Chapter 8
Residential Intermediate Sanctions
Introduction
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Intermediate Sanctions are sentencing
options between prison and probation that
provide punishment that fits the
circumstances of the crime and the
offender
Widening the net occurs when
prosecutors or judges choose offenders for
intermediate sanctions who should have
received probation
Residential Community
Corrections Facilities
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RCCFs are a popular intermediate sanction
because they:
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Provide more intensive supervision than
probation and parole
Allow offenders to remain in the community
where they have access to more treatment
services than prison
Cost less than jail or prison
Offenders can contribute to their families as well
as pay back victims
Residential Community
Corrections Facilities, cont.
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While there is no “average” residential
facility, they do share these features:
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Residents live in the facility (not at home)
Residents can leave the facility for work at a
verified job
Residents must be preapproved to leave for any
other reason, with appropriate limits
Halfway Houses
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Halfway houses, also known as Community
Corrections Centers, are staffed 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, and provide
residential services for offenders who are
either:
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“Halfway-in”, or
“Halfway-out”
Halfway Houses, cont.
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Halfway houses date back to the early
1800s in England and Ireland, and
originated in the U.S. in 1816
After only partial previous success, halfway
houses received government assistance for
the first time in the 1960s
Halfway Houses, cont.
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Levels System: A Form of Behavior
Modification
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Increased freedom must be earned, based on:
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good behavior
the amount of time in the program
the client’s financial situation
Workers at a halfway house are either:
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Custody-oriented, or
Responsible for treatment and rehabilitation
Halfway Houses, cont.
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Evaluations of RCCFs typically examine program success or
failure rates by comparing recidivism of residents with a
matched sample of probationers or parolees
Evaluations conclude:
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Treatment participation by residents is critical to success
Clients that did not use drugs, had skill sets and community ties
were more successful
Clients who were younger, used drugs and alcohol and with
more extensive criminal histories were more likely to fail
The strongest predictor of program success is criminal history
RCCF clients are more successful than high risk parolees, but
just the opposite with low risk offenders
Shock Incarceration
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Shock incarceration refers to a brief period
of imprisonment that precedes a term of
supervised probation and is variously
referred to as:
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Shock probation
Shock parole
Intermittent incarceration
Split sentence
Boot camp
Shock Incarceration, cont.
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Correctional boot camps began in Georgia in
1983
Boot camps were the most common form of shock
incarceration from 1983-late 1990s
Eligible offenders are generally:
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First-time felony offenders
Convicted of a nonviolent offense
Fall within a certain age group
Meet certain physical requirements
Shock Incarceration, cont.
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The two main types of boot camp programs
are:
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Prison Boot Camps
Probation/Jail Boot Camps
Programs are typically 90-180 days before
graduation to probation or parole
supervision
Shock Incarceration, cont.
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Criticisms of boot camps are:
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Net-widening
The confrontational style may have potentially negative
consequences
Problems with staff retention
Evaluations of boot camp effectiveness examine:
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Attitude or behavioral change
Decrease in institutional crowding
Reduction in budget costs
Other Types of Residential
Community Corrections Facilities
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Restitution Centers
Therapeutic Communities
Work and Study Release
Women Offenders Living with Children