This course will examine the adult correctional system in the United States.  It examines the historical development of the correctional system with focus on how various punishment and treatment goals and philosophies shaped its development.  Most of the course will be devoted to various aspects of the current correctional process, including the structure and operation of jails and state and federal correctional institutions, inmate organization and institutional management, and alternatives to incarceration.  Special emphasis will be given to such topics as the privatization of prisons, prison overcrowding, the death penalty as a general deterrent, the effectiveness of boot camps, and the problems of reintegration into family and community life.

As a result of completing this course the student will be able to:

1. Understand the historical relationship between punishment and treatment rationales and the development of the correctional system.
2. Review the differences between the goals and philosophies of punishment and treatment.
3. Understand the current problem s and issues of correctional organization and management.
4. Understand the organization of inmate subculture and problems adjusting to prison life.
5. Review the various alternatives to incarceration and to evaluate their effectiveness.

This course addresses the general education outcomes of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating social, political, historical forces and communicating effectively through speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

1. Historical Perspectives
· Introduction
· Early History (2000 B.C. to 1800 A.D.)
· Prisons and Ideologies (1800 to the Present)
2. Alternatives to Imprisonment
· Jails and Detention Facilities
· Probation
· Intermediate Sanctions
3. Correctional Systems
· Imprisonment
· State and Local Prison Systems
· The Federal System
· Private Sector Systems
4. Correctional Functions
· Custody Functions and Tasks
· Management and Treatment
5. Institutional Clients
· Female Inmates
· Male Offenders
· Special Category Offenders
6. Rights of Correctional Clients
· The Death Penalty
· Parole
· Community Correction

Tests, a writing assignment and a final exam prepared by individual instructors will be used to determine the course grade, along with any other assignments required by the instructor.  The final exam will include at least a 20-question multiple choice assessment instrument that will count for at least 20% of the grade on the final exam.  The assessment instrument will have questions that sample the material found in the above objectives.  It is expected that writing skills will be emphasized by the incorporation of a written assignment component in the course.

October 2002
Reviewed June 8, 2005