NCJ Number
208220
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 84 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2004 Pages: 92S-114S
Date Published
December 2004
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article examines the social relationships and organizational consequences that characterize the competing goals of control and rehabilitation in correctional custodial settings.
Abstract
The primacy of control in custodial regimes is illustrated in the work of DiIulio (1987) and Reisig (1998), which has focused on the factors important in the maintenance of control inside prisons rather than on the factors that are conducive to the rehabilitation of prisoners. Under the control or "Theory X" model, control of the inmates is the primary measure of an effective organization. This untested assumption, argues this article, has impeded the achievement of other organizational goals of prisons, notably rehabilitation, which emphasizes inmate responsibility and autonomy suited to successful living in the community outside of prison. The conflict between the control and rehabilitation models for prisons is exacerbated when the rehabilitative services are provided by a private agency that comes into the prison to deliver rehabilitative services, such as education, vocational training, and drug treatment. These "outsiders" are viewed as potential threats to custodial order and regulations if they do not comply with control protocols and appear to be encouraging greater inmate autonomy and a less restrictive prison environment. Although prison administrators have increasingly shown interest in incorporating treatment programs into prison regimes, the persistent priority given to the control of inmates may mean that rehabilitation is viewed as a means of increasing inmate compliance with the control model. 46 references