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Offender assessment: A casebook in corrections
CURRENT
416
PUBLICATlONS
Recent trends in corrections are: the right to the least restrictive punishment, concern for offenders’ rights, increased effectiveness and accountability of government actions. and coordination of offender services. Also, there are alternative prisons or methods of returning offenders to the community. These are often under the supervision of parole officials; examples include halfway houses and Synanon type programs. Community reluctance about halfway houses stresses the need for better cooperation between “human service” agencies. This is partly due to the nature of corrections. Until recently corrections had a “defensive” nature. Halfway houses are a fairly recent innovation. Last, because of the great expectations placed on the parole system. the call may come for “the state to get out of the business of rehabilitation and focus on simple punishment.” If this becomes the case, it is hoped that the punishment would be equitable. This would prove beneficial in the long run. (LP)
Understanding and Changing by Michael J. Lillyquist. Prentice-Hall, Jersey 07632).
Criminal
Behavior
Inc. (Englewood Cliffs. 1980, 436 pp.. $16.95.
New
Twentieth-century criminology has traditionally treated the task of understanding and changing criminal behavior from one of two perspectives-either from a sociological perspective. which sees behavior as the product of external, social pressures, or from a psychological point of view, which views behavior as a product of the individual’s internal state of mind. The author of this book. which is directed toward students and professionals in the field of criminal justice. argues that the two approaches are not mutually as traditionally they have been. exclusive, Rather, he argues that all possible explanations must be examined. many of which are useful for different purposes. This book examines the entire spectrum of theories and approaches to criminal behavior from the psychological to the sociological. It first examines those approaches that emphasize internal factors, then moves to theories attributing both sociological and psychological factors to behavior, and concludes with theories emphasizing external, societal factors.
ABSTRACTS
Fifteen chapters divided among three parts examine these theories and their implications for treatment. Part I discusses several models of criminal behavior and the attribution of responsibility for crime. Three modes of response to crime are examined-penology. corrections. and intervention. It is concluded that the theories of intervention are substantially influenced by the models of crime causation adopted. Part II examines various treatments of criminal behavior. Psychiatric, medical. psychedelic. meditative. social-psychological. and learning approaches to treatment are discussed. Also examined are community prevention services and other preventive efforts. The final section of the book deals with evaluation of the offender. Various techniques for classification of offenders are reviewed. The way in which the offender is evaluated and the results of that evaluation are discussed in terms of the type of treatment the offender receives. The benefits and problems of various treatment modalities are discussed. including incarceration. community corrections. decarceration, diversion. restitution, and decentralization. It is concluded that prisons of today, being the durable structures they are, express the outmoded correctional philosophy of the last century. Rather than building new prisons. intervention on the level of home and family may be more effective. (MV)
Offender Assessment: by Robert B. Mills. Anderson Cincinnati.
A Casebook
in Corrections
Publishing Company (646 Main Street, Ohio 45201), 1980. 199 pp., $12.95.
An essential part of the orderly. rational processing of offenders through the judicialcorrections system is the assessment of cases in investigative reports. The content of these reports is extremely influential in the decision-making correctional institutions, processes of judges. parole boards. halfway houses. and community agencies. The writing of these reports. therefore. requires a great deal of skill. This book, intended for the beginning student in case assessment and investigation. attempts to teach the skills essential to diagnostic report-writing, with special emphasis on the presentence investigation done by
CURRENT
PUBLICATIONS
probation officers. Its purpose in to encourage and enable the individual writing the report to move from description of to prescription for offenders; that is, to take the factual life-history of the offender, and by applying statistical and clinical methods, to construct the best possible set of predictions about an offender’s behavior. Using this information, optimal supervision and treatment can be planned. The process used by this casebook to teach skills necessary for writing investigative reports begins with actual cases and issues. Theories and general conceptual issues are then discussed as they emerge from each case. The sequence of chapters progresses toward production of the complete case reports. Twenty chapters provide specific and practical instruction in three general areas of report writing. Part I examines the function of offender evaluations and discusses the most appropriate format for the report. Recommendations for the preparation of the fact sheet and the body of the report are provided, as well as for the use of rating and prediction tables. The art of interviewing offenders and ethical guidelines in corrections are also discussed. Part II provides standards for the content of offender assessment reports. Suggestions for the reporting of current and past crimes, the attitude of the offender, family and marital history, socioeconomic status, employment, religion, military service, and health are provided. Part Ill discusses the application of investigative reports in institutions and in aftercare. A discussion of psychiatric and psychological reports is also presented. The text is interspersed with a great deal of illustrative matter including sample investigative reports and statistical tables. Most of the chapters are followed by a practice exercise, several discussion questions, and a list of supplementary literature. (MV)
Crime and Criminology,
Second Edition, by Sue
Titus Reid. Holt, Rinehart and Winston (CBS Inc.. 383 Madison Avenue. New York, New York 10017). 1979, 781 pp.. $14.95. This
introductory
textbook
of criminology.
