NCJ Number
210538
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 44 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2005 Pages: 307-318
Date Published
July 2005
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article analyzes the emergence and pervasiveness of a fragmented offender management style in the United Kingdom.
Abstract
During the past decade, offender management in prisons throughout the United Kingdom has changed from offering a high degree of continuity to offenders to offering a fragmented management style in which offenders encounter a variety of staff during their supervision. This increasing trend toward a “pass-the-parcel” style of offender management is analyzed by the author, who contends that this fragmented management style grew out of the recent tendency to view and treat offenders differently based on their risk profiles. While viewing individual offenders within risk categories may work well at the abstract level of aggregate offender management, the author challenges that it does not necessarily work well for individual offenders or the staff who work with them. Indeed, a fragmented offender management approach may actually pose an increased risk to correctional staff in terms of job morale and satisfaction and recent research has suggested that the quality and consistency of the relationships between offenders and their supervisors is central to effective correctional practice and may even decrease recidivism rates. The author urges the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in the United Kingdom to infuse greater consistency in offender management in order to maximize the benefits of the correctional system. Notes, references