Community based corrections is a program which supervises people who have been convicted or are facing conviction. It is a non-incarcerate system of correction.
These offenders have been convicted or are facing conviction. Some offenders have entered these programs before being in jail and some serve a part of their sentence in jail before entering the program. The goals of the community based corrections would be one of providing guidance, program opportunities and support to the offender’s who are returning to the communities.They are to help prevent the offender from recidivism.
These programs are designed to help with programs such as employment assistance, continued education, drug classes and counseling. Their goal is to strengthen the offender in a trade and mental being to be able to cope in society and from a re-offense. The goals of the community based corrections in juvenile offenders are to prevent or reduce juvenile offenses, both criminal and non-criminal. Early interventions are designed to deter future misconduct, reduce negative or enhance positive factors in a child’s life.
These programs promote improvements in the system to aid family courts, prosecutors and public defenders to provide a justice of due process protections. (Program Goals) These programs help to maintain public safety through a balanced use of secure detention, corrections and community based alternatives because they help to reduce facility crowding. Community Corrections programs are programs designed to divert offenders from incarceration by providing alternatives to prison and help reduce jail overcrowding. They are there to support the offenders to intermingle with the community while being monitored in their activities.Community based corrections consists of probation, intermediate sanction, parole and re-entry programs. (Chapter 5, pg.
114) In New Mexico, we have probation and parole programs. Our community corrections program services offenders in the community who are judged to be at a higher risk of being offenders. (Probation and Parole Programs) We have home detention programs which allow the offender to continue to stay at home and carry on with his daily activities, doctor appointments and court appointments. The first and second level offenders have curfews and home incarceration.
All offenders are under close supervision.Electronic Monitoring is the usage of passive or active supervision. These devices allow the officer to speak to the offender at any given time. The home monitoring system is also used in their home. This type of program sets limitations on their location and activities.
DWI offenders have a community service program that is designed for offenders to work for the public or non-profit organizations with pay. These programs support offenders’ rehabilitation. The Safe Ride Home Initiative Program is a program to cut down on DWI’s by offering residents a ride to where they are going to drink and a ride home.There is a program for youth to protect the community from those youth placed in their custody.
This program was created to provide and maintain alternatives to detention through community supervision programs that promote education, healthy lifestyles and positives choices for youth and their families. (Youth Services Center) In a publication I found a research on Evidence- Bases Adult Corrections Program – What Works and What Does Not. In this report, the outcome is to determine the reduction of crime reduction in offenders.There research question is straight forward: “What works, if anything to lower the recidivism rates of adult offenders? ” They applied methodology in this study and their set of procedures is call “meta-analysis”. In this study they found that out of 25 well researched cognitive-behavioral treatment programs for adult offenders, those programs could be expected to reduce recidivism rate by 82%.
That is, in a year follow up, 49%of these offenders will recidivate with a new felony conviction.With this program they expected recidivism probability to drop four points to 45% which would then be at an 8. % reduction in recidivism. (Evidence-Based Adult Corrections Programs: What Works and What does Not, Pg.
2, 3, Chart Exhibit 1) I believe that these programs are effective in helping to rehabilitate offenders to adjust back into society at a slow pace. Community based correction programs have yielded positive results. They have gained popularity with many countries. Braithwaite put forth the philosophy of restorative principle of reintegration. It is like helping offenders to enter the society in a way where they can be accepted by the society.
This system has its impact on the society in general as well, as it helps the society understand and accept the fact that offenders are also a part of the society. (National Institute of Corrections) Correctional Institutions In New Mexico we have six state owned and operated facilities. Nine out of ten institutions house male inmates. All female offenders are housed in one facility. The average cost to house an inmate is approximately $39,000 per year. State Central New Mexico Correctional Facility, Los Lunas, NM This institution, currently has the only Level I Unit remaining in New Mexico.
It has one primary and five secondary missions. No security listed. Penitentiary of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM Level V. VI for minimum restrict facility.
It has one primary and five secondary missions. Privately Operated New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility, Grants, N. M. It has Levels I, II, III, IV, V, and VI. No security listed. Guadalupe County Correctional Facility, Santa Rosa, N.
M. It has Level III and IV. Juvenile Justice Division, NM, New Mexico Boys School Private company-State Govt. Correctional Institutions No security listed.Juvenile Justice Division, Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque Girls re-integrations Center Private company under Juvenile Detention centers No security listed.
Bernalillo County Corrections, Albuquerque,NM Privately owned under state Government correctional Institutions No security listed. Federal The Federal Correctional Institution, La Tuna, located at the New Mexico/ Texas border is a low security facility. The Federal Prison Camp, La Tuna, is a 328 bed minimum security facility located approximately one half mile north of the main institution.