ABSTRACTS
417
intended for the undergraduate student, integrates law and the social sciences in the study of criminal behavior and the reaction of society to that behavior. Thus the book deals not only with the etiology of crime, but also with the criminal justice system and penology. Excerpts from apellate opinions are used to illustrate concepts such as deterrence and punishment and to show how court decisions have influenced the development of the criminal justice system. This material is supplemented by discussion of historical and contemporary sociological research. Classic books and theories on criminology are summarized and evaluated throughout. The present textbook is the second edition of an earlier publication and retains the basic format of the original. The text consists of eighteen chapters in four parts. The first, introductory, part presents the problems of defining crime, the criminal, and criminology. The use of empirical data and the scientific method in criminology are examined, as are the functions of and relationship between law and the social sciences in the study of crime. Part II deals with the traditional emphasis of sociologists-the etiology of crime. Sociological theories of crime are emphasized; however, classical, neoclassical, positive, physiological, psychiatric, and psychological theories are also reviewed and evaluated. These theories include not only theories of causation of crime, but also theories of types of criminal behavior. The third part attempts to determine how valid the legal theory of criminal justice really is. This is done by comparing legal theory to real-life situations as reported in sociological research literature. Some of the topics examined in this way include the police system, plea bargaining, the role of the public defender, and sentencing disparity. The final section covers the integration of law and sociology in corrections. A wealth or material about prisons is presented, including information about their historical development, reforms, architecture, construction, inmate social systems, and inmate social problems. The problems individuals encounter after release from prison are examined, and recommendations are made for future prison systems. Each chapter has references and provides a list of recommended readings. Three indexes-
416
PUBLICATlONS
Recent trends in corrections are: the right to the least restrictive punishment, concern for offenders’ rights, increased effectiveness and accountability of government actions. and coordination of offender services. Also, there are alternative prisons or methods of returning offenders to the community. These are often under the supervision of parole officials; examples include halfway houses and Synanon type programs. Community reluctance about halfway houses stresses the need for better cooperation between “human service” agencies. This is partly due to the nature of corrections. Until recently corrections had a “defensive” nature. Halfway houses are a fairly recent innovation. Last, because of the great expectations placed on the parole system. the call may come for “the state to get out of the business of rehabilitation and focus on simple punishment.” If this becomes the case, it is hoped that the punishment would be equitable. This would prove beneficial in the long run. (LP)
Understanding and Changing by Michael J. Lillyquist. Prentice-Hall, Jersey 07632).
Criminal
Behavior
Inc. (Englewood Cliffs. 1980, 436 pp.. $16.95.
New
Twentieth-century criminology has traditionally treated the task of understanding and changing criminal behavior from one of two perspectives-either from a sociological perspective. which sees behavior as the product of external, social pressures, or from a psychological point of view, which views behavior as a product of the individual’s internal state of mind. The author of this book. which is directed toward students and professionals in the field of criminal justice. argues that the two approaches are not mutually as traditionally they have been. exclusive, Rather, he argues that all possible explanations must be examined. many of which are useful for different purposes. This book examines the entire spectrum of theories and approaches to criminal behavior from the psychological to the sociological. It first examines those approaches that emphasize internal factors, then moves to theories attributing both sociological and psychological factors to behavior, and concludes with theories emphasizing external, societal factors.
