Social Work Commons^™

Juvenile Delinquency And The Transition To Monopoly Capitalism, Kevin I. Minor

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper identifies three macrosociological forces (i.e., the social position of youth, private market relations, and poverty and inequality) that are crucial for understanding delinquency and analyzes how these forces evolved together as part of the historical transformation in the United States to monopoly capitalism. The thesis is that these forces have contributed to delinquency by acting collectively to decrease the capacity of social institutions to maintain informal social control. Implications for policy are also considered.

African-American Males In Prison: Are They Doing Time Or Is The Time Doing Them?, Anthony E. O. King

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

African-American males comprise a disproportionate percentage of the individuals imprisoned in State correctional institutions across the United States. The purpose of this paper is to describe how incarceration affects African-American males. The author recommends more rigorous and systematic analysis of the prison experience, and how it affects the mental, physical, and social well-being of African-American males. Given this nation's commitment to using imprisonment as the principal means for punishing convicted felons, it is imperative that society ascertain the social, psychological, and economic effects of such confinement on millions of African-American males.

Women Offenders Incarcerated At The Ohio Penitentiary For Men And The Ohio Reformatory For Women From 1913-1923, Rudolph Alexander, Jr., Lola Butler, Patricia Sias

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Unquestionably, women offenders have been subjected to discrimination by the criminal justice system. However, the quality and extent of the discrimination have been the subject of debate. Early male scholars wrote that women offenders were treated chivalrously and leniently. Later female scholars have disagreed and contended that under so-called chivalry women offenders were punished more severely, especially for sex crimes. World War I had a national influence on women imprisoned in reformatories for prostitution, as federal legislation was passed to suppress prostitution and related behaviors. This paper examines qualitative and quantitative data from 1913 to 1923, especially data on the …

Family Ties During Imprisonment: Important To Whom And For What?, Creasie Finney Hairston

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper reviews research on the social functions of prisoner-family ties. Three areas are examined: the preservation of marital units and parentchild bonds; the individual well-being of prisoners, children and other family members; and the prisoner's post-release success. The literature indicates that the maintenance of family ties during imprisonment is desirable, but difficult. Benefits suggested by empirical findings include decreased rates of recidivism following imprisonment, improved mental health of inmates and other family members, and an increased probability of reunification of the family household following imprisonment. The paper concludes with the identification of an agenda to guide future policy and …

Reforming The Juvenile Correctional Institution: Efforts Of The U.S. Children's Bureau In The 1930s, Marguerite G. Rosenthal

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The U.S. Children's Bureau, the federal agency responsible for social policy for children in the early part of this century, delayed studying the problems associated with the institutionalization of juvenile delinquents for nearly twenty-five years. In the 1930's, the Bureau undertook several projects and studies related to training schools for delinquents which were designed to create reform in an area long recognized as harmful to children. This article traces the history of the Bureau's work in the institutional field from 1912-54, analyzes the reasons for the agency's initial reluctance and later activity in this area, discusses the results of these …

Stability And Fluctuation In Juvenile Delinquency In Israel, Ram A. Cnaan, Itzhak Hocherman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A review of the literature indicates two major approaches in official crime rate analysis. The first approach postulates a positive correlation between recorded crime rates and a number of factors including police strength, organizational structure of social control agencies, opportunity, and social pathologies. The second postulate is based on Erikson's hypothesis of stability of deviance over time, namely that recorded crime rates in a given society will remain comparatively stable over time. We tested these approaches based on 15 years of juvenile delinquency statistics in Israel. Official statistics on both recorded juvenile delinquents and their recorded crimes were tested through …

Prison Education, Joseph Behar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

College level education is provided by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to inmates on site at the Riker's Island Correctional Facility in New York City. This undergraduate satellite program is examined in relation to the opportunities for de-institutionalization, re-socialization, and possible effects on "prisonization." The conditions and potential of "education behind bars" for rehabilitation, student development, and personal reorientation are discussed through an analysis of the emergence of an innovative instructional environment not directly controlled by the official nor subcultural systems of the institution. In this context, the educational uses of the "sociological imagination" become part of a …

