This transformation is part of an overall trend in American society away from segregative social control toward a more inclusionary type of control. Much of the discussion about community corrections has reflected the rhetoric and ideology of the reformers rather than the reality of the new system of social control that has emerged. This ideological focus has led to a limited understanding of the impact of the community corrections movement and its role in the politics of corrections. Contemporary social control activities should provide the criteria for judging the rhetoric of community-based corrections. Assessments of the concept of community control in correctional reform should focus on the reform movement as a set of political, economic, and ideological conflicts, whereby policy change results from the resolution of these conflicts. Accordingly, what should be examined is who benefits from the particular ways in which these conflicts are resolved and how any changes are accommodated by the criminal justice systems. Future research should assess the effects of reforms on offenders, particularly their care and control. 20 references.