Counseling Chapter 23 American Corrections Looking Forward Learning Objectives After Reading This Students

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CHAPTER 23

American Corrections: Looking Forward

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, students should be able to:

2. Explain the major dilemmas facing the corrections system and how they might be resolved.

4. Explain what “good leadership” means in the context of the current corrections system of the

5. Describe the aspirations for the U.S. corrections system and how those aspirations might be

achieved.

LESSON PLAN

Correlated to PowerPoints

I. American Corrections Today

Learning Objective 1: Analyze how the philosophy of the U.S. corrections system has changed

over the years and what effects such changes have had.

A. The U.S. corrections system stands apart from others because it is so big.

1. Since the mid-1970s, the system has grown by unprecedented amounts.

3. This growth has disproportionately affected minority group members.

B. American corrections is no longer considered the beacon of progressiveness. Instead,

it is in need of reform. However, there is little agreement about the best aims of reform.

Class Discussion/Activity

Have students visit the websites of several correctional facilities within their state. Observe the

mission statement, and determine if there are differences. If there are, determine why there are

even though they are in the same state. Ask the student to decide if they should all have the same

mission or why not.

Instructor’s Manual

Media Tool

Visit http://www.correctionalnews.com/

o Correctional News Online

o Have students browse the site to get a sense of the types of articles published, then

discuss in class. In what ways is the Correctional News Online a valuable publication?

What can be learned by this and similar publications about corrections?

II. Five Correctional Dilemmas

Learning Objective 2: Explain the major dilemmas facing the corrections system and how they

might be resolved.

A. A dilemma is a situation that forces one to choose between two unsatisfactory

alternatives. Corrections faces many dilemmas.

B. Mission: Corrections lacks a clear mission.

1. One reason is that it has so many different clients each of which has different

expectations of corrections.

3. Correctional leaders must articulate their philosophy of corrections and

establish a clearer policy to guide its implementation.

C. Methods: If the correctional mission is unclear, the best correctional strategies and

techniques will be ambiguous as well.

1. Correctional techniques often do not seem to work. Each time another

2. The short-term history of corrections seems dominated by fads.

4. Another issue associated with correctional methods is fairness. The fact is that

5. Genuine fairness must enhance the lives and the life potential of those we bring

under correctional control. But if the history of corrections has taught us anything,

it is that we often injure the people we try to help.

D. Structure: Corrections is simply not in a position to influence its own fate

significantly. Correctional leaders face two structural dilemmas.

1. Internally, corrections is a process divided against itself.

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Chapter 23: American Corrections: Looking Forward

E. Personnel: Because corrections is a people-processing operation, its personnel are its

main resource.

1. Two essential goals in regard to staff:

3. The correctional leader’s choices in the personnel area, unhappily, involve no

short-term solutions. The answer, if there is one, lies in long-term staff

development.

What If Scenario

What if you could write a profile of a “correctional officer” that would be used as part of the

hiring process and the standards for hiring? What would this person “look like?”

F. Costs: One of the most notable aspects of corrections is that it is expensive.

1. The decision to punish an individual is a decision to allocate precious public

2. The public is beginning to question the advisability of correctional growth. The

3. Most correctional officials recognize that focusing on prisons is a regressive

rather than a progressive approach.

4. To this puzzle must be added the recent trend toward privatization of

corrections.

See Assignments 1, 2, and 4

III. Four Current Trends in the U.S. Corrections System

Learning Objective 3: Identify four substantial forces that face corrections and describe their

importance.

A. Evidence-Based Practice

2. Random field trial assists in answering “what works.”

B. Techno-Corrections

2. Electronic monitoring is an example of a past technology that yielded poor

results; it did not save money or reduce rates of failures.

C. Falling Crime Rates

D. Professionalization

2. Employees with advanced degrees in their area of specialization

3. Special certifications in fields such as substance abuse treatment and mental

health

Class Discussion/Activity

Have students conduct research on their local jails and prisons to determine what the current

hiring standards are for various organizations. Discuss how these standards impact the

professionalization of their organization.

What If Scenario

What if your state’s corrections department announced that they would be hiring several hundred

people and preference would be given to those who have taken a course in corrections. How

eager would you be to apply?

See Assignment 5

IV. Three Challenges for the Future of Corrections

Learning Objective 4: Explain what “good leadership” means in the context of the current

corrections system of the United States, and list what it will take for leaders to more widely

implement “what works” in corrections.

A. Reinvigorate a New Correctional Leadership

1. The field of corrections will get nowhere without effective leadership.

a. The skills of a good leader must “fit” the problems being confronted.

2. The challenge facing corrections is how to attract the best leaders to the field.

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in part.

B. Refocus Our Investments in What Works

1. Many new studies have enabled researchers to go from studying correctional

2. We know a great deal about “what works”; we know much less about how to

get these programs into practice.

