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American Prisoner Home Furloughs

NCJ Number
123437
Journal
Journal of Offender Counseling Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Dated: (April 1990) Pages: 18-25
Author(s)
R R Smith; D A Sabatino
Date Published
1990
Length
8 pages
Annotation
In July 1988, a survey questionnaire regarding home furlough policies and practices was distributed to corrections department directors in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Abstract
Of the agencies, 47 responded in whole or in part to the questionnaire. In 1988, 50 correctional systems had home furlough policies, compared to 2 systems in 1967, 25 systems in 1971, 44 systems in 1977, and 47 systems in 1979. In the first half of 1988, 67,736 American offender home furloughs were granted, with a very low rate of reported abscondence. Reasons for abscondence, when it did occur, involved alcohol and drug use, family problems and disagreements, and perceived family or spouse emergencies. Of 40 agencies responding to a question on whether home furloughs help rehabilitation efforts, only 2 reported that home furloughs do not help. The Willie Horton furlough issue in the 1988 presidential campaign is discussed. 8 references, 1 table.