Defining The Concept Of Crime: A Humanistic Perspective, Ronald C. Kramer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper argues that the traditional definition of crime is too narrow and unnecessarily constrictive of criminological work. Definitions more in accord with the objectives of a humanistic criminology must be developed. The traditional debate over the definition of crime has not been grounded within the context of the more fundamental images of crime that actually guide criminological work. By clarifying these underlying images (paradigms) and displaying the value questions and domain assumptions contained within them, we are in position to develop first order and second order definitions of crime which are more suitable to the task of humanistic criminology.

Humanistic Criminology: Future Prospects, Erdwin H. Pfuhl

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The present paper focuses on several prominent organizational and ideological aspects of academic criminology and the criminal justice system in an effort to assess the prospects of developing a criminology that is informed by humanistic concerns. The conclusion is that, for the immediate future, the prospects are minimal.

Humanistic Criminology: Roots From Peter Kropotkin, Larry L. Tifft, Lois E. Stevenson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Kropotkin's extensive writings on criminological issues have been almost totally neglected. Through critical historical and macro-structural analyses Kropotkin assessed institutional arrangements disclosing how they were or were not meeting human needs. Our exploration focuses on Kropotkin's theoretical contributions, his feelings-based criminology and his extremely insightful dualistic conceptualization of "human nature". His contributions to penology, and his assessment of social arrangements which would meet the complex and ever-changing needs of humankind are briefly examined. Kropotkin's analytic framework provides an insightful and provocative base from which to synthesize criminological thought and research and from which to take action to alter social arrangements …

Humanistic Perspectives In Criminology, Ronald C. Kramer, Stuart L. Hills

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In the past two decades, the field of criminology has changed dramatically. Mainstream criminology, which focused primarily on the etiology of behavior taken for granted as criminal, has been successively challenged by a number of different sociological theories and perspectives. These challenges have come from the labeling or interactionist perspective, various pluralistic conflict theories, and a number of radical, critical, or Marxist approaches. Although there are many differences among these theoretical developments, they share a common set of humanistic concerns. All of these perspectives attempt to combine a theoretical explanation of crime and social control with a practical concern for …

Humanistic Criminology: Is It Possible?, Clayton A. Hartjen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A humanistic criminology is one that would be oriented to human betterment and fulfillment, as opposed to conventional criminology oriented to the control of crime and suppression of offenders. Some of the obstacles that stand in the way of developing a humanistic criminology, as well as some of the reasons why these obstacles do not necessarily preclude its being established, are addressed. Some reasons why humanistic criminology is desirable are suggested. Given that humanistic criminology is viable a critique of contemporary schools of criminology/criminal justice is offered and a number of suggestions are made regarding what an academic department of …

Social Justice Vs Criminal Justice: An Agenda For Critical Criminology, T. R. Young

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper presents an overview of the features of crime and the criminal justice system in the United States. It notes the great disparities in use of five systems of justice. It discusses the amount and variety of corporate crime, political crime, street crime, white collar crime as well as organized crime. It emphasizes the inadequacy of current theories of crime in so far as corporate, white collar and political crime are concerned. The author argues that social justice is a far better way to prevent crime than are criminal justice systems and points to other societies with low crime …

Criminology As A Force For Human Tolerance, Harold E. Pepinsky

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Criminology traditionally has been the study of twin forms of intolerance--crime and punishment. Punishment can only increase crime. Criminology ought to become a study of how to alleviate crime and punishment by engineering tolerance of greater varieties of human behavior, where "social control" takes on positive connations. A framework is outlined for making criminology a force for human tolerance.

