Standard

CRJ 103 - Corrections

Course Description

Provides an overview of all phases of the American correctional system and practices, including its history, procedures, and objectives. Topics include: history and evolution of correctional facilities; legal and administrative problems; institutional facilities and procedures; probation, parole, and prerelease programs; alternative sentencing; rehabilitation; community involvement; and staffing.

Competency Areas		Hours
History and Evolution of Correctional Facilities		Class	5
Legal and Administrative Problems		D. Lab	0
Institutional Facilities and Procedures		P. Lab/O.B.I.	0
Probation, Parole, and Prerelease Programs		Credit	5
Alternative Sentencing
Rehabilitation
Community Involvement
Staffing
Prerequisite:	Provisional admission
Corequisite:

Course Guide

Competency	After completing this section, the student will:	Hours
		Class	D.Lab	P.Lab/ O.B.I.
HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES		10	0	0
History	Describe the history of corrections.
Evolution of federal, state, and local corrections	Explain the value of the history and evolution of federal, state, and local corrections.
Incarceration philosophies	Identify at least six major philosophies of incarceration.
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS		8	0	0
Inmate classifications	List the three classification areas or grades of inmates.
Problems of classifications	Explain how the classification process can frequently intensify conflict between treatment and custody staffs.
Prisoner rights	Summarize the rights of the prisoner.
Treatment services	Define the general categories of treatment services.
Rehabilitation problems	Identify at least four problems facing prison inmate rehabilitation efforts.
INSTITUTIONAL FACILITIES AND PROCEDURES		8	0	0
Facility design	Contrast prison facility design options as they affect security and staffing problems.
Contemporary correctional administrators	Explain at least four of the major problems facing contemporary correctional administrators.
Adult vs. juvenile correctional institutionalization	Compare at least five major differences between juvenile and adult institutionalization.
PROBATION, PAROLE, AND PRERELEASE PROGRAMS		10	0	0
Overview of probation and parole	Contrast and define the concepts of probation and parole.
History of parole	Identify at least three important historical progressions in the origins of parole.
"Father of Probation"	Identify the "Father of Probation" and his contribution to probational thought.
Work release and prerelease programs	Name at least three advantages of work release and prerelease programs.
Prisoner good time concepts	Explain the general concept of prisoner good time laws and legislation.
Probation work loads	List at least three problems associated with probation case loads.
ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING		3	0	0
Shock incarceration and other models	Explain the concept of shock incarceration.
REHABILITATION		5	0	0
Vocational and therapeutic models	Explain the difference between vocational and therapeutic models for the rehabilitation of offenders.
Correctional counseling	Identify at least three goals of correctional counseling.
Drug and alcohol abuse counseling	Identify some of the unique constraints and considerations in alcohol and drug abuse counseling.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT		2	0	0
Community-based corrections	Define the concept of community- based corrections.
STAFFING		4	0	0
Professional staffing	Explain the various roles of psychologists, psychiatrists, and sociologists in correctional institutions.
Contracting for corrections	Explain the concept of contracting for correctional services with the private/public sector.

Suggested Resources

Suggested Resources include textbooks shown below or most current edition.

Allen, H. E., & Simonsen, C. E. (1996). Corrections in America: An introduction. New York: Macmillan.