Wodahl, E.J. & Garland, B. (2009). The Evolution of Community Corrections: The Enduring Influence of the Prison, The Prison Journal, 89, 81S-104S.

1. How has the evolution of community corrections been largely shaped by its enduring relationship with the prison?
2. How are community and institutional corrections inextricably linked?
3. The authors state that it “has become obvious that neither the use of incarceration nor the length of prison sentences has diminished.” What proof do they provide to back this argument up?

Marion, N. (2002). Effectiveness of Community-Based Correctional Programs: A Case Study. The Prison Journal, 82, 478-497.

1. Based on the evidence provided in this article, do you think that community-based programs have better recidivism rates than those associated with prison inmates? How so and/or why?
2. Are these programs effective in reducing the costs associated with confining inmates?
3. Do you think that these programs help the problem of overcrowded prisons and jails?

Clear, T.R. & Schrantz, D. (2011). Strategies for Reducing Prison Populations. The Prison Journal, 91, 138S-159S

1. The authors indicate that people come into prison from “two streams.” What are these two streams and which one is utilized more?
2. The authors also indicate that people are diverted from prison via one of three methods. What are these methods and which one is the most “popular” (used most often)?
3. What do you think is the best strategy for reducing prison populations?

Freiburger, T.L. & Hilinski, C.M. (2010). The Impact of Race, Gender, and Age on the Pretrial Decision. Criminal Justice Review, 35, 318-334.

1. This study examined whether race, gender, and age influence judges’ decisions to detain or release a defendant prior to trial. Their results indicate that females and younger defendants were less likely to be detained. Why do you think that is?
2. How is the PDP useful?
3. What future research do you think needs to be done regarding populations and projects such as these?

Wahab, S. (2006). Evaluating the Usefulness of a Prostitution Diversion Project. Qualitative Social Work, 5, 67-92.

1. Although the PDP literature states that one of the program aims is “to assist and empower the participant’s transition away from the criminal justice system and the conduct that brings them there,” none of the sex workers in this study ever mentioned diversion from the criminal justice system or jail as a perceived objective or benefit of the program. Why do you think this is?
2. Are these programs effective in reducing the costs associated with confining inmates?
3. Do you think that these programs help the problem of overcrowded prisons and jails?

Saum, C.A. & Hiller, M. (2008). Should Violent Offenders Be Excluded From Drug Court Participation?: An Examination of the Recidivism of Violent and Nonviolent Drug Court Participants. Criminal Justice Review, 33, 291-307.

1. Policy often stipulates drug court funding cannot be used for offenders with violent criminal histories, although it has been argued that increasing funding to community programs for these individuals represents an important means for controlling crime. What do you think? What proof do the authors provide?
2. The authors state that violent offenders should not be systematically excluded from the opportunity to participate in the unique combination of treatment and supervision offered in drug court programs. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Daly, K. (2002). Restorative Justice: The real story. Punishment & Society, 4, 55-79.

1. The author states that “the real story of restorative justice differs greatly from advocates’ mythical true story.” What do you think this means?
2. Do you think that restorative justice should be considered a “pre-modern and feminine justice”? Why or why not?
3. What do you think the phrase “the raw material for restorativeness between victims and offenders may be in short supply” means?

Curtis-Fawley, S. & Daly, K. (2005). Gendered Violence and Restorative Justice: The Views of Victim Advocates. Violence Against Women, 11, 603-638.

1. What is “gendered violence”? Why do you think that this type of violence is considered “gendered”?
2. Critics warn that restorative justice is inappropriate for gendered violence because the process and outcomes are not sufficiently formal or stringent and victims may be revictimized. What do you think?
3. This article presents what victim advocates in two Australian states think about using restorative justice for gendered violence. Do you think that the researchers would have gleaned the same results in the United States of America?

Kenney, J.S. & Clairmont, D. (2009).  Using the Victim Role as Both Sword and Shield: The Interactional Dynamics of Restorative Justice Sessions. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 38, 279-307.

1. According to the authors, whereas restorative justice may facilitate meaningful resolution for some, for others it may merely be “a ritual that we purposefully create with a view to eliciting a performance of the offender’s compassion and remorse.” How so?
2. What do you believe is the social utility of such programs?

Cook, K.J. (2006). Doing difference and accountability in restorative justice conferences. Theoretical Criminology, 10, 107-124.