Critical Criminology, Traditional Crime, And Public Policy, Ronald C. Kramer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Critical criminologists have often ignored the serious problem of traditional or common street crime. As a result, crime prevention policy has been forfeited to the political right or to those who advocate ineffective liberal reforms. This paper argues that critical criminology can make a contribution to the formulation of public policy concerning traditional crime. Recent theoretical developments within the criitical perspective on crime, as.well as a variety of supporting data, are reviewed and specific policy recommendations to reduce traditional crime are offered. These progressive recommendations constitute an important alternative to the individualistic approaches (liberal or conservative) which now dominate crime …

Political Symbolism In Juvenile Justice: Reforming Florida's Juvenile Detention Criteria, C. Aaron Mcneece, Mark Ezell

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A recent reform in Florida's juvenile detention criteria was over-turned during the subsequent legislative session. This paper describes both the initial reform and its reversal and suggests that symbolic political rewards may often be more important than the actual consequences of a policy. Recommendations are made for accomplishing policy reform in a traditional political culture.

The State Correction Officer As Keeper And Counselor: An Empirical Investigation Of The Role, Robert B. Blair, Clifford M. Black, Henry J. Long

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper addresses two essential research needs in criminal justice literature: (1) the need for an assessment of the content of the role of block officer; and (2) the need for an empirical test of the presumed irreconcilable goals of custody and treatment as these are embedded in the role of state correction officer. A Task Inventory approach was adapted and a random sample of 100 correction officers in four heterogeneous state institutions were interviewed. Results of the study reveal that custodial staff spend at least sixty-percent of their on-job time performing duties not classified as security in nature. Results …

Strategies For Crime Reduction In Public Housing, Mary Jo Huth

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Many recent studies have revealed that not only are residents of public housing the most vulnerable segment of the American population in terms of criminal victimization, but that even in projects where the actual incidence of crime is not high, a great fear of crime prevails, especially among the elderly tenants. There is general consensus among crime prevention experts that crime reduction programs in public housing must utilize an integrated set of measures, including: (1) physical design, security hardware, and maintenance improvements by management; (2) increased organization of tenants around crime prevention issues; (3) employment of unemployed tenants--both youths and …

Criminal Justice Student Views Of The Criminal Justice System: The Impact Of Education And Self-Selection And Their Implications For The Human Services, Belinda Rodgers Mccarthy, Bernard Jerome Mccarthy

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The present study examines criminal justice student views of the criminal justice system. The purpose of the research is to investigate issues surrounding the influence of self-selection and criminal justice education on the opinions of criminal justice students toward the criminal justice system.

The research suggests that students choose criminal justice careers in part because their personal philosophies mirror the conflicting objectives of the criminal justice system. Criminal justice education seems to influence criminal justice student views of the criminal justice system, but in a direction that may make the transition to employment in criminal justice agencies a more difficult …

Factors Associated With Police And Probation/Court Dispositioning: A Research Note, Cheryl Chambers, Richard M. Grinnell Jr., Richard L. Gorsuch

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article presents the results of an empirically based study that examined the discretionary process operating within the same juvenile justice system. Assessment of the factors influencing the decision-making process at two points within the same system indicate some consistent factors operating between the two points.

The Deinstitutionalization Of Juvenile Status Offenders: New Myths And Old Realities, C. Aaron Mcneece

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Claims are being made for deinstitutionalization that obscure some of the lesser known, negative effects. Within the juvenile justice system, for example, many juveniles who were previously institutionalized as juvenile status offenders are being relabelled and institutionalized as jivenile delinquents. In the state system studied in this report, the total number of juveniles in institutional programs did not decrease during the period of "deinstitutionalization."

Social Services In The Iron Cage, James Latimore

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Interview and documentary data from a study of a voluntary job placement agency revealed that counselors were effectively weeding out the hard-to-place clients. These clients were the target population of the agency and its funded programs. The clients who were weeded out tended to be younger, with less education and less work experience. Weeding out was accomplished by discouraging unrealistic clients, and by not retrieving clients who were insufficiently motivated to keep in touch with the counselor. This marked a change in the counselors' practice compared with an earlier period, and appeared to be in conflict with the agency's mission, …

Social Work And Criminal Justice Student Support Of Civil Liberties, David A. Fabianic

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Varying levels of support for civil liberties have been imputed to social work and criminal justice personnel. Assuming students planning to pursue these professional roles reflect attitudes in accordance with anticipated demands of the positions and the effects of preparatory educational experiences, this paper examines the levels of support for selected provisions of the Bill of Rights among social work and criminal justice undergraduate students.

