Community Corrections as an Alternative to Imprisonment

History

Community corrections have evolved as an integral component of both the criminal justice and corrections systems. However, many elements of community corrections—such as restitution, retribution, and compensation—have origins in ancient and medieval eras, even noted in the Bible in Exodus 22:1–11. During the Middle Ages, King Æthelstane (895–940) prohibited the execution of anyone under 15 years of age and introduced a form of supervised released to a responsible party who would monitor the offender's behavior.

Banishment of offenders was a fairly common practice in England during the 17th century. In fact, it was not uncommon for England to transfer convicted criminals to the American colonies as a means of providing much-needed labor. This policy gave way to a forerunner of parole known as “tickets of leave,” whereby convicted offenders were transported by the government to Australia after serving a portion of their sentence as indentured servants. Passage of the Penal Servitude Act in 1853 enabled Sir Walter Crofton of the Irish penal system to require that inmates display desirable attitudes and reform efforts as a prerequisite for securing a ticket of leave.

The two cornerstones of community corrections in the U.S. system of probation and parole parallel growth and experiences with the prison system. Punishment, not corrections, was the initial objective of justice. Throughout the Middle Ages, banishment and death were the more commonly used methods of punishment. Banishment was the punishment inflicted upon Adam and Eve, as described in the biblical book of Genesis. Public executions as well as horrific forms of noncapital punishment (the use of stocks and pillars, brandings, maimings, and floggings) were commonplace, and justice was based on retributive principles of lex talionis, or the law of retaliation, whereby the law seeks to compensate the offended party with punishment deemed equitable with the crime. These public displays were also used as a form of deterrence.

Hence, prisons were initially received as a more humane response to criminal behavior. The writings of Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham moved penology away from its retributive approach toward a doctrine of utility whereupon the greatest happiness for the greatest number was espoused. Utilitarianism suggests that, among other goals, the primary objectives of punishment are deterrence and proportionality. Offenders are punished to the extent that general deterrence and proportionality relative to the offense are observed. Moreover, it was believed that prisons enabled punishment to occur away from public view and specific deterrence would inhibit a released offender from reoffending.

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