C. Reclaim the Moral and Ethical High Road

1. There is something disturbing about the new American punitiveness.

2. There are other worrisome aspects of the U.S. correctional system.

3. How do we articulate these values in a compelling way? How can we clarify

what corrections is all about in language and imagery that makes us, once again, a

beacon of freedom and justice for the world to see?

Class Discussion/Activity

Have students each ask five people what they want from the correctional system. Then have

students share their findings. Was there much agreement? Can they imagine the society agreeing

on what we want from our punishment system?

Media Tool

Visit http://www.prisonreform.org

o Prison Reform Groups

o Discuss this in class. Ask students to evaluate prison reform groups. Do they feel as

though they are making a difference? If so, how? If not, why not?

What If Scenario

What if you needed to cut spending on corrections in your state in order to pass the budget?

What criteria would you use to determine what to cut? Is there anything that immediately jumps

to your mind as ready for the chopping block?

Instructor’s Manual

V. Changing Corrections: A Final View

Learning Objective 5: Describe the aspirations for the U.S. corrections system and how those

1. The NIC has served as follows:

a. A national clearinghouse of information about correctional practices

3. The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) serves a function

similar to that of the ACA but is focused on field services.

4. A new force for steady correctional growth and development is likely to

outstrip them all. That force is represented by the person who is reading this book:

you, the student of corrections.

Class Discussion/Activity

Break the students into several groups. Ask them to determine the future of corrections and

incarcerated individuals. What will they change about our system based on the high amount of

cost incurred by each state? Allow them to discuss their ideas in class.

Media Tool

Visit www.aca.org

o American Correctional Association

o Discuss this in class. Is the American Correctional Association enough of an advocacy

group for incarcerated people? If not, is it supposed to be? Why or why not?

What If Scenario

What if you were able to attend an ACA conference? What topics would you want to hear while

in attendance and why?

See Assignment 3

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Chapter 23: American Corrections: Looking Forward

LECTURE NOTES

Throughout the semester, you and your students have explored American corrections from many

angles. You may want to have the class review what they have learned, including myths they no

longer believe and other interesting or shocking things they have found out about the correctional

system in the United States. It may be interesting for them to name problems they see the system

needing to address before they explore what the authors have to say on these matters.

The next section of this chapter proposes three challenges for the future of corrections:

reinvigorate a new correctional leadership, refocus investments on what works, and reclaim the

moral and ethical high road. Have the class discuss if they agree with this list. Discuss the

practicality of each of these challenges. Have the class discuss how the public might view these

challenges. Ask whether they think their correctional education has helped them identify

problems with the system. Ask them to prioritize the challenges and problems the system faces.

Ask them what they think the system gets right.

This chapter stresses that this nation’s corrections system was once the most progressive in the

world. It may help students if the class reflects on the status of our system compared to the rest

of the world. Have the class discuss whether there are any political repercussions for being so out

of step. This topic will probably stimulate an interesting conversation. One reason many people

KEY TERMS

Random field trial

Evaluating the effectiveness of a program by randomly assigning some people to the program

and others to no program, and seeing which group does better.

Instructor’s Manual

Techno-corrections

Achieving correctional goals through the use of new technologies.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Have students consider the impact of the 2009 Drug Law Reform Act and 2010

legislative changes to the Willard Drug Treatment program and Shock Incarceration

2. Have students write an essay answering the following question: When it comes to

criminal justice, what can be learned from examining correctional policies and practices

3. Send students to the Connect section of the National Institute of Corrections website

(community.nicic.gov), where they can view the public discussion board (forums). Have

4. Refer students to the National Citizens Police Academy Association’s website

5. Have students research the hiring standards and practices of various correctional

agencies. Contrast and compare these while discussing them in class. In addition, ask

ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Although the answers provided below will vary from student to student, the responses should

include at a minimum a discussion of the following key points.

1. Why has the corrections system in the United States grown so much? What are the pros and

cons of this growth?

in part.

• The surge in correctional populations has resulted from disjointed, incremental policy

shifts in sentencing and law enforcement practices.

• Most of those in charge of today’s corrections system would argue that what we are

doing is self-destructive and that an overhaul of the corrections system is long overdue.

• But there is little agreement about the best aims of reform.

• Some claim the crime rates would have been even higher had we not expanded the

corrections system.

• There are serious fiscal consequences to a bigger corrections system.

2. What are the most important goals for correctional leadership? Is having a powerful vision

for the system more important than managerial ability? Why or why not?

3. What are the alternative philosophies to the punitive philosophy currently in vogue in the

U.S. corrections system? Are these alternatives feasible? Preferable?

4. Do you see yourself in a corrections career? What might you do to improve the correction

system?