Week 10

• Programs in the criminal justice system are designed to do what to offenders?


  Programs are designed to keep offenders from being processed further into the formal justice system – they are diverged further into the system.
• What are two concerns with diversion?

  The two concerns with diversion are net widening and coercion.

  • Net Widening: Potential, unanticipated consequence of diversion in which persons who would otherwise have been released outright by police or not charged by Crown counsel are involved in the justice system.
  • Coercion: Offenders surrender basic procedural rights to access programs.
• Intermediate Sanction

  A wide range of correctional programs that generally fall between probation and incarceration.

  A) Halfway House

  B) Fine

  C) Boot Camp

  D) House Arrest

  E) CSO

  F) Electrical Monitoring

  G) Day Attendance Centres

  H) IPS

  
• Probation


  A sentence imposed that provides for the supervision of the offender in the community by a probation officer, either as an alternative to custody or in conjunction with a period of incarceration – most common as a sentence on its own.
• List out the activities of probation officers in this chart.

  What are the activities of probation officers?

  A) Officers of the Court

  B) Investigation

  C) Counselling

  D) Surveillance and Enforcement

  E) Assessment

  F) Service Coordination

  
• What are the dual role of probation officers?

  The dual role of probation officers are:

  • Assistance and Support: Address issues that contribute to crime and identify resources in the community.
  • Enforce Conditions: Ensure compliance with general and specific conditions of probation officers.
• What are the three characteristics of effective case management?

  The three characteristics of effective case management are:

  1. Identification of risks and needs of offender, and appropriate level of supervision – identify risks and needs.
  2. Risk management and protection of the public – supervision plan.
  3. Core role of probation officers in completing assessments – determine parole.
• Explain the risk, need, responsivity principles:

  Risk Principle

  • Correctional interventions are most effective when matched with the offender's level of risk, and higher-risk offenders benefit most from interventions.

  Need Principle

  • To be effective, correctional interventions must address the criminogenic needs of offenders.

  Responsivity Principle

  • Correctional interventions should be matched to the learning style of individual offenders.
• Electronic Monitoring


  This is only used for provincial/territorial offenders. Correctional strategy that involves placing an offender under house arrest and then using electronic equipment to ensure the conditions of supervision are fulfilled.
• What are three programs for offenders?

  The three programs for offenders are: (1) community correctional centres and residential facilities (halfway houses), (2) treatment programs, and (3) intensive supervision program.
• When did Kingston Penitentiary open? What did it look like? What model did it use?

  Kingston Penitentiary opened in 1835. The architecture reflected themes of order and morality. The penitentiary used an auburn model of strict silence, solitude, hard labour, and strong emphasis on religion.
• What are the three types of correctional institutions?

  The three types of correctional institutions are:

  1. Minimum Security: No perimeter fence and unrestricted inmate movement expect at night.
  2. Medium Security: High-security perimeter fence and some restrictions on inmate movement.
  3. Maximum Security: High-security perimeter fence and highly controlled environment with inmate movement strictly controlled.
• What are the two types of security?

  The two types of security are:

  1. Static: Fixed security apparatus: walls, fences, alarms, and videos.
  2. Dynamic: Ongoing, meaningful interactions between staff and inmates.
• What are total institutions?

  They are highly structured environments in which all movements of the inmates are controlled 24 hours a day by staff. Extended through technology.
• What can total institutions may do?

  Total institutions may heighten the pains of imprisonment. Deprivations experienced by inmates, including the loss of autonomy, privacy, security, and freedom of movement and association.
• What are three special inmate populations? 


  The three special inmate populations are:

  1. Senior Inmates: A growing population of offenders over 50. They often have chronic diseases, disability, and need special resources. They are often victimised by younger inmates.
  2. Mental Illness: Growing populations. Prisons are the new asylums. Short periods and lack of resources make treatment difficult.
  3. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: In utero brain damage from alcohol consumption. They are often impulsive, violent, and aggressive. It's prevalence is ten times higher than in the general population in prison.
• What are some challenges with inmate populations?

  Some of the challenges with inmate populations are: poor conditions, growth in remand, overcrowding, gangs, and inmate safety.
• What is the profile of female offenders?

  Label the diagram.

  A) Greater physical and mental health needs.

  B) More over age 50.

  C) Increase of 40%

  D) More violent crimes.

  E) 1 in 10 affiliated with a gang.

  F) 1 in 4 drug charges.

  G) Past victimisation.

  H) Previous psychiatric issues.

  
• What is the arbour report?

  • An inquiry into events at the Kingston Prison for Women in April 1994.
  • Documented violations of policy, the rule of law, and institutional regulations.
  • Had a significant impact on the development of women's corrections.
• Who are correctional officers and what are their jobs?

  • Legal and moral authority – enforcing rules vs. functional relationships with inmates; use of discretion.
  • Relationships with inmates – accommodative relations; inmate testing and reading cues.
  • Relationships with administration and treatment staff – negative view of treatment and administrators; may limit their ability to make positive change.
• What are the characteristics of those in prison?

  Male, young, single, dysfunction, instability, minority, low skills, low education, and under-housed.
• What are the three terms used to describe the inmate social system? Define them.

  1. Inmate Subculture: Patterns of interaction and the relationships that exist among inmates.
  2. Prisonization: Process by which inmates become socialised into the norms, values, and culture of the prison.
  3. Institutionalisation: Inmates who have become prisoned to such a degree that they are unable to function in the outside free community.
• What struggles do families who have an immediate relative in jail have?

  • Isolation, stigmatisation, neglect, and concerns over finances, housing, and children.
  • Psychological effects of partners and children: trauma, shame, academic, and behavioural problems.
  • Family visits reduce institutional misconduct and lower rates of reoffending.
• It is estimated at least how many Canadian children have a parent who is incarcerated?

  It is estimated at least 450,000 Canadian children have a parent who is incarcerated.
• What are the static and dynamic risk factors of incarceration?

  • Static: attributes that predict recidivism but are not changeable; criminal history, prior convictions, past performance on release.
  • Dynamic: Attributes that can be altered through intervention; levels of education, employment skills, addictions, and cognitive thinking ability.
• What are the risk factors that increase the likelihood of an individual's involvement in crime?

  Label the diagram.

  A) Substance abuse.

  B) History of antisocial behaviour.

  C) Lack of attachments.

  D) School or employment problems.

  E) Lack of pro-social leisure.

  F) Antisocial peers.

  G) Antisocial attitudes.

  H) Antisocial personality.

  
• What is case management and treatment?

  • Matching needs and abilities of offenders with correctional programs.
  • Correctional Plan: Determines offender's initial institution placement, specific training or work opportunities, and preparation for release.
  • Treatment: Low priority, limited availability. Many leave prison without completing programs.
• What are the principles of effective treatment?

  Label the diagram.

  A) Empirically supported.

  B) Incorporate risk, needs, and responsivity.

  C) Focus on dynamic risk factors.

  D) Monitored and evaluated.

  E) Well-trained and dedicated staff.

  
• Recidivism Rates


  Number of offenders released from confinement who return to prison.
• What are problems with using recidivism?

  • Prevents assessments of relative improvement; offender shifts from serious to minor crime.
  • Difficult to connect participation in programs with how they do once released; other factors, such as supportive family, type of supervision; return to crime may not be detected.