1. Community-Based Corrections, 10th Edition Leanne Fiftal Alarid Cengage Learning
Chapter 14
Bringing it All Together: Solutions for Community-Based Corrections
prepared by Russ Pomrenke

2. Introduction Ultimate goal of community corrections: desitance
The gradual process by which prisoners change dysfunctional and criminal behaviors into new habits
3 objectives of desitance:
Rehabilitation through effective treatment
Protecting the public through consistent supervision methods
Restoration of victims, offenders and communities

3. Rehabilitation Solutions
Rehabilitation as a correctional goal corrects root causes of criminal behavior such as:
Drug or alcohol addiction or
Lack of emotional control
Rehabilitation can also provide necessary skills and abilities:
Education
Vocation training
Parenting
Stabilizing a mental illness or developmental disability
The timing of treatment must be right- when the offender is ready to change

4. What Programs Work to Reduce Recidivism?
Principles of correctional intervention:
The theory of risk/need/responsibility (RNR)
Tied to evidence-based practices- rigorously evaluated
Rehabilitation efforts are most effective when cognitive-behavioral methods are used for long enough (3-9 months is ideal)
Research (2010) has shown that treatment matched with each person’s individual criminogenic needs and addressed to his or her learning style work most effectively
Community corrections programs must be evidence-based and all staff (judges, prosecutors, probation officers, treatment staff) are trained in evidence-based principles

5. Valid Risk/Needs Assessments
Valid assessments should quantitatively measure offender risk of recidivism and offender treatment needs
Assessments should be completed and routinely used at ALL decision making points in corrections
Diversion
Sentencing
Probation sentencing
Reentry
Many instruments exist, but the Ohio assessment instrument features valid and empirically tested questions

6. Community Supervision Solutions
Crime desitance is achieved through:
Consistent supervision
Unannounced visits
Letting offenders know in advance what the consequences will be for their actions
Progressive and graduated sanction alternatives will allow offenders to face consequences without crowding jails
Schwalbe’s (2012) “participation process model” is a framework to understand how community correctional supervision practices can influence successful outcomes
Communication
Casework strategies
Leverage

7. Participation Process Model: Communications
Includes: listening, clarifying expectations and the use of motivational interviewing
Motivational interviewing gives praise and encouragement for desirable behavior
Includes using more positive reinforcement and incentives than has been used traditionally
While attitude and behavior on the offender’s part is instrumental to success, the supervision officer must be willing to help the offender succeed
Upper management has the responsibility of ensuring that existing programs are routinely measured and line officers are provided with a reliable data

8. Participation Process Model: Casework Strategies
Community corrects supervision deals with 2 major groups:
Probationers (alternative sentencing option)
Parolees (reentry for incarcerated prisoners)
Casework strategies include:
Assessing criminogenic problems
Scoring risk and needs accurately
Establishing long-range treatment goals
Assisting clients with implementing action steps towards success
There are an abundance of recidivism prediction instruments, but sometimes difficult to determine key factors

9. Participation Process Model: Casework Strategies (con’t)
In general, 8 central risk factors can predict recidivism
Criminal identity (attitudes and beliefs are supportive of crime)
Antisocial personality disorder
Early and persistent involvement in law breaking behavior
Significant others or close associates are antisocial
Lack of nurturing and supportive relationships
Alcohol and/or drug use
Low levels of performance in school and employment
Lack of interest in legitimate leisure, hobbies and recreational pursuits
Preparing for reentry
Complete meaningful treatment interventions before release
Maintain contact with positive and supportive family
Develop a solid prerelease plan (living arrangements, job leads, etc.)
Assisting clients with implementing action steps towards success
Research shows that the most vulnerable time for recidivism is the first 60 days after release

10. Participation Process Model: Leverage
Supervision officers must continuously confront offenders for undesirable behavior and carry out consequences
Most offenders on community supervision commit technical violations rather than new crimes
Responses to technical violations should be swift, consistent and fairly applied
Sanctions should be graduated according to the violation, risk score and levels of cooperation and motivation
Great value in “problem-solving courts”- drug courts, DUI courts, etc.

11. Restorative Solutions
Community-based corrections provides offenders opportunities to be accountable for their actions and repay the harm they caused to victims and the community
Most effective when used for nonviolent crimes
Examples:
Community Boards
Victim Offender Mediation
Sentencing Circles

12. Justice Reinvestment
Final strategy for permanent change is to reinvest in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods
A large number of offenders originate from disadvantaged and economically impoverished areas- high unemployment, open drug use, community instability and disorganization
Availability of community-based sanctions
Reinvestment: Federal funding for employment programs, schools, social services

13. Restoring Former Offenders
Pardon: an executive act of clemency that serves to mitigate or set aside punishment for a crime
Federal crimes: the US President
State crimes: Governors of states
Pardons are either absolute (full) or conditional
Absolute Pardon:
Freely and unconditionally absolves an individual from the legal consequence of his or her conviction
Conditional Pardon:
Becomes operative when the grantee has performed certain acts or becomes void when some specific act occurs

14. Restoring Former Offenders
Expungement of records- process by which a record of criminal conviction is destroyed or sealed after expiration time
Each state expunges arrest and conviction records differently
40 states allow people to expunge or seal arrest records
Fewer than half the states allow for the expungement of convictions

15. Restoring Former Offenders
Sealing of records- most significant issue concerns the easy access to criminal records on the internet
A “petition of nondisclosure” is a court order prohibiting public disclosure of a defendant’s criminal history record
Sealing process must be initiated by the offender- must establish to the court that his/her desire to seal records outweighs the right of the public to access the information

16. Are Juvenile Records Confidential?
Juveniles who have been arrested, taken into custody or have been adjudicated as delinquents have a record
Generally juvenile records can be make available nationwide to any law enforcement agency or court personnel upon request
Confidentiality of juvenile records is not a constitutional right and has gradually diminished over years
General rule: in the absence of a state law or an agency policy allowing disclosure, juvenile records are confidential

17. Should Former Felons be Less Stigmatized?
Society expects former offenders to have learned their lesson and change their behavior
Laws and restrictions do not fully permit ex-offenders to live where they want, have a decent job or participate in civic responsibilities
Interaction between criminal history & offense level determines range of months of imprisonment