DB #1: From Theory to Practice – Evidence-Based Corrections

PRESENTATION: FROM THEORY TO POLICY: EVIDENCE-BASED CORRECTIONS

Official Statistics

· Official Statistics show that more than 1.5 million offenders are imprisoned in state and federal institutions.

The Future of Incarceration

· The Future of Incarceration: The United States clearly has grown remarkably fond of a massive correctional system that is “addicted to incarceration” (Pratt, 2009).

· What does the Bible say about incarceration? There are places in the Bible that talks about imprisoning people.

Why Are So Many Incarcerated

· Why Are So Many Incarcerated? The simple answer is that they have committed crimes and been convicted and thus some response by the government is required.

The Role of Theory

· The Role of Theory: Theories matter because they affect correctional policy.

· Rival theories of corrections have three components:

1. There is a statement of purpose or goal of corrections.

2. Each theory has an implicit or explicit blueprint for how the correctional system should be arranged, including policies, practices, and organizational structure.

3. They each make a claim of effectiveness.

The Role of Theory in Evidence-Based Corrections

· Evidence-based corrections

· Theories are not autonomous entities that exist in come virtual reality above the world they seek to guide

· Social context matters

· CONTEXT drives THEORY and theory drives POLICY

The Role of Evidence-Based Corrections

· Correctional quackery is when one uses interventions not based on the scientific evidence. It is widespread and its eradication is a key challenge for those hoping to make American corrections better for offenders and better for public safety.

Seven Theories of Corrections

1. Retribution or Just Deserts

2. Deterrence

3. Incapacitation

4. Restorative Justice

5. Rehabilitation

6. Reentry

7. Early Intervention

Retribution or Just Deserts

· At the core of this theory is to mandate to pay an offender back for his or her wrongdoing.

Deterrence

· Proposes that offenders should be punished so that they will be taught that “crime does not pay” and thus will not return to crime.

Incapacitation

· No assumptions is made about offenders and why they commit their crimes.

· Criminals are likened to wild, predatory animals, whose essential natures are given are not going to change.

· We do not really care why they got that way, and we should have no illusions that they can be reformed.

Restorative Justice

· The goal is for all harms to be rectified and the injured parties to be restored.

· Offenders must restore the victims and the community they harmed.

Rehabilitation

· The goal is to intervene so as to change those factors that are causing offenders to break the law.

Reentry

· Definition:

· Reentry is defined as the transition of offenders from an institution into the community, typically under some form of correctional supervision.

· Reentry is a planned correctional intervention designed to facilitate an inmate’s return to society so as to prevent further recidivism.

Early Intervention

· Early intervention involves placing children at risk for a criminal future into programs early in life so as to prevent them from developing into juvenile or adult criminals.

Conclusion

· Corrections is serious business

· People’s lives are at stake-both offenders and potential victims

· Corrections also is a political institution- an arm of the state.

· It is vulnerable to being caught up in larger socio-political movements that change the social context and thus usher in new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things.