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National Parole Board Report on the Conference on Discretion in the Correctional System, November 17-19, 1981

NCJ Number
92127
Date Published
1983
Length
234 pages
Annotation
Correctional systems, particularly corrections in Canada, in meeting demands for more accountability in decisionmaking, do not agree on what the systems' legitimate goals should be.
Abstract
This report on a 1981 conference presents seven summary articles focusing on the controversy over discretion in corrections, measures being taken to curb or improve the use of discretion, and the effects of these measures. Twenty-three papers from the conference examine the controversy over delegated authority, case law regarding inmates' rights and its implications for correctional institutions, and the expected effect of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They also focus on punishment, organizational structure and decisionmaking, parole guidelines as a control on discretion, human factors in decisionmaking, the effects of discretion on female offenders, and parole and discretion in the Soviet Union. Footnotes are included.