Table Of ContentTHE
AMERICAN PRISON
Issues in
Research and Policy
LAW, SOCIETY, AND POLICY
Series Editors: Joel Feinberg, Travis Hirschi,
Bruce Sales, and David Wexler
Ulliuersily of Arizolltl
Volume 1 DISABLED PERSONS AND THE LAW: State Legislative
Issues
Bruce Sales, D. Matthew Powell, Richard Van Duizend, and
Associates
Volump. 2 VICTIMIZATION IN SCHOOLS
Gary D. Gottfredson and Denise C. Gottfredson
Volume 3 DECISION MAKING IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Toward the
Rational Exercise of Discretion (Second Edition)
Michael R. Gottfredson and Don M. Gottfredson
Volume 4 THE AMERICAN PRISON: Issues in
Research and Policy
Edited by Lynne Goodstein and Doris Layton MacKenzie
A Continuation Order Plan is available for this series. A continuation order will bring delivery of
each new volume immediately upon publication. Volumes are billed only upon actual shipment. For
further information please contact the publisher.
THE
AMERICAN PRISON
Issues in
Research and Policy
Edited by
Lynne Goodstein
Pennsylvania Siale University
University Park, Pennsylvania
and
Doris Layton MacKenzie
Louisiana Siale University
Balon Rouge, Louisiana
and National Institule of Justice
Washinglon, D.C.
PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
The American prison: issues in research and policy ! edited by Lynne Goodstein
and Doris Layton MacKenzie.
p. cm.-(Law. society. and policy; v. 4)
Includes bibliographies and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-5654-7 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-5652-3
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4684-5652-3
1. Corrections-United States. 2. Prisons-United States. l. Goodstein. Lynne. II.
MacKenzie. Doris. III. Series.
HV9469.A777 1989 89-35536
36Y.973-dc20 CIP
© 1989 Plenum Press, New York
Softcovcr reprint of the hardcover 15t edition 1989
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
233 Spring Street. New York. N.Y. 10013
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means. electronic. mechanical. photocopying. microfilming.
recording, or otherwise. without written permission