1. What does the term “doing gender” mean?
2. What is the “law of fartcatchers”?
3. In this article, the authors propose that the law of fartcatchers can account for a significant amount of the correctional quackery that occurs in corrections. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Gendreau, P., Smith, P. & Thériault, Y.L. (2009).  Chaos Theory and Correctional Treatment: Common Sense, Correctional Quackery, and the Law of Fartcatchers. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 25, 384-396.

1. What is “correctional quackery”?
2. What is the “law of fartcatchers”?
3. In this article, the authors propose that the law of fartcatchers can account for a significant amount of the correctional quackery that occurs in corrections. Do you agree? Why or why not?

McGrath, R.J., Cumming, G. & Holt, J. (2002).  Collaboration Among Sex Offender Treatment Providers and Probation and Parole Officers: The Beliefs and Behaviors of Treatment Providers. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 14, 49-65.

1. Why do you think that the authors found considerable diversity in practice and opinion among providers with regard to parole officers leading, co-leading, and observing sex offender treatment groups?
2. Despite the fact that the majority of sex offender treatment providers appear to view the community as their primary client, it is clear in this research that the sex offenders they treat are also their clients. Do you agree with these views? Why or why not?

Wormith, J.S., Althouse, R., Simpson, M., Reitzel, L.R., Fagan, T.J., & Morgan R.D. (2007). The Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Offenders: The Current Landscape and Some Future Directions for Correctional Psychology. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34, 879-892.

1. The authors refer to rehabilitation as “a broad array of psychosocial programs and services that are designed to assist offenders in addressing a range of needs related to their offending behavior and in achieving a more productive and satisfying lifestyle.” Do you agree with this definition? Why or why not? If not, how would you define this term?
2. The authors state that although “successful reintegration means no return to crime, recidivism is a unified concept without a unifying definition.” What do you think this means? How would you define recidivism?

Schlager, M.D. (2009).  The Organizational Politics of Implementing Risk Assessment Instruments in Community Corrections. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 25, 412-423

1. The authors indicate that a “primary way to achieve reductions in recidivism is to ensure that the proper offenders are placed in proper programming” What does this mean?
2. What is an actuarial risk assessment?
3. What does the phrase, “Evidence-based practice should be viewed as an opportunity to evaluate what works and what can work better” mean? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Lovins, L.B., Lowenkamp, C.T., Latessa, E.J., & Smith, P. (2007). Application of the Risk Principle to Female Offenders. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 23, 383-398.

1. What does the “risk principle” suggest? Do you agree with this suggestion?
2. Do you think that the risk principle should be applied to female offenders?
3. What do you think is/are the best treatment(s) for female offenders? What are the characteristics of this/these program(s) or treatment(s)?

Gottfredson, S.D. & Moriarty, L.J. (2006). Statistics Risk Assessment: Old Problems and New Applications. Crime & Delinquency, 52, 178-200.

1. What are some advantages to using statistically-based risk assessment devices?
2. What are some of the disadvantages to using statistically-based risk assessments?
3. What can evaluators do to improve their assessments to better serve offenders in the community?

Wodahl, E.J., Ogle, R. & Heck, C. (2011). Revocation Trends: A Threat to the Legitimacy of Community-Based Corrections. The Prison Journal, 91, 207-226

1. What does the term “maintaining legitimacy” mean?
2. According to the authors, why is maintaining legitimacy important for community-based correctional agencies?
3. What are some strategies to enhance legitimacy?

Schloss, C.S. & Alarid, L.F. (2007).  Standards in the Privatization of Probation Services: A Statutory Analysis.  Criminal Justice Review, 32, 233-245.

1. Why did private probation initially begin in the 1970s?
2. The authors suggest that although some state statutes address private probation operations and contracts adequately, there is still the question of whether existing statutory guidelines in other jurisdictions are sufficient for operation of private probation supervision agencies. Do you agree? Why or why not?
3. What can be done to standardize statutes in and between states re: the supervision of private probationers?

Applegate, B.K., Smith, H.P., Sitren, A.H., Springer, N.F. (2009). From the Inside: The Meaning of Probation to Probationers. Criminal Justice Review, 34, 80-95.

1. Why is probation the most widely used sanction in the United States?
2. What purposes does probation serve to those sentenced to it?
3. Is probation a deterrent to crime? Why or why not?

