NCJ Number
52618
Journal
OFFENDER REHABILITATION Volume: 2 Issue: 4, Dated: (SUMMER 1978) Pages: 333-338
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THE POSSIBLE REASONS FOR DEPROFESSIONALIZATION (FAILURE TO HIRE PERSONNEL WITH PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS) IN CORRECTIONS ARE INDICATED AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF DEPROFESSIONALIZATION ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE USE OF PERSONNEL SCHOOLED IN AND ETHICALLY BOUND BY THE PROFESSIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY, MEDICINE, SOCIOLOGY, AND SOCIAL WORK IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENLIGHTENED CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM. THE USE OF BUREAUCRATIC FUNCTIONARIES AND OTHER PERSONNEL UNSKILLED AND UNSCHOOLED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED PROFESSIONS IS CONSIDERED A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM IN SOME CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS. THE NEED TO CUT BACK ON SPENDING BY HIRING LESS QUALIFIED PERSONNEL AT CHEAPER SALARIES, HIRING BY ADMINISTRATORS WHO DO NOT WANT THEIR ACTIONS SCRUTINIZED BY HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL, AND A PERPETUATION OF THE JUSTICE MODEL THAT CONSIDERS THE 'WAREHOUSING' OF INMATES AS A SUFFICIENT FUNCTION OF CORRECTIONS ARE CITED AND BRIEFLY DISCUSSED AS THE REASONS FOR DEPROFESSIONALIZATION IN SOME CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS. IT IS INDICATED THAT THE OVERALL EFFECT OF DEPROFESSIONALIZATION IS A SERIOUS REDUCTION AMONG CORRECTIONAL PERSONNEL IN ENLIGHTENED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE OFFENDERS WITH WHOM THEY DEAL, RESULTING IN INACCURATE AND DESTRUCTIVE CLASSIFICATION OF INMATES AND IRRELEVANT TREATMENT PROGRAMS. POOR PAROLE DECISIONMAKING IS ALSO INDICATED TO BE A RESULT OF DEPROFESSIONALIZATION. IT IS NOTED THAT A NUMBER OF STATES AND AGENCIES ARE ACTIVELY WORKING AT IMPROVEMENT OF STAFF PROFESSIONALITY. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)