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

CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT - TWO ALTERNATIVES (FROM LAW AND CRIME, 1977 - SEE NCJ-52945)

NCJ Number
52951
Author(s)
ANON
Date Published
1977
Length
0 pages
Annotation
EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT FORMS OF CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS FILM STRIP AND AUDIOCASSETTE PROGRAM.
Abstract
IN ORDER TO REVERSE THE INCREASING RATES OF RECIDIVISM, COURTS HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH REFORMS IN OFFENDER SENTENCING. ONE SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS ATTEMPTS TO DIVERT PERSONS WHO HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED A CRIMINAL LIFESTYLE. SINCE 1974, THE U.S. ATTORNEY OF ILLINOIS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS TAKEN FIRST OFFENDERS WHO DO NOT HAVE A DRUG ABUSE PROBLEM AND REQUIRES THEM TO UNDERGO COUNSELING AND PROBATION, AS WELL AS TO WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A CRIMINAL TRIAL. DIVERSION CONTRACTS ENABLE FIRST OFFENDERS TO MAINTAIN A NONCRIMINAL LIFESTYLE AND AVOID FURTHER TEMPTATION TO CRIME. SUPERVISION OF OFFENDERS HELPS REMIND THEM THAT THEY ARE PAYING A CRIMINAL PENALTY, BUT IT ALSO HELPS THEM REGAIN SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF REQUIRED SOCIAL SERVICE WORK. AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE PRETRIAL DIVERTEES REMAIN LAW-ABIDING. RESTITUTION PROGRAMS, IN WHICH OFFENDERS PAY BACK THE VICTIMS OF THEIR CRIMES, ALSO ARE CONSIDERED SOCIALLY AND FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL FOR DIVERTING PROPERTY OFFENDERS. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK).