This paper is a formal research proposal for a behavioral study of inmates, both currently enrolled and past participants in a Corrective Thinking Rehabilitation program.
Abstract This paper presents the literature review and a formal research proposal for a study to determine if a Corrective Thinking Program in the Community Correctional Center positively affects behavior, education, life style and recidivism rates in inmates who undertake this training for six months. This paper examines a new model, Corrective Thinking Curriculum, being tested to help inmates at one correctional center break down their destructive ways of behaving. This paper discusses that the central tenet of this model is classical conditioning models of learning.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Statement of Problem
Statement of Purpose
Statement of Need
Statement of Assumptions
Statement of Limitations
Methodology
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "Correction center officials are often reluctant to allow inmates any discretion; while this is understandable on many levels, it also is, in general, counterproductive at least with the majority of inmates. If inmates are never given the chance to receive positive reinforcement for their behavior, it is unlikely, in the extreme, that their behavior will change before they are released. The Corrective Thinking Curriculum is designed to change this self-defeating cycle."
Abstract This paper analyzes key issues preventing the correctional system in the United States from being effective in its goals to reduce crime and recidivism rates. It describes the problems with overcrowding, high client caseloads and the lack of offender change resulting from a lack of effective educational, vocational and rehabilitative programs available to inmates during their incarceration. The paper focuses on potential solutions to these problems, such as the possible benefits of a shift to a more rehabilitative model of corrections.
From the Paper "The "crisis in corrections" is not due to one single issue but rather the culmination of several, interrelated issues that have persisted in the field of corrections. Each of these issues is precipitated by the others, in a cycle of ignorance and misguided acceptance. Historical changes in sentencing policies and prison procedures and a current lack of awareness and motivation for change have resulted in a systemic crisis of serious overcrowding, a lack of effective programming and assistance for current and released inmates, and a high rate of recidivism."
Abstract This paper examines the phenomenon of recidivism and what is being done or not done to combat it. In particular, three questions relating to deterrence, the relative merits (or demerits) of collective and selective incapacitation and the salutary effects of education upon recidivism will be explored and answered. The paper concludes that while much remains to be written and uncovered vis-a-vis criminal activity, it does appear as though new scholarship is offering opportunities that the American penal system would be foolish not to examine.
From the Paper "What is Deterrence? What criminological theory underlies this perspective? Based on the existing evidence, do correctional sanctions "work" to reduce crime? In short, is deterrence effective? Deterrence is commonly defined as the belief that someone can be prevented from committing a crime through fear of the potential consequences arising from commission of the offense in question ("Deterrence", 2005, sec.1). The criminological theory underlying this perspective is known as the Classical school of criminology. Under this view, the objective of punishment is to deter criminals and the severity of the penalty should be only so great as to deter re-occurrence of the crime. This school of thought was heavily indebted to Jeremy Bentham and to his theory of the "hedonistic calculus"."
Abstract This paper discusses the issues of sex offenders often being reviled by society and marked for life. The paper questions whether there is treatment for the sex offender or whether he or she is likely to commit a re-offense, also known as recidivism. The paper defines a sex offender, discusses the typical punishments and examines the statistics that typicaly surround sex offenders with regards to recidivism.
From the Paper "In conclusion, I believe there is help for the sex offender not only through his or her own treatment, but through the continued support of advocates like Dr. Karl Hanson. It is only with ongoing treatment and success stories that the tidal wave of resentment against the sex offender will subside. It is only with lawyers and doctors testifying about the true progress of their client's treatment, that sex offenders will be able to reclaim their homes. It is only through positive success stories on TV, that the neighborhood will accept the sex offender. And it's only through time and perseverance that this will happen."
Abstract This paper discusses some of the areas in which the U.S. corrections system is failing, such as the increasing number of offenders who enter into the system and reenter after being released for a short period of time. The writer also describes some of the things that are working in corrections such as the programs being provided to rehabilitate offenders so they do not reenter into the criminal justice system. Solutions to cut the cost of housing these inmates are also discussed.
Outline:
Corrections Failing Issues
Working Issues
Conclusion
From the Paper "Society holds expectations for its citizens, and non-citizens at a very high level. They expect everyone to abide by the law, and give back to the community. In a perfect world all citizens and non-citizens would be good Samaritans, sadly it is far from that. There are many of those individuals who are deviant and stray from society's expectations of them. We know them as criminals. Indeed all of them may not be hardened criminals, yet some of them commit petty crimes that are still a burden on society. Whether, their crime is petty or severe, society expects them to pay for their actions. Most criminals at one time or another will spend time in prison or jail."
