About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


27 American J. Crim. Just. 1 (2002-2003)

handle is hein.journals/acnjrlocm27 and id is 1 raw text is: FROM REHABILITATION TO RETRIBUTION: Examining Public Policy Paradigms and Personnel Education Patterns in Correctionst JEANNE B. STINCHCOMB Florida Atlantic University ABSTRACT: The literature is saturated with discussions of how public policy paradigm shifts over the past several decades have affected everything from esca- lating prison populations to accelerating tax burdens. However, observers have not examined whether the transition from the medical model to the justice model has influenced the educational qualifications of custodial staff. Theoretically, one might assume that a treatment focus demands higher educational standards than a control orientation. The evidence presented herein largely refutes that assump- tion. In addition, there is some doubt as to whether advancing educational achievements will continue. Reasons for the dissonance between public policies and the educational credentials of line-level operational personnel are discussed, along with potential future implications. INTRODUCTION With the progression of time comes the inevitability of change. But not all change is progress, just as all movement is not forward (Glasgow, 1969, p. 117), and the by-products of major social change do not always materialize as expected (e.g., Pisciotta, 1994; Rothman, 1980). If it is true that some consequences of social action are unantici- pated (Merton, 1976, pp. 145-155), then it is equally true that some an- ticipated effects do not always materialize as originally envisioned. One vivid example of such a disparity is the dissonance between major cor- rectional policy transitions and staff educational developments. Correctional facilities have felt the repercussions as policy para- digms shifted away from rehabilitation towards retribution. Research has addressed the impact of this ideological transformation on every- thing from escalating inmate populations to expanding fiscal pressures (Irwin & Austin, 1997; Lehman & Labecki, 1998; Merlo & Benekos, 2000; Rogers, 2000; Schiraldi & Greene, 2002). More inmates are + Direct all correspondence to: Jeanne B. Stinchcomb, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, III E. Las Olas Boulevard, Ft. Lauder- dale, FL 233301. E-mail: stinchco@fau.edu. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Vol. 27 No. 1, 2002 © 2002 Southern Criminal Justice Association