Let's give one more FINAL shoutout....

We're talking References here. 

Coggins, K. Fresquez, J. E. (2001). The Need for Social Work Services in Corrections. In Working with Clients in Correctional Settings: A Guide for Social Workers and Corrrections Professionals. (pp. 1-8). Iowa: Eddie Bowers Publishing, Inc. 

Coggins, K., Fresquez, J. E. (2001). How Social Workers Perceive Practice in Correctional Settings. In Working with Clients in Correctional Settings: A Guide for Social Workers and Corrections Professionals. (pp. 9-19). Iowa: Eddie Bowers Publishing, Inc. 

National Association of Social Workers. (2009). Social Work in the Criminal Justice System. Social work speaks: National Association of Social Workers policy statement, 2009-2012 (8th ed., pp. 327-332). Washington, DC: NASW Press. Retrieved from: http://www.naswdc.org/advocacy/briefing/CriminalJusticeBriefingPaper.pdf

Policy and News. (2012). Prison Fellowship. Justice Fellowship. Retrieved from: https://www.justicefellowship.org/key-issues/issues-in-criminal-justice-reform/probation-and-parole/803

Prison and Assylum Reform. (2012). U.S. History Online Textbook. Retrieved from:  http://www.ushistory.org/us/26d.asp

Witmer, H. L. (1925). The Development of Parole in the United States. Social Forces, 4, 2, 318-325. Retreived from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3004583

p.s. We are all for giving credit where credit is actually deserved here...Really!!! ;) With that being said, we would like to give a second "one more final shoutout" to the Research and Library Help Assistants at the TCU info desk!!!! We would be unable to cite sources without you...THANKS!!!!!!!

p.p.s. GO HORNED FROGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Final Thoughts

After a week of investigation and a great interview with Leta Youngblood along with research on the topics of prison and community supervision, we have some suggestions for altering the system to benefit everyone. We have decided that community supervision benefits everyone more than prison and the following suggestions are based on that observation.

We think making community supervision offered to all petty criminals would benefit both the offender, because they could get better constructive services, and the community because both the costs for services and the risks of endangering their family would reduce significantly. Leta, a director for the Fort Worth community supervision team, explicitly stated that the research has proven the effectiveness of community supervision surpasses that of prison.

On the other hand, making sure that the dangerous criminals have no way to access the public is important. For example, a serial killer should not be allowed on parole in fear that they might run away or begin killing again. This safety precaution is definitely worth the cost of keeping him or her in prison.

Racial discrimination is obvious when looking at the populations of prisons. With this in mind, judges should actively work to make these disparities diminish. They are not the only ones to blame for the disparity though. Police should be trained to be less discriminating and should treat and convict criminals equally, ignoring their race when deciding on their treatment. Prison guards should undergo a similar training and should be more racially diverse.

In summation:

• Offer more people community supervision and parole.
• Keep dangerous criminals behind bars.
• Actively work to reduce racial discrimination on all levels within systems.

Conclusion:

These goals are relatively simple but we realize that these changes would take years to implement, not to mention the money needed to retrain police and redistribute money. The infrastructure of America includes our prison system and prisons are constantly being built. It would also take a change in mindset of the American population. People would need to acknowledge that not all criminals are dangerous and support them in a change for the better. Social workers are expected to believe that people have the ability to change and it is this component of the NASW policy that would need to be adopted by the public in order to improve the prison and community supervision systems.

One more suggestion... 

Prison System Pros and Cons

Thoughts on the prison system

Benefits

Advocates of the prison system have many reasons to support the current infrastructure. Not only do the prisons keep criminals away from the public, keeping the public safe but they punish the offender and deter others from breaking the law. 

The current view on prison focused on rehabilitation also makes it easy to support because the disciple and structure provided by the state controls, educates, and provides therapy for the convicted.

Problems

Despite these benefits, there are many problems with the current system. There are two things to consider when looking at the problems with the system, the effects on the convicted and the public.
The incarcerated population have the opportunity to talk to each other while in prison making it a great place to learn more about crimes and networking for when they are released. Along with this threat is the huge cost to the public. It costs a lot to keep someone in prison and if they were the primary breadwinner and their family needs help from government services, it just costs more.
You would think that this large check would come with some benefits but the system is lacking in resources to help the prisoners. Putting someone in jail doesn't address the problem of why they got there, it just separates them from their family and takes away their job. Along with this problem, all prisoners are treated the same, no matter the crime (although the time frame changes). This means that Martha Stewart is treated the same as a human trafficker. These criminals have completely different underlying problems that could not simply be solved by locking them up.


