Reviews the creation and accomplishments of the 1984 Comprehensive Crime Control Act. The legislation established the United States Sentencing Commission that works to eliminate unwarranted disparities in sentencing and has abolished parole at the federal level. Discusses how the guidelines work. (MJP)

Discusses the institutional mission and characteristics of local, state, and federal corrections facilities. Reviews the rights of prisoners and considers the interlocking components of a successful rehabilitation effort. Reports on future correctional issues such as in-house substance abuse programs and the aging of the prison population. (MJP)

Examines the current strategy to combat illegal drug use and its effect on corrections. Reviews three schools of thought on drug-control policy and explores the assumptions offered by the public-health generalists, the legalists, and the cost-benefit specialists. Concentrates on issues of race, class, and alternatives to correctional warehousing.…

Translates questions submitted by Alan Reitman, Associate Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union which the practitioners of civil liberties would like behavioral scientists to answer into researchable topics. Reviews some of the literature relevant to each, and suggests the kinds of studies needed to provide some answers.…

These two symposium presentations are endorsed by the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges in response to the book, "The Quality of Police Education," which was prepared by the Police Foundation with support from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration. Specifically, the papers refute allegations made in the book…

This booklet reports the deliberations of a panel of 37 judges, prosecutors, and researchers who attended a national conference to consider dealing with repeat juvenile offenders. The five conference sessions focus on: (1) Assessing the Problem: Offense and Offender Characteristics; (2) Processing Offenders: An Empirical Review of Current…

Designed to help the correctional administrator meet external demands for information, this detailed analysis of the demand information problem identifies the sources of requests for and the nature of the information required from correctional institutions and discusses the kinds of analytic capabilities required to satisfy most demand information…

A brief review of the federal constitutional provisions and equivalent Texas Constitutional provisions for the criminally accused is provided in question and answer form. First Amendment rights related to such matters as freedom of the press, rights of students, picketing, distributing leaflets, state licensing, and obscenity are considered in the…

Recent meta-analyses of drug-court studies recognized the poor methodological quality of the evaluations, with only a few being randomized. This article critiques the design of the randomized studies from a statistical perspective. Learning points are identified for future drug-court studies and are applicable to evaluations both of other…

There are many practical difficulties in conducting forensic evaluations of adolescents charged with serious crimes. This paper addresses some of the reasons why adolescent forensic evaluations are problematic and suggests four strategies for establishing and maintaining rapport, based on a practitioner's experience in evaluating adolescents…

Polygraph testing is becoming increasingly important in sex offender treatment. Polygraph advocates cite dramatic increases in historical disclosures that presumably allow more precise targeting of treatment interventions, earlier detection of risky behaviors that often lead to new offenses, and improved treatment and supervision compliance. Based…

This document, the final report resulting from a two-year study of the use of juvenile records in adult court proceedings and the relationship between age and sanction severity, is of interest to researchers and policymakers concerned with sanction policies for youthful offenders. The introductory chapter provides an overview of the controversy…

The Citizen Me Level Eight guide incorporates the project's goal of providing a curriculum which integrates concepts of basic citizenship education with community involvement through gaining an understanding of rights, liberties, and obligations of citizens, developing an awareness of outcomes identified in crime and drug education, understanding…

This guide provides a framework to help secondary teachers and students explore the growing societal problems of shoplifting. The guide can be used in inservice programs as well. Five sessions are designed to inform students of the social, legal, and economic aspects of stealing. In these sessions, students define shoplifting, discuss the types of…

Selected offender classification practices, past and present, are reviewed. Megargee's requirements for a "good" classification system are amplified, and a critique of several current approaches is provided. The role of classification deficiencies in prison conditions litigation is summarized. Guidelines from commissions, courts, scholars, and…