Would you agree with my views on “Idealism,” in American Corrections?
‘Idealism’
“A time when Americans strongly believed that Crime could be Eliminated
From this Rich New Nation,
If the offenders are isolated from Bad Influences, and Encouraged to Repent.”
Like other social institutions, corrections reflect the vision and concerns of the larger community (p 31). Examples are found in our Post-Revolutionary War; Idealism, a time when Americans strongly believed that crime could be eliminated from this rich new nation if the offenders are isolated from bad influences and encouraged to repent. Similarly in the ‘early twentieth century’ and inspired by new faith in the power of the ‘behavioral sciences,’ penology coursed into a psychological approach geared towards the rehabilitation of offenders. Since crime control became a burdensome issue in the late 1960’s, public opinion demanded another criminal shift in correctional policy that required a greater emphasis be placed on ‘crime control’ [protection and punishment].
These oscillating factors are evident within this text and in perfect harmony with an immediate response from society, for dangerous times tend to ‘grow’ if not immediately checked. Accordingly our Society has emerged through several on going developmental stages in regards to crime control and its immediate protection for the public betterment. As in the post-revolutionary war and into the twentieth century and on into the late 1960’s [rampant drug abuse] eras, and still, here we remain today; safe to a maximal degree but short in humanitarian values in regards to our efforts towards humanitarian affordances for our offenders and our ‘correctional goals,’ in my opinion.
The socio-economic-political environment and its mylineation afforded by our Democracy have provided for the demands of our ‘Hedonistic Societies’ needs; mainly by social demands upon our legislative bodies which must amend or modify existing rules; providing apportionment of the necessary funding for any new implementation of new policy concerning corrections and crime control and thereby providing our society with the best public safety, in the most economical manner, while fine honing the skills of our Government’s representatives and our American society in concern to crime control and corrections as a whole. Once again it is found that mylineation is necessary for the continued survival and development of our institution, America; and its affordanances under the light of the Classicist’s and the Positivist’s Schools of theory and their practical applications for advancing and developing public service and protection as we continue to grow and thrive with honor and pride.
Clear, T.R. and Cole, G.F., Authors (1997). American Corrections; 4 Ed.
Boston: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Annotated Course Material:
CRIJ 2313.G30, Jose