CJAD 425 American Corrections
This course introduces the American Correctional System. Corrections has a rich history, innovative in practice and challenged by societal problems that will be the subject of this course and will allow us to focus on the progression to 21st Century American Corrections. We will explore the shift away from the goal of rehabilitation, dominant in the 1970s, to the primacy of crime control goals since the 1980s. During the past quarter-century, corrections has seen the rise and fall of boot camps, the growth of privately owned and operated prisons, interest in community and restorative justice, and the present emphasis on evidence-based decision making. The recent downturn in the economy has placed great fiscal burdens on public agencies. At all levels of government – federal, state, and local – budgetary deficits have greatly affected corrections.The primary goal of this course is to develop a general understanding of the American correctional system and its response to rehabilitation, re-entry, punishment, and incarceration in society today. Students will consider corrections in the U.S., explore the key elements of the correctional mission, and examine a number of special issues relevant to the American correctional system today.
Offered
Spring