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PUNITIVE CITY - NOTES ON THE DISPERSAL OF SOCIAL CONTROL

NCJ Number
63266
Journal
Contemporary Crises Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 339-363
Author(s)
S COHEN
Date Published
1979
Length
25 pages
Annotation
USING A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE, THIS ARTICLE DRAWS ON UNITED STATES AND BRITISH HISTORY TO DISCUSS CHANGES IN THE FORMAL APPARATUS OF SOCIAL CONTROL OVER THE LAST DECADE; EMPHASIS IS ON CRIME AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY.
Abstract
THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF DEVIANCY CONTROL IS A PRODUCT OF LATE 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURY DEVELOPMENT OF A CENTRALIZED STATE APPARATUS FOR THE CONTROL OF CRIME AND THE CARE OF DEPENDENTS, OF THE INCREASING DIFFERENTIATION OF THE DEVIANT AND DEPENDENT INTO SEPARATE TYPES, AND OF THEIR INCREASED SEGREGATION INTO 'ASYLUMS' (MENTAL HOSPITALS, PRISONS, REFORMATORIES, AND SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS) FOR TREATMENT AND PUNISHMENT. COMMUNITY CONTROL--A SEEMING REVERSAL OF THE SEGREGATED AND ISOLATED INSTITUTION--INVOLVES VARIOUS FORMS OF COMMUNITY-BASED INTENSIVE INTERVENTION AS WELL AS SENTENCING OPTIONS WHICH SERVE AS IMMEDIATE ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION OR RELEASE. PROGRAMS ARE ESTABLISHED DURING A PREVENTIVE, POLICING, OR PRETRIAL STAGE TO DIVERT OFFENDERS FROM INITIAL OR FURTHER PROCESSING BY THE CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS OF JUSTICE. SUCH PROGRAMS SHOULD RESULT IN THE BLURRING OF BOUNDARIES BETWEEN PRISONS AND RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND IN THE INCREASE OF INTERVENTION DIRECTED AT VARIOUS GROUPS. THE CONCEPT OF 'PRIVATIZATION,' ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CURRENT CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS, AND THE PROLIFERATION AND ELABORATION OF ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY CONTROL SYSTEMS ARE ALSO OUTLINED. NOTES ARE ATTACHED. (AOP)