Halfway Houses/Hawthorn Heights Essays -- Criminal Justice

As the need for increasingly punitive community-based sanctions grew, the demand for a greater variety of programs and services became apparent, as did the importance of a more seamless transition from total incapacitation to total freedom of prisoners re-entering society. A variety of community corrections methods have developed over the years, one being the institution of halfway houses. To adequately understand residential community corrections, one must consider the origins, components, and effectiveness of halfway houses. Initially halfway houses in the United States were operated by nonprofit organizations as a means for recently released prisoners to find their footing upon re-entry. Between 1816 and 1930, the function of the halfway house was to provide interim food and shelter while the offender looked for work and became financially stable enough to support themself. Participation was strictly voluntary as state support was lacking, primarily due to the fact that it was and is strongly believed ex-offenders should minimize their contact with one another. (Alarid and Del Carmen 182) A transition to treatment and correctional supervision via halfway house in the 1950’s garnered great support as concern regarding parole revocation and crime increased. In a matter of years halfway houses began to receive government assistance and financial support. Funding sources were dramatically increased through the 1968 Safe Streets Act and a focus on community corrections was prevalent. By the time funding began to decrease in the 1980’s, halfway houses had found their place in corrections as an alternative to incarceration and a safe place for offenders to transition out of prison, reducing potential problems due to overcrowding. (A... ...do V. Del Carmen.Community-Based Corrections. Eigth. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2011. 179-206. Print. Klein-Saffran, Jody. "Electronic Monitoring vs. Halfway Houses: A Study of Federal Offenders."Alternatives to Incarceration. Fall 1995: 24-28. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. . Lagos, David. NC Courts. NC Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission . Compendium of Community Corrections Programs in North Carolina . Raleigh: , 2010. Web. . Shilton, Mary K. U.S. Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Assistance. Increasing Public Safety Through Halfway Houses. 2003. Web. content/3-halfway-houses-pub-safety.pdf>. Halfway Houses/Hawthorn Heights Essays -- Criminal Justice As the need for increasingly punitive community-based sanctions grew, the demand for a greater variety of programs and services became apparent, as did the importance of a more seamless transition from total incapacitation to total freedom of prisoners re-entering society. A variety of community corrections methods have developed over the years, one being the institution of halfway houses. To adequately understand residential community corrections, one must consider the origins, components, and effectiveness of halfway houses. Initially halfway houses in the United States were operated by nonprofit organizations as a means for recently released prisoners to find their footing upon re-entry. Between 1816 and 1930, the function of the halfway house was to provide interim food and shelter while the offender looked for work and became financially stable enough to support themself. Participation was strictly voluntary as state support was lacking, primarily due to the fact that it was and is strongly believed ex-offenders should minimize their contact with one another. (Alarid and Del Carmen 182) A transition to treatment and correctional supervision via halfway house in the 1950’s garnered great support as concern regarding parole revocation and crime increased. In a matter of years halfway houses began to receive government assistance and financial support. Funding sources were dramatically increased through the 1968 Safe Streets Act and a focus on community corrections was prevalent. By the time funding began to decrease in the 1980’s, halfway houses had found their place in corrections as an alternative to incarceration and a safe place for offenders to transition out of prison, reducing potential problems due to overcrowding. (A... ...do V. Del Carmen.Community-Based Corrections. Eigth. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2011. 179-206. Print. Klein-Saffran, Jody. "Electronic Monitoring vs. Halfway Houses: A Study of Federal Offenders."Alternatives to Incarceration. Fall 1995: 24-28. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. . Lagos, David. NC Courts. NC Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission . Compendium of Community Corrections Programs in North Carolina . Raleigh: , 2010. Web. . Shilton, Mary K. U.S. Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Assistance. Increasing Public Safety Through Halfway Houses. 2003. Web. content/3-halfway-houses-pub-safety.pdf>.