(Coggins, K., Fresquez, J. E., 2001, 9-19)

Probation and Community Supervision Pros and Cons

Let’s go ahead and take a look at the pros and cons of the probation/ community supervision system...

           

Curious as to how the probation system came to be? Check out a brief history here!

 

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/glance/corr2.cfm

Now, what are some of the issues with probation/community supervision?

-  communities do not want “dangerous convicts” in their neighborhoods

-  lack of probation officers = high caseloads

-  some say it is not punitive enough

-  In 2006, nearly a fifth of people leaving probation were sent back to prison, with over half of these returning for rule violations rather than a new crime. (Probation and Parole in the United States, 2006,  Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008)

 https://www.justicefellowship.org/get-involved-with-justice-fellowship/12916-get-involved-probation-and-parole

What are some of the benefits of the probation system?

- cost efficient 

-  For example, in Main...

-  the convicted can access a wider range of programs to help rehabilitate

-  helps alleviate overcrowding in prisons

-  allows convicts a greater opportunity to reintegrate into society

-  convicts can maintain employment

-  convicts can get the help they need for drug addictions, etc. that they otherwise could not get in jail

-  opportunity to support family

-  helps treat underlying problems that instigate criminal behavior

Where does policy play a role? Well, here are some current policies regarding probation:

-Sentencing Reform Act of 1984

            The Act abolished discretionary parole for the federal system by establishing a    determinate sentencing system.

-National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997

            This law abolished the District of Columbia Board of Parole and transferred its      responsibilities to the U.S. Parole Commission.  It also required the District of           Columbia to establish a determinate sentencing system. 

-United States Parole Commission Extension Act of 2008

            This extends the life of the U.S. Parole Commission for 3 more years.  

-Federal Probation Act of 1925

            The Act established a probation system in the U.S. federal courts, giving them     power to appoint officers and place defendants on probation.

(quoted directly from here)

What values support probation?

-  empowerment- people have the ability to change

-  people deserve the opportunity to get the help they need

-  all people deserve respect

-  family preservation

-  self-sufficiency by providing people with the opportunity to maintain a job

Politics and Social Values

But they're criminals...

The popular thought about people on community supervision and who are in jail is that they are criminals. This leads to the justification of the stripping of rights and freedoms granted to the public. In cases that involve violent crimes and harmful behavior, keeping the people away from the public seems like a brilliant idea. The problem comes when harmless criminals are put in the same category as these threatening people.

Politics

Marijuana is an illegal substance that is costing America millions each year. 1.6% of all inmates are being held for cases ONLY pertaining to marijuana. If we legalized this substance, taxpayers would save A LOT of money but there is a problem with that idea. It is immoral. Or is it? Tobacco companies have spent billions of dollars to make us think this and to keep the carcinogens in cigarettes acceptable. Politics. Who ever has money, has power. This principle can also be applied to the prison system in which minority groups are over represented.

Want to learn more about marijuana and prison?

http://www.dfwnorml.org/forum/marijuana-and-law/prison-statistics-and-cost-marijuana-related-offenders-533.html

Social Values

From an early age, social values are reinforced by the world around us. This comes from movies, TV shows, political leaders, and our friends and family. We mimic what we see. It is these media images of angry, dangerous black men that instill fear in the white population. Although these images in no way portray what is actually happening, we act on the fear. The racial disparities in prison compared to the American population is evidence for this claim.

 

Conclusion

It seems like the flaws in these systems go further than the treatment and rehabilitation of the people in them. There are societal influences that make it seem impossible to have complete fairness. With this flaw in mind, we must remember to treat this population with respect because their situation does not always mean they are dangerous and we should make sure that we do not treat everyone like this. There is a HUGE difference between a serial killer and a kid who got caught with marijuana. It is this idea of disparities that lead to the creation of the community supervision program.

Brutish Background

A brief history lesson..

First of all, lets talk vocabulary

Prison or penitentiary-

• facilities house convicted felons 
• long term

Jail-

• holds people awaiting trial
• is locally based
• can sometimes hold overflow from prison
• holds people with misdemeanor charges

Community Supervision- 

• community based
• frequent check ups by officers including drug tests
• parole- early release from prison
• rehabilitative services offered

(Coggins, K., Fresquez, J.E., 2001, 1-8) 

Timeline

 Early American Punishment

America has always struggled with deciding on repercussions for petty criminals. This is evident when we see the punishment that was normal in colonial America. Judges would have the choice between only a few options for criminals. These included whipping and hanging and they did not want to be excessive. This meant that petty crimes were often overlooked.

