U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Offender Military Enlistment as an Emotionally Intelligent Justice System Intervention

NCJ Number
231713
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2010 Pages: 376-382
Author(s)
J. Mitchell Miller; J. Eagle Shutt; Barry Bernstein
Date Published
July 2010
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study examined the concept of military enlistment as an alternative to incarceration.
Abstract
Military enlistment programs offer offenders opportunities to serve in the armed forces as alternatives to traditional criminal sanctioning both prior and post adjudication. Offender enlistment as a form of diversion embodies a rehabilitative ideal but faces formidable cultural and institutional implementation barriers, including recruiting regulations, security clearance requirements, public relations considerations, and military distrust. This study explored the utility of offender enlistment as an emotionally intelligent justice system intervention. It is argued that offender enlistment addresses internal and external offender control deficits while avoiding the expense and stigma of incarceration. The policy implications of offender enlistment as normative practice are considered. (Published Abstract)