NCJ Number
189822
Date Published
October 2000
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This monograph examines research on what offender populations have been safely monitored in community-based corrections settings and aims to aid judges, communities, and criminal justice leaders in focusing on the decision regarding which offenders are incarcerated and who remains under community supervision.
Abstract
The varied types of offenses require that different approaches be tailored to each type of offender. Therefore, pretrial services, court staff, probation, or parole agents need to conduct specific screening, assessment, and monitoring. They then match need and risk to services to ensure that appropriate interventions are in place and that the offender is compliant. When this is done, most nonviolent offenders with moderate needs for services are good candidates for community-based correctional programs. Populations with needs for specialized services include mentally ill offenders, elderly offenders, offenders who are parents, and drug-abusing offenders. Steps regarding the handling of special populations start with a review of the legal purposes of sentencing and a consideration of options and continue with becoming familiar with correctional policy, community supervision, and rehabilitation. Additional steps include developing a local leadership group to review practices and policies; identifying resources; and establishing a process to study, plan, and evaluate any changes or innovations. Many localities have developed their own criteria for determining which offenders are eligible for rehabilitation using existing agencies. Following through on initiating changes includes ensuring that the criminal justice system spends adequate time assessing individual characteristics of each offender, developing a flexible case management system, and involving judges and other public officials in forums that inspire leadership. Charts, lists of resource organizations, and 18 references