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Shame in Our Prison

NCJ Number
91515
Journal
Angolite Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (July/August 1983) Pages: 69-74
Editor(s)
W Rideau, B Sinclair
Date Published
1983
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Alternatives to incarceration which may prove to be better measures of punishment than imprisonment include restitution, community service, house arrest, probation, suspended sentencing, deferred sentencing, fines, drug treatment, employment assistance, weekend sentences, pretrial intervention, and employment assistance.
Abstract
Extreme overcrowding in prisons requires that alternatives be used. These alternatives could improve public safety, save taxpayers money, and offer more hope for offenders' rehabilitation. In no case should nonviolent offenders be housed in cells or dormitories with those guilty of violent crimes or behavior. Offenders who must be incarcerated should also be protected against physical, psychological, and homosexual intimidation. Prison units should be smaller and more geographically accessible to inmates' families and volunteers. Habitual Criminal Acts should be repealed because they do nothing more than overload the prisons and make the guards' jobs more dangerous.