When America gained independence, there was a reformation of laws to include incarceration instead of the death penalty. The popular belief was that this would be a more effective and punitive way to alter their behavior. Also, locking these criminals up reduced anxiety about repeat criminals.

In the 1820's New York decided to separate the criminals in individuals cells when riots became a normal occurrence this was called the Auburn system. The 1860's came with a new mind set on the treatment of prisoners. Overcrowding and torture including gagging and restraining were the new norm. In response to this, Inoch Wines and Theodore Dwight wrote about a need to change the system. They found that no prisons had the goal of reform and offered the solution of teaching the inmates and rewarding them for good behavior.

With the 20th century, came a new view that was more medical and research based. Many prisons hired psychiatrists and other staff who could focus on rehabilitation. 2010 was a historical year. The USA became the country with the most inmates and the largest percentage of incarcerated citizens.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/26d.asp

Parole fun facts:

Parole was the start of the probation and community supervision. Children were the original recipients of this benefit. They had training and essentially worked as indentured servants.

We were one of the last countries to pick up the idea of parole. Being a country focused on punishment and not needing the labor, like England, we ended up using parole because of a few people who devotedly believed in the idea of reform.

http://www.ushistory.org/us/26d.asp

S. G. Howe, in a letter to the New York Prison Association in 1846, first used the term "parole" to refer to a prisoner's release under supervision. He stated,

"I believe that there are many who might be so trained as to be left upon their parole during the last period of their imprisonment with safety and with great advantage to themselves." 

Quoted directly from here 

Troublesome Thesis

Both community supervision and prison can effect communities on multiple levels whether it be the individual, their family, or the larger community. We hope to, through further investigation, develop a stance on which of these approaches is better for both the individuals involved, and the taxpayers. Looking into the history of parole and prison reform should enlighten and inform us on how current policy came to be.  We will also investigate this current policy to judge its effectiveness and possibly critique the issue if necessary.

Baking Brownies

In celebration of not being in prison...

We have decided to bake some brownies, like someone on parole could do! (Brownie points, Dr. Moore?) They are the classy and delicious Ghirardelli brand. If only there were enough to bring to class tomorrow.....

Too bad we are going to eat them ALL!

 

On another note,

Getting Alex up to speed on the interview was pretty easy and we will be posting the things that we learned for the next few hours! Get ready for a roller coaster of awesomeness!

Post Interview

Thanks, Leta!

We had a great time interviewing Leta Youngblood and can't wait to get together tonight to work on this project. The recording of our conversation sounds great. As we sit in the bookstore, Casey, Caroline, and I are enjoying a smoothie, muffin, and coffee while talking about ideas for the project.

Tonight, we bake. (While working on the blog)

National Association of Social Workers Policy

General Background of the NASW on Criminal Justice

The NASW policy on criminal justice overlook parole but recognize the race and social problems that are instituted in the prison system. They also note that all people who are incarcerated should be treated fairly (some would argue that an example of this would be parole).

Very interesting....

T'was the Night Before the Interview....

The Preparation

We are all excited about meeting Leta Youngblood, the unit supervisor for Tarrent County CSCD in adult probation, but having trouble coming up with questions for her. After some serious brainstorming and googling, we came up with this semi-vague list. We hope to better develop our views on the problem and ask some good follow up questions.

Questions:

About you:

How did you get in the field?

What was attractive about this sub field?

Education

License held

Agency

-Services Provided

-Clients served

-Global perspective

Social Work Job

Tasks performed

Paperwork necessary

Educational preparation

What populations do you serve?

What are the key problems you see in the probation system?

What programs do you think are effective?

What type or form of community supervision do you find most/least effective?

How do you determine who get which kind of supervision?

Is it better to have people in the probation and parole system with the risk of more crimes or the prison system where we spend money on them?

What do you think would benefit society most/ which is financially more sound?

Which benefits the individual most, staying in prison or parole?

Punitive or restorative?

How do policies and politics effect what you do?

-any specific policy?

Get Excited

 Caroline and I are getting excited about the project and the interview. More inspiration and interesting links to come!

Intriguing Infographic