CO-RESPONSIBILITY IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS - A PROPOSED DEFINITION OF THE CONCEPT - NCJRS TRANSLATION

• NCJ Number: 32519
• Author(s): G BULCZAK
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 11 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: National Institute of Justice/NCJRS
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: TRANSLATION BY NELSON B. ROSE FROM AN ORIGINAL WORK IN GERMAN PUBLISHED BY EVANGELISCHE AKADEMIE LOCCUM, WEST GERMANY, 1973

Annotation

DISCUSSION OF INMATE CORESPONSIBILITY AND THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF LIFE IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE TREATMENT OF INMATES IN PREPARATION FOR LIFE IN NORMAL SOCIETY AFTER RELEASE.

Abstract

INMATE CORESPONSIBILITY MEANS VOLUNTARY, CORESPONSIBLE PARTICIPATION, ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE, BY THE INMATES IN THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE INSTITUTION. IT CAN AND SHOULD NOT BE FORCED. ALL INMATES ARE CALLED UPON TO PARTICIPATE AND THEY DO SO THROUGH ORGANIZATIONS THEY ELECT TO REPRESENT THEM. THROUGH THE ELECTION PROCESS THEY LEARN DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES. THE OLD STAFF-INMATE RELATIONSHIP BASED ON AN AUTHORITARIAN ATTITUDE MUST CHANGE, AND THE STAFF MUST BE WILLING TO COOPERATE WITH THE INMATES AS PARTNERS. AREAS IN WHICH CORESPONSIBILITY CAN FUNCTION ARE SELF-GOVERNMENT, COOPERATION AND JOINT DECISION MAKING IN CERTAIN CASES. THE AUTHOR CITES SOME OBJECTIONS TO INMATE CORESPONSIBILITY THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED AND CONCEDES THAT THEY MAY HAVE SOME VALIDITY, BUT ARGUES THAT THE WEAKNESSES AT WHICH THEY ARE DIRECTED CAN BE OVERCOME BY THE PROPER APPLICATION OF INMATE CORESPONSIBILITY. ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATION OF NCJ-28301