Marino, K.M. (2009).  Probation Management of Sex Offenders: An Analysis of Co-Facilitators’ Perceptions of Offender Progress in Treatment.  Criminal Justice Review, 34, 382-403

1. Why do you think that probation officers in this study perceived progress to be driven by their perception of self-labeling by offenders?
2. Why do you think that offenders in this study who were perceived as engaging in self-labeling were in fact more prone to violations?
3. In order to have both effective management and supervision of convicted sex offenders, what programs, individuals, and/or characteristics are needed to be successful?

Wodahl, E.J., Garland, B., Culhane, S.E., & McCarty, W.P. (2011).  Utilizing Behavioral Interventions to Improve Supervision Outcomes in Community-Based Corrections. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 38, 386-405.

1. Why do you think that the use of both sanctions and rewards led to higher success rates in the ISP program in this study?
2. Do you think that administering rewards in proportionally higher numbers than sanctions will always produce the best results with offenders in ISPs?
3. What are some ideological obstacles that may impede the application of behavioral techniques in an ISP?

Gainey, R.R. & Payne, B.K. (2003).  Changing Attitudes Toward House Arrest With Electronic Monitoring: The Impact of a Single Presentation?  International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 47, 196-209.

1. Do you think that information about alternative sanctions affects individuals’ attitudes regarding them? Why or why not?
2. Do you think that electronic monitoring is punitive and that it meets several goals of the justice system? Why or why not?
3. Are there any available alternative sanctions that you feel are more effective than electronic monitoring? If so, what are they and why?

Pérez, D.M. (2009). Applying Evidence-Based Practices to Community Corrections Supervision: An Evaluation of Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for High-Risk Probationers. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 25, 442-458.

1. Why do you think that residential substance abuse treatment participation substantially reduced the amount of criminal activity in which offenders engaged in during the 18-month follow-up period?
2. Why do you think the treatment group was more likely to be charged with a probation violation if arrested?
3. What are the characteristics that a residential drug treatment for high-risk offenders under community supervision would have to be successful?

Kim, D-Y., Joo, H-J. & McCarty, W.P. (2008). Risk Assessment and Classification of Day Reporting Center Clients: An Actuarial Approach. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 792-812.

1. Why have day reporting centers (DRCs) become an increasingly popular sentencing option in many states that are using more community-based alternatives to jail and prison sentences?
2. What are the benefits to using DRCs in community-based corrections?
3. What are some of the drawbacks to using DRCs in community-based corrections?

Payne, B.K. & Gainey, R.R. (2004).  The Electronic Monitoring of Offenders Released from Jail or Prison: Safety, Control, and Comparisons to the Incarceration Experience. The Prison Journal, 84, 413-435.

1. Under what circumstances (with a focus on specific types of offenders and certain crimes) is electronic monitoring most effective for offenders?
2. When is the utilization of electronic monitoring least effective for offenders?

Harris, A., Evans, H. & Beckett, K. (2011).  Courtesy Stigma and Monetary Sanctions: Toward a Socio-Cultural Theory of Punishment. American Sociological Review, 76, 234-264. http://asr.sagepub.com/content/76/2/234.full.pdf+html

1. What is a “courtesy stigma”?
2. What are examples of “racially and ethnically stigmatized offenses”?
3. Do monetary sanctions as a supplementary penalty create substantial and deleterious legal debt? Why or why not?

Ruback, R.B. & Bergstrom, M.H. (2006).  Economic Sanctions in Criminal Justice: Purposes, Effects, and Implications.  Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33, 242-273.

1. With regard to economic sanctions such as restitution, costs, fees, fines, and forfeiture, how effective are they in terms of deterrence and revidivism?
2. Is there an economic sanction described in this article that you find to be the most punitive? Least? Why?
3. What do you think are the best ways of setting the amounts of the sanctions as well as ensuring payment by the offender?

Ostermann, M. (2011).  Parole?  Nope, Not for Me: Voluntary Maxing Out of Prison. Crime & Delinquency, 57, 686-708.

1. What are some reasons for inmates voluntarily forgoing parole supervision and opting to remain in prison until the maximum expiration of their sentence?
2. What do you think are some advantages and disadvantages to inmates voluntarily forgoing parole supervision and opting to remain in prison until the maximum expiration of their sentence?
3. Are you surprised that the authors found that the likelihood of experiencing a new arrest and/or incarceration after release did not significantly differ according to group membership (voluntary max outs vs. those forced to max out)? Why or why not?

Seiter, R.P. & Kadela, K. (2003).  Prisoner Reentry: What Works, What Does Not, and What is Promising. Crime & Delinquency, 49, 360-388.

