Contemporary Corrections: A Critical Thinking Approach introduces readers to the essential elements of the US corrections system without drowning students in a sea of nonessential information. Unbiased and accessible, the text includes coverage of the history of corrections, alternatives to incarceration, probation/parole, race/ethnicity/gender issues in corrections, re-entry into the community, and more. The authors' unparalleled practical approach, reinforced by contemporary examples, illuminates the role corrections plays in our society. The authors have reinvigorated earlier work with additional content on international comparative data to increase our understanding of how prison officials in other nations have developed different types of responses to the problems that challenge every US correctional administrator, a new chapter on correctional personnel, and an integration of race and ethnicity issues throughout the book. Unrivaled in scope, this book offers undergraduates a concise but comprehensive introduction to corrections with textual materials and assignments designed to encourage students' critical thinking skills.

Contemporary Corrections: A Critical Thinking Approach introduces readers to the essential elements of the US corrections system without drowning students in a sea of nonessential information. Unbiased and accessible, the text includes coverage of the history of corrections, alternatives to incarceration, probation/parole, race/ethnicity/gender issues in corrections, re-entry into the community, and more. The authors' unparalleled practical approach, reinforced by contemporary examples, illuminates the role corrections plays in our society. The authors have reinvigorated earlier work with additional content on international comparative data to increase our understanding of how prison officials in other nations have developed different types of responses to the problems that challenge every US correctional administrator, a new chapter on correctional personnel, and an integration of race and ethnicity issues throughout the book. Unrivaled in scope, this book offers undergraduates a concise but comprehensive introduction to corrections with textual materials and assignments designed to encourage students' critical thinking skills.

This book addresses the causes of rising crime rates resulting from the rapid population growth and industrialization associated with natural resource extraction in rural communities. Ruddell describes the social problems emerging in these boomtowns, including increases in antisocial behavior, as well as property-related and violent crime, industrial mishaps and traffic collisions. Many of the victims of these crimes are already members of vulnerable or marginalized groups, including rural women, Indigenous populations, and young people. The quality of life in boomtowns also decreases due to environmental impacts, including air, water and noise pollution. Law enforcement agencies, courts, and correction facilities in boomtowns are often overwhelmed by the growing demand as these places are seldom able to manage the population growth. The key questions addressed here are: who should pay the costs of managing these booms, and how can we prepare communities to mitigate the worst effects of this growth and development and, ultimately, increase the quality of life for boomtown residents. An in-depth and timely study, this original work will be of great interest to scholars of violent crime, criminal justice, and corporate harm.

This book draws upon the observations of contributors who wrote about American jails prior to the 1940s. They provide readers with a comprehensive account of jail operations and conditions from the turn of the 20th century until the Great Depression. During this time, jails were labeled a "human dumping ground" and that description was accurate given the dismal conditions that many inmates endured: men, women, and juveniles were often held together in makeshift jails. Seldom was much thought given to their care and jails were often places of filth, depravity and deprivation. Some of the jailers who operated these facilities were as corrupt, violent, and immoral as the inmates they were responsible for supervising. Like today, most inmates had not been found guilty of a crime and many were in jail because they could not scrape together a few dollars for bail or a fine. Other jail inmates were witnesses, runaway juveniles, or persons with mental illness who were held in the local jail because no other residential alternatives existed. Yet, despite this depressing appraisal of jail conditions, many of the contributors were optimistic about the possibility of jail reform. While local jail conditions are far more humane and professionally operated today, this book outlines how many still suffer from the same problems identified almost a century ago.

This book focuses on the difficulties that medical and health care providers, correctional administrators, and policy makers face in delivering care to incarcerated juveniles and adults. Sometimes the demands on these practitioners can be overwhelming. Each year in the United States thousands of infants are born behind bars, and at least 3,000 inmates will die in state prisons alone. Practitioners confront an array of serious health care problems, from providing emergency care, preventing the spread of communicable diseases, managing chronic illnesses, and preparing for pandemics. A significant concern is that inmates with untreated health problems pose a significant challenge to community health. Over 14 million arrestees cycle through juvenile facilities or county jails, and some 650,000 persons are released from prison each year. As a result, there has been increased attention focusing on the connections between correctional and community health. The contributors to this volume examine these challenges, highlight successful medical and health care programs, and outline an agenda for future research.

On any given day, there are over 100,000 youthful offenders held in a variety of residential placements, from community-based wilderness experience programs or group homes to high security facilities that are almost indistinguishable from prisons. In addition, thousands of juveniles are incarcerated in adult jails or prisons and some will serve the rest of their lives behind bars. Despite a 200-year history of holding juveniles in these settings, there is a gap in our knowledge about what actually occurs within these places. There are assaults, murders and suicides, as well as staff and resident misconduct, medical misadventures, unintentional injuries and mismanagement. On the other hand, there are thousands of hard-working, dedicated, and professional staff members in these facilities who enthusiastically work toward the rehabilitation of these young people. The contributors to this volume examine some of the key issues and trends within contemporary juvenile corrections, highlight promising rehabilitative practices, and identify the challenges of working with these youth.

This book presents an extensive overview of the main issues surrounding violence in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. One in one hundred American adults are currently incarcerated and the threat of violence in these facilities affects not only the inmates who reside there but also the custodial and professional staff. Despite recent reductions in lethal violence over the past two decades, each year approximately 70 homicides occur in these facilities and tens of thousands of incidences of non-fatal violence occur. The threat of violence may, in many cases, force treatment and rehabilitation efforts to take a backseat to institutional and personal safety concerns. Further, the aftermath of violence for victims, perpetrators, and witnesses poses serious issues for the community as the overwhelming majority of inmates eventually return home. The contributors to this volume examine these issues, highlight promising violence prevention and reduction strategies, and outline an agenda for future research.

This book provides a fresh look at the way the United States is choosing to deal with some of the serious or persistent youth offenders: by transferring juvenile offenders to adult courts. For more than 20 years now, the attitude in some jurisdictions has been "if you're old enough to do the crime, you're old enough to do the time." After two decades of applying this increasingly punitive mindset to juvenile offenders, it is possible to see the actual consequences of transferring more and younger offenders to adult courts. In Do the Crime, Do the Time: Juvenile Criminals and Adult Justice in the American Court System, the authors apply their decades of experience, both in the practical world and from unique research perspectives, to shed light on the influence of public opinion and the political forces that shape juvenile justice policy in the United States. The book provides a fresh look at the way the United States is choosing to deal with some of the serious or persistent juvenile offenders, utilizing real-life examples and cases to draw connections between transfer policies and individual outcomes.