ABSTRACTS
Fifteen chapters divided among three parts examine these theories and their implications for treatment. Part I discusses several models of criminal behavior and the attribution of responsibility for crime. Three modes of response to crime are examined-penology. corrections. and intervention. It is concluded that the theories of intervention are substantially influenced by the models of crime causation adopted. Part II examines various treatments of criminal behavior. Psychiatric, medical. psychedelic. meditative. social-psychological. and learning approaches to treatment are discussed. Also examined are community prevention services and other preventive efforts. The final section of the book deals with evaluation of the offender. Various techniques for classification of offenders are reviewed. The way in which the offender is evaluated and the results of that evaluation are discussed in terms of the type of treatment the offender receives. The benefits and problems of various treatment modalities are discussed. including incarceration. community corrections. decarceration, diversion. restitution, and decentralization. It is concluded that prisons of today, being the durable structures they are, express the outmoded correctional philosophy of the last century. Rather than building new prisons. intervention on the level of home and family may be more effective. (MV)
Offender Assessment: by Robert B. Mills. Anderson Cincinnati.
A Casebook
in Corrections
Publishing Company (646 Main Street, Ohio 45201), 1980. 199 pp., $12.95.
An essential part of the orderly. rational processing of offenders through the judicialcorrections system is the assessment of cases in investigative reports. The content of these reports is extremely influential in the decision-making correctional institutions, processes of judges. parole boards. halfway houses. and community agencies. The writing of these reports. therefore. requires a great deal of skill. This book, intended for the beginning student in case assessment and investigation. attempts to teach the skills essential to diagnostic report-writing, with special emphasis on the presentence investigation done by
CURRENT
PUBLICATIONS
probation officers. Its purpose in to encourage and enable the individual writing the report to move from description of to prescription for offenders; that is, to take the factual life-history of the offender, and by applying statistical and clinical methods, to construct the best possible set of predictions about an offender’s behavior. Using this information, optimal supervision and treatment can be planned. The process used by this casebook to teach skills necessary for writing investigative reports begins with actual cases and issues. Theories and general conceptual issues are then discussed as they emerge from each case. The sequence of chapters progresses toward production of the complete case reports. Twenty chapters provide specific and practical instruction in three general areas of report writing. Part I examines the function of offender evaluations and discusses the most appropriate format for the report. Recommendations for the preparation of the fact sheet and the body of the report are provided, as well as for the use of rating and prediction tables. The art of interviewing offenders and ethical guidelines in corrections are also discussed. Part II provides standards for the content of offender assessment reports. Suggestions for the reporting of current and past crimes, the attitude of the offender, family and marital history, socioeconomic status, employment, religion, military service, and health are provided. Part Ill discusses the application of investigative reports in institutions and in aftercare. A discussion of psychiatric and psychological reports is also presented. The text is interspersed with a great deal of illustrative matter including sample investigative reports and statistical tables. Most of the chapters are followed by a practice exercise, several discussion questions, and a list of supplementary literature. (MV)
Crime and Criminology,
Second Edition, by Sue
Titus Reid. Holt, Rinehart and Winston (CBS Inc.. 383 Madison Avenue. New York, New York 10017). 1979, 781 pp.. $14.95. This
introductory
textbook
of criminology.
ABSTRACTS
417
intended for the undergraduate student, integrates law and the social sciences in the study of criminal behavior and the reaction of society to that behavior. Thus the book deals not only with the etiology of crime, but also with the criminal justice system and penology. Excerpts from apellate opinions are used to illustrate concepts such as deterrence and punishment and to show how court decisions have influenced the development of the criminal justice system. This material is supplemented by discussion of historical and contemporary sociological research. Classic books and theories on criminology are summarized and evaluated throughout. The present textbook is the second edition of an earlier publication and retains the basic format of the original. The text consists of eighteen chapters in four parts. The first, introductory, part presents the problems of defining crime, the criminal, and criminology. The use of empirical data and the scientific method in criminology are examined, as are the functions of and relationship between law and the social sciences in the study of crime. Part II deals with the traditional emphasis of sociologists-the etiology of crime. Sociological theories of crime are emphasized; however, classical, neoclassical, positive, physiological, psychiatric, and psychological theories are also reviewed and evaluated. These theories include not only theories of causation of crime, but also theories of types of criminal behavior. The third part attempts to determine how valid the legal theory of criminal justice really is. This is done by comparing legal theory to real-life situations as reported in sociological research literature. Some of the topics examined in this way include the police system, plea bargaining, the role of the public defender, and sentencing disparity. The final section covers the integration of law and sociology in corrections. A wealth or material about prisons is presented, including information about their historical development, reforms, architecture, construction, inmate social systems, and inmate social problems. The problems individuals encounter after release from prison are examined, and recommendations are made for future prison systems. Each chapter has references and provides a list of recommended readings. Three indexes-