An Assessment of a Critical Issue in Community Corrections

An Assessment of a Critical Issue in Community Corrections

Introduction

There are about three good theories that support the concept of community corrections. Fore mostly, numerous people who do not follow the law are not usually dangerous or vicious. Most of the criminals have either dishonored a law that needs to be termed accountable through possible restriction or castigation, but many of them should not be kept far off from the the people. Making the offender a part of the same community can be highly successful if the lawbreaker is capable of maintaining service responsibilities and family relationships along with attempting to fix the harm that has been caused by himself to the community. Other than this, a community sentence looks in to deal around with attitudes that are simply linked to the reason for which the criminal got into such a situation, so that any such sort of risk regarding future re-offending is radically abridged. In this essay we shall discuss what community correctional programs are along with specifying problems that relate to community corrections while discussing in detail one of such issues.

Discussion

Literature Review on Community Corrections

There are four primary methods used to punish and/or rehabilitate offenders in the United States: incarceration, sanctions and controls, community programs and services, and treatment.

Day Programming, House Arrest, and Curfews

The notion behind day programming is that the individual reports to a center or office where they will be confined for the day, or set hours during the day. The purpose is to limit the person's interactions in the community while providing education or clinical treatment services at the center to assist the person in becoming more pro-social. The day-programming model provides a framework for limiting the activities of the individual while allowing them to reside in the community during the period of correctional control.

The house-arrest scenario confines the individual to their place of residence during the period of supervision. Some offer the ability to work in the community, but must be confined at home during nonworking hours. Some house arrest initiatives require the person to be on an electronic monitor or use random phone calls to verify the person is at home.

Curfews and place limitations are predefined as either a time of the day the person must be at their residence, or certain places where the individual is forbidden to go. These restrictions are designed to limit the behavior of the individual to either temporal or spatial factors that contribute to his criminal behavior (Ruback & Bergstrom, 2006).

Technology: Electronic Monitoring, GPS Systems, and Kiosks

Technology can assist in limiting and monitoring the movement and activities of offenders. Electronic monitoring devices (ankle bracelets) are worn by the individual. The device needs to be near equipment that illustrates the person is within the confined area. Some of these devices also include a breathalyzer to ensure that the person is not consuming alcohol, or mechanisms to ensure that the correct individual is being monitored, such as voice verifiers and fingerprint ...