Community-Based Corrections Generally CBC Generally Offender Selection The State of Modern CBC

What Is CBC?

Intermediate Sanctions and CBC Recall:

What are Intermediate Sanctions? What are IS?

CBC Objectives

Community Protection Offender Selection Criteria Restrictions (IS) and Level of Control Rules and Rules Enforcement

Rules and rules enforcement tend to deter criminal activity and identify, before crime, persons at risk for criminality.

Fairness and Justice

Fairness and Justice AKA: Proportionality Punishment should fit the crime Aggravating and mitigation circumstances Apply the right amount of just deserts

Should an offender who works and obeys the law, but continues to have problems with drugs, be sent to prison?

Rehabilitation and Reintegration Rebuilding community ties – Family, Job, Friends, Education Why are these things important?

Rehabilitation Rehabilitation is based on the premise that crime and delinquency are:

“Healthy” Community Organization Examples

Why are “healthy” community offerings important?

What happens when offenders are barred from normal social roles?

Labeling Theory

Practical Implications Programs that avoid stigmatizing offenders and enable them to maintain ties to the larger community could be expected to encourage responsible, law-abiding behavior.

Reintegration Reintegration, to be effective, must be:

Restorative and Community Justice

Cost Effectiveness Prison: About $18,000 - $25,000 per year Probation: About $1,400 per year Effective TX: About $12,000 - $14,000 year

Cost Effectiveness cont’d 28,000 VA inmates X $22,000 = $616,000,000 per year 40,000 P&P Cases X $1,400 = $ 56,000,000 per year 7,000 Selected Inmate Cases X $14,000 = $ 98,000,000 per year Savings: $155, $98,000,000 = $57,554,000 per year PLUS Less Crime

Cost Effectiveness cont’d  TX pays for itself.  Fact:

Offender Selection

Offender Selection Tools Presentence Report Risk and Needs Assessments Sentencing Guidelines

Who Uses Sentencing Guidelines?

Sentencing Guideline Purpose

History of SG in Virginia  Historical widespread inequities  Voluntary sentencing guidelines  75% compliance rate by judges

Truth In Sentencing – Number f federal prisoners increased 46% to 75% – Result: 60% increase in corrections spending

Important Concepts Collective Incapacitation: Selective Incapacitation:

Important Concepts Determinate Sentencing: Indeterminate Sentencing -

Important Concepts

The State of Modern Community Corrections

Get Tough On Crime Result of War On Drugs – National crackdown on drug use – Massive increases in law enforcement and prosecutions

Get Tough On Crime Effect – Increase in drug users in prison – Limited prison space for violent and property offenders – Huge increases in correctional spending – DOC became largest agency in many states

Get Tough on Crime

Some Bright Spots  Greater focus on violent offenders  Law authorized federal mandatory minimum for minor drug offenders  Federal money to states for prisons tied to – Evidence of balanced approach Rehabilitation, TX, Education Diversion, Drug Courts, Post Release Assistance

Less Bright Spots  Limited federal court authority to remedy prison overcrowding  Permitted double bunking of maximum security inmates  Most states maximized incarceration – Proliferation of sentencing enhancements for all  Parole abolition

Sentencing Enhancements Three strikes and you’re out For All Truth in sentencing (Serve 85% of time) For All Sentencing Guideline enhancements

Prison Admissions Implication?

Collective Incapacitation Criticisms If collective incapacitation were effective, crime reduction would have been greater. – Serious offenders were already incarcerated – Longer sentences incapacitate offenders after criminal career ended or greatly diminished – Drug offenders leave prison with broader criminal expertise – Middle class assumption prison is equal deterrent to all groups

Reality of Incapacitation Policy

Cost and Consequences of Incarceration Policy Cost – Economic, Social, Educational, Health and Public Safety Consequences If Trend Continues – Raise taxes or reduce Funding in almost all other areas

International Perspective  US places disproportionate emphasis on physical punishment in CCJ policy.  US reliance on collective incapacitation is not based on demonstrated success.

What Are The Alternatives?  Reintroduce Indeterminacy In Sentencing  Focus On Alternatives To Incarceration  Remove Lesser Offenders From Prison Especially Drug Offenders

Solution: Back To CBC CBC can provide protection Rehabilitation and enforcing restrictions costs $ Most offenders respond to the right program match CBC is the best cost effective alternative

Conclusion Public safety concerns dominate correctional planning. Resolution of offender problems and needs may be the best long-term solution to public safety problems and crime prevention.