Community Based Correction

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Community Based Corrections Unit 4 Assignment Professor Gordon Crews Kimberly Roundtree “As states and the federal government continue to experience an unprecedented growth in the prison population with diminished resources, the development of alternative-based punishments both before and after incarceration has become a necessity rather than a luxury (Steen & Bandy, 2007). Also known as community-based corrections, the necessity for these alternatives and best practices comes at a time when our knowledge of those programs most effective at reducing recidivism while addressing the individual needs of the offender is at an all-time high. Unlike other correctional options, community corrections are designed to minimize the penetration of the offender into the correctional system. At yearend 2008, more than 7.3 million adults (1 in every 31) were under some form of correctional supervision (Glaze & Bonczar, 2009; Sabol, West, & Cooper, 2009). This number included more than 5 million supervised in the community (probation and parole) and over 2.3 million confined in either prison or jail (Glaze & Bonczar, 2009). The term community corrections itself elicits many different thoughts and perceptions of individuals depending upon your personal experiences, backgrounds, traditions, and the social context of the day (Rothman, 1980).” Community-based alternatives such as day fines, prosecutorial fines, community service orders, and sentencing guidelines have offered options for courts, offenders, victims, and the communities that meet the goals of retribution while advancing rehabilitative strategies (Tonry, 1999). At the center of any good community corrections program is the use of an objective risk and needs assessment. Assessments allow the correctional agencies to assign offenders to the programs that will most likely benefit them. The “risk”
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