The Fear Of Crime By The Elderly: Issues And Consequences, Mark Pogrebin, G. Nicholas Pijoan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Most of the recent literature concerning the elderly and crime has been concentrated in the area of victimization. Such subjects as the elderly's vulnerability to crime, types of crimes committed against older members of the community, income level of the victims, and residential indicators, are some of the important variables that have been studied in order to better understand the patterns of crime as it affects older citizens.

Although it is believed that the foregoing factors are essential in order to gain knowledge which will inform us as to the nature of criminal victimization against the elderly, it also seems …

Creative Restitution: A Study Of Differential Response Patterns, John T. Gandy, James H. Bridges

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Creative restitution offers considerable potential to the field of criminal justice. The concept is of historical significance for it has been an important element in a variety of cultures. Yet, the notion of restitution or permitting an offender to make amends is not a significant element in our society. This paper explores the responses of a variety of populations to creative restitution. A number of findings were of significance including strong support for and acceptance of the concept by diverse groups.

Blacks In The American Criminal Justice System: A Study Of Sanctioned Deviance, Terry Jones

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Almost since the beginning of Black history in America there have been differences of opinion as to what the role of Blacks should be in reference to the criminal justice system. In the beginning these differences centered around the issue of cooperation or resistance to the slave system and a criminal justice system that guaranteed slavery durante vita. Now, while the issue is no longer slavery, Blacks continue the debate over cooperation versus resistance to the criminal justice system. What should the role of Blacks be in reference to the criminal justice system? Can Blacks be of greater assistance to …

Is Criminology A Policy Science, Robert F. Meier, Gilbert Geis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The question posed in the title is discussed in view of selected evidence from the criminological literature. Criminology's status as a policy science, based largely on the ability of the discipline to present coherent, empirically-based recommendations for the reduction of crime, is evaluated. The review leads to disappointing conclusions with respect to the usefulness to policymakers of the present knowledge base in criminology.

The Incremental Trail In Developing False Doctrine And Its Consequences In The American Drug Scene, Avron Heiligman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The trail of what has turned out to be the criminalization of drug taking behavior illustrates a major criticism of incrementalism in developing policy-- the acceptance and maintenance of specific values and attitudes. The effects of false doctrine accepted more than fifty years ago are with us today and will continue in their effect umtil a radical change is seen in our society. The purpose of this paper is to map the old trail, identify those times where false doctrine was accepted, and to present a radical alternative for the future.

Police As Social Service Workers?, Robert Green

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This is a subject area that is not easily or directly approached, for the state of the knowledge rests primarily upon educated guesses, intuitive hunches and intellectual speculation. Little hard empirical data is available. We are still trying to determine how many police departments we have, let alone understand them. The most extensive surve of the criminal justice system ever attempted in this country concluded in 1967 that we had more than 40,000 departments (President's Commission, 1967). Using more sophisticated sampling techniques, L.E.A.A. reported in 1970 that the number was closer to 14,900; by 1975, however, varying its sampled population …

Psychodramatic Treatment Techniques With Prisoners In A State Of Role Transition, Kenneth Byrne

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

One of the inevitable results of incarceration is the difficulty faced by the offender at the time of his release in his re-entry to a free society. He must adjust to a system which in today's rapidly changinq, technological world, has often chanoed drastically since the time of his entry. The prisoner has had an extended period of time in the prison community in which to warm up to the role of inmate, with its concommitant behavior. (Johnson, Savitz & Wolfgang, pp. 383-496).