Introduction to Corrections

Millions in our nation are under some type of judicial sanction, with some individuals behind bars but the majority serving their sentences while living and working among us. Introduction to Corrections examines predominant issues related to the system of administering to offenders in the United States. Written in a simple, concise style and enhanced with discussion questions and a list of key terms in each chapter, this volume begins with an overview of the system and a historical review and then focuses on select issues, including:

• Sentencing goals and rationales, and types of sentencing
• Noncustodial supervision, including probation, electronic monitoring, home confinement, halfway houses, and offender registration
• Parole and postconfinement release
• Jail, prison, and jurisdictional differences in correction systems
• Challenges faced by corrections personnel, including overcrowding, health issues, sexual assault in institutions, and prison gangs
• Constitutional challenges to inmate controls
• Issues related to victims’ rights, including federal and state funds and notification programs
• Correctional counseling perspectives and prevailing sociological theories
• Controversies surrounding capital punishment in the United States
• Juvenile corrections, including probation, parole, and life sentences for minors

The evolution of corrections in the United States has spanned three centuries and has moved from an origin of basic community-based confinement to an extensive system that includes federal, state, local, private, and military facilities and programs. Examining diverse topics relevant to a range of professionals in the corrections community, this book explores the functions of corrections as well as those who serve in the profession.