1. What is “prisoner reentry” and what is involved?
2. What are some of the ways that criminal justice personnel and community members can aid in successful prisoner reentry?
3. What are the best ways to reduce recidivism with regard to prisoner reentry?

Visher, C.A. & Travis, J.  (2011). Life on the Outside: Returning Home after Incarceration. The Prison Journal, 91, 102S-119S

1. What are some of the daunting barriers to successful reintegration with regard to prisoners reentering the community after time served?
2. The authors indicate that successful reentry requires strong community support networks and comprehensive services. What characteristics do these networks and services have? What types of networks or services are these?
3. The authors indicate that it is “critically important that the federal government invest in the development and testing of new ideas and rigorous evaluations to determine which interventions are effective at promoting public safety and prisoner reintegration.” How do you suggest the federal government does this?

Cooley, V.A. (2011). Community-Based Sanctions for Juvenile Offenders: Issues in Policy Implementation. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 22, 65-89.

1. What are “graduated sanctions” and what do they entail?
2. How does a system of graduated sanctions depend on local efforts to develop and sustain a continuum of sanctions and services?
3. How do/may political factors have a great effect on policy implementation with regard to the use of graduated sanctions for juvenile offenders?

Seiter, R.P. & Kadela, K. (2003).  Prisoner Reentry: What Works, What Does Not, and What is Promising. Crime & Delinquency, 49, 360-388.

1. What is “prisoner reentry” and what is involved?
2. What are some of the ways that criminal justice personnel and community members can aid in successful prisoner reentry?
3. What are the best ways to reduce recidivism with regard to prisoner reentry?

Tufts, J. & Roberts, J.V. (2002).  Sentencing Juvenile Offenders: Comparing Public Preferences and Judicial Practice. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 13, 46-64.

1. The authors indicate that the juvenile justice systems of most Western nations have been under considerable pressure to impose harsher penalties on juvenile offenders.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?
2. The authors state that many members of the public believe that lax sentencing in youth courts is itself a cause of, rather than an effective response to, juvenile crime.  Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
3. Do you think that juveniles should receive sentences similar to adults for similar crimes?  Please explain your answer.

Watson, D.W., Bisesi, L., Tanamly, S., Mai, N. (2003).  Comprehensive Residential Education, Arts, and Substance Abuse Treatment (Creasat): A Model Treatment Program for Juvenile Offenders. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 1, 388-401.

1. What is the Comprehensive Residential Education, Arts, and Substance Abuse Treatment (CREASAT) Program and what does it entail?
2. What is the importance of cultural skills for substance abuse treatment professionals in the juvenile justice system?
3. What do you think of CREASAT? Do you think that it would be effective for juvenile offenders in your community?

Castillo, E.D. & Alarid, L.F. (2011).  Factors Associated With Recidivism Among Offenders With Mental Illness.  International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 55, 98-117.

1. Why do you think that the authors found that residential treatment offenders had a more extensive criminal history and were thus more likely to fail on supervision as well as to recidivate (than the other groups examined) after supervision ended?
2. The authors found that offenders with an alcohol problem were more likely to recidivate earlier and be rearrested for a violent offense than offenders without an alcohol problem.  Why do you think this is?
3. Do you think that factors such as extensive criminal history and/or alcohol abuse problems are more associated with recidivism than mental illness?  Why or why not?

Button, D.M., DeMichele, M. & Payne, B.K.  (2009). Using Electronic Monitoring to Supervise Sex Offenders: Legislative Patterns and Implications for Community Corrections Officers.  Criminal Justice Policy Review, 20, 414-436.

1. Do you think that electronic monitoring is an effective way to supervise sex offenders in the community?
2. What are some of the implications of the electronic monitoring of sex offenders in the community for Community Corrections Officers?
3. Is there a more effective way of supervising sex offenders in the community than electronic monitoring?

Harris, P.M.  (2011). The First-Time Adult-Onset Offender: Findings From a Community Corrections Cohort. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 55, 949-981.

1. Your author states that the preoccupation of criminologists with juvenile-onset criminal careers “overshadows the fact that offenders who begin their criminal careers in adulthood comprise a substantial portion of adult offender populations.”  Do you agree?  Why or why not?
2. The author found that, with respect to risk factors at intake and rearrest, events in adulthood played a more dominant role among first-time adult-onset offenders compared with other groups.  What are these events and why are they important?
3. What are some community supervision practices to prevent the progression of the first-time adult-onset offender’s criminal career?