediate sanctions
Shock probation
The offender receives a bogus
incarceration sentence. After a few
weeks of incarceration, the sentence
is converted to probation.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
26
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Jails
A fundamental component of
the corrections system, jails are
a vital and crucial institution.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
27
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Jails
 Control of the jail can often be a
political issue.
 How the jail is placed
organizationally can have a major
effect on how it is funded, who is
detained there, and the quality of
justice.
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
28
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Jails
Serve two major functions …
 Hold suspects who have been
arrested and are awaiting disposition
 Confine misdemeanor offenders
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
29
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Questions

What are the three primary goals of the criminal
justice system?

What are the three main responsibilities of the
probation/parole officer?

What two major functions do jails serve?
Criminal Justice: Mainstream and Crosscurrents, 2/e
John Randolph Fuller
30
© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.