Abstract This paper explores aspects of the mentally ill in correctional facilities. It discusses why the number of mentally ill in prisons and jails is rising. It discusses problems the mentally ill face in prison, such as abuse, suicide, the inability of prisons to care for them properly, and release and recidivism. The paper also discusses some solutions to these problems.
From the Paper "Correctional facilities face many problems when dealing with different types of inmates. Many inmates have different or special needs. One of these groups of inmates is the mentally ill. The number of mentally ill offenders in correctional facilities is rising and because of this, prisons and jails have become one of the primary types of psychiatric treatment centers. In fact, "Jails in most major cities contain a larger number of severely mentally ill people than the local mental health hospitals" (Sigurdson, 2001, p70). Mental illness affects the inmate's behavior in prison and how they are treated by other inmates and the staff. This creates problems for the correctional facilities as well as the inmates. Some problems include abuse, busing, suicide, and recidivism. Topics that will be discussed are the rise of mentally ill in correctional facilities, problems that this creates, and some solutions to these problems. The staff do not know how to deal with the mentally ill and, as a result, the mentally ill often do not receive the treatment they need in order to be rehabilitated so that they can function normally in society. Changes need to be made in correctional facilities in order to provide treatment for mentally ill offenders so that they can receive the help and rehabilitation that they need."
Abstract This paper discusses the difficulties when working in a correctional institution. Correctional officers are in daily contact with murders, rapists and other violent offenders. It is often necessary for such facilities to expand, or to bring in more inmates, simply because of the nature of today's society. The paper reports that these needs put increased pressure on an already strained support system. Correctional officers are often underpaid and turnover can be high in correctional facilities. Desert View Modified Community Correctional Institute has such a need to expand; however, the high rate of turnover among the correctional officers, in conjunction with the difficulty in hiring new officers, makes it difficult to maintain the staff needed for such an expansion. Such difficulty would make an expansion difficult and unsafe for the community.
Abstract This paper presents an in-depth review of literature looking at the effects and causes of stress among correctional officers. The paper examines literature discussing the theories of stress and burnout, stress among correctional officers, effects of stress on correctional officers, job satisfaction and turnover among correctional officers.
From the Paper "Specifically, this chapter will include theories of stress and burnout, stress among correctional officers, effects of stress on correctional officers, job satisfaction and turnover among correctional officers and a summary of the chapter. Job related stress has been associated with a vast array of physical diseases and psychological disorders and has been..."
Discussing how the concept of corrective affliction affects the protagonist in the novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Anne Bradstreet's poem, "The Author to My Book" .
Abstract This paper looks at how the works "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Author to Her Book" provide a good definition of corrective afflictions. When thinking in terms of how the theme of corrective afflictions is present in the novel and the poem, one could define it as placing someone into a position of pain to correct some sort of sin that one has committed. This paper looks at how this concept influences the main characters of these writings.
From the Paper "There are many corrective afflictions given to both Anne and Hester. Hester and ?the ill formed offspring,?(140) are the children who display these corrective afflictions to their mothers. God placed all of Hester and Anne's corrective afflictions upon them, in order to fix pieces of their lives that seemed to be broken. Both Anne Bradstreet and Hester Prynne walk through life with challenges that appear dismal, having thoughts of there being no chance for happiness. Through the afflictions given to the mothers from the children, and the abnormalities that the mother's must respond to, there are lessons for Anne and Hester to learn from Pearl and the ?ill formed offspring.? Yet, the afflictions are adherent to the fact that it will make their lives seemingly complete. The corrective afflictions change Hester and Anne's perception from their lives being utterly worthless, to wanting to make their lives one with the righteous of heart and soul."
Abstract The paper contends that correctional facilities do not work as intended. In part, this failure could be blamed on prison overcrowding. The paper explains that related to this issue is that of insufficient coverage by correctional officers. A third potentially related issue is the failure of our correctional facilities lack of funding to provide adequate room and personnel to oversee all prisoners in the system. The paper considers that a solution to this problem would seem twofold.
From the Paper "Additional beds are needed to house inmates produced by current sentencing guidelines. In addition, additional funding in the system would assist both with the housing and the personnel coverage. It has been suggested in the past that privatization of the correctional system would be of assistance with both issues. For that reason, this suggested design will be intended to address these needs with a facility built using private funds. Privatizing correctional facilities is not new."
Abstract This paper talks about how the role of corrections has changed since the 1960?s. The focus is mainly on community-based corrections.
From the Paper " The poverty programs of the 1960's which failed to win the war on poverty but made strong impressions on the Nation, are of particular importance for corrections. The ideology underlying those programs suggested that persons of minority origin and low socio-economic status systematically are denied access to higher status in American society. They are persistently over represented among those who experience mental and physical illness, educational failure, unemployment, and crime and delinquency. Programs that attacked such systematic exclusion from higher status used varied techniques. emphasis on cultural awareness attempted to promote dignity and pride among minority groups, inserted minority history into America's records, and resulted in new group cohesion, political clout, and often militant reactions with newly discovered strength."
Abstract This paper focuses on privatization of policing and corrections, providing a history of privatization. Particular attention is given to bounty hunter abuses and the state of privatized correctional facilities, which is supported by research and an interview with a consultant to a California state senator.
From the Paper "Privatization is the opposite of going public, which is the direction that many of our criminal justice agencies are heading toward. Privatization of policing and corrections are particular areas that have been experimenting with going private. Public agencies have been relying on private policing and correctional corporations to cut costs for services that state and federal agencies feel they cannot handle. There is an economic tug of war between politicians who are out to save money and eliminate state and federal spending abuses, while state and federal employees, particularly unions, are opposed. They believe that this cannot be achieved without reducing the quality of service and the elimination of much needed state and federal jobs. While these private companies are sometimes able to save money for state and federal agencies who are not able to provide these services in a way that is economically feasible, the officers who are losing jobs are up in arms."
Tags:corrections, policing, privatization, police, violence, crime, incarcination, prison, federal
Abstract This paper looks at the juvenile correctional system and how it works. It examines how and why juveniles get tried as adults. It also looks at the widespread occurrence of mental health problems among those in juvenile correctional facilities. Recommendations are drawn from the literature as to what needs to be done to address the problems in the system.
From the Paper "In recent years there has been a dilemma in the criminal justice system as to whether to treat juvenile offenders as adults and at what age to do this. The first juvenile court, a uniquely American institution, was established in ..."
Abstract This paper takes an in-depth look at Florida's faith and character based correctional facilities - the largest in the United States. The author examines the accountability, legal and ethical considerations in addition to the political and stakeholder issues regarding these institutions in an attempt to discover a potential benefit for society or a potential harm in having a governmental agency run completely faith-and character-based institutions. The paper gives a brief history of the development of faith and character based correctional facilities and then discusses issues such as accountability, legal and ethical considerations and political and stakeholder issues.
Outline:
Introduction / Basic Organizational Information
A Basic Background and History
Accountability
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Political and Stakeholder Issue
In summary
References
From the Paper Lawety was established as a Faith-and Character-Based Correctional Institution for men on December 24, 2003 and has a bed capacity of 835, making it the first Faith-and Character-Based Correctional Institution in the country. However, of importance is that by this time the Florida Department of Corrections had already been operating 10 Faith-and Character-Based Dormitories in several of their prisons. Florida Department of Corrections [FDC-E], Nd.; Florida Department of Corrections [FDC-F], Nd.). Hillsborough was created on April 14, 2004 for women with a housing capacity of 292 beds, and Wakula was created on March 1, 2006 with a bed capacity of 1,756 for men. (id).
Tags: crime prison faith correctional institution florida, jeb bush, society police
Abstract This paper discusses what correctional policies can be created from the principles of restorative justice (based on indigenous justice principles). The writer looks at whether these values are more compatible with some offenses than others. The writer also discusses whether they are more appropriate for some types of offenders than others. Further, the writer discusses reasons why juveniles of color have higher rates of contact with the police than white youth.
From the Paper "According to Restorative Justice online, restorative justice is a systematic response to wrongdoing that emphasizes healing the wounds of victims offenders and communities caused or revealed by the criminal behavior. Three principles form the foundation for restorative justice. Justice requires that we work to restore those who have been injured. Those most directly involved and affected by crime should have the opportunity to participate fully in the response if they wish. Government's role is to preserve a just public order and the community's is to ... "
