Community-based sanctions and alternatives to incarceration for offender rehabilitation

John Rhodes

RE: Community-Based Sanctions & Goals of Sentencing

Which one of these do you think is the best method of implementing a community sanction program? Any concerns for public safety in any of these programs? Then there is the boot camp quagmire! Do you think the boot camps in Indiana are effective at reducing recidivism or rehabilitation; are the able to be effectively evaluated? I only ask because of the implications noted in our reading for the week.

Sentencing has become considerably more 'creative' in recent decades in a beneficial manner. It has been widely recognized that simply releasing an inmate back into society without a transitional phase can lead to recidivism, which is not beneficial for either the inmate or society. Parole and probation are designed to monitor inmates for safety reasons yet also help the prisoner by giving him or her counseling and education. Although used because of prison overcrowding and for financial considerations, the psychological benefits of probation and parole should not be discounted.

Similarly, for nonviolent inmates or inmates convicted of petty crimes house arrest and home confinement allows the inmate to remain a productive member of society while still being monitored yet still subjects the individual to punishment. Community-based corrections can be more satisfying regarding the rehabilitative and restorative aspects of punishment, even though they may be insufficiently retributive in the eyes of some. I think all methods are potentially effective, depending on the nature of the offender and are ultimately more useful in transitioning prisoners back to society than the 'boot camp' method which emphasizes punishment rather than how the inmate will readjust to life outside of prison walls.

JOHN RHODES

I think the different 'gradations' of supervision that have developed in your area to punish offenders are very interesting. The different levels of Intensive Supervision (ISP), Home Electronic and Telephone Monitoring (HEM), and Diversion Centers can be altered regarding the needs of the prisoner and his or her risk to society. In particular, I think the Diversion Center program for the least risky offenders embodies the principle of restorative justice: the offender gives back to the community he or she injured and also learns critical skills that can make him or her a more functional member of society.

SONJA MYLES

Issues and Challenges in Community-Based Sanctions

JOHN GREENE

Instructor Manager

RE: Issues and Challenges in Community-Based Sanctions

Sonja, good information on community-based sanctions including monitoring. What's the cost differential between traditional probation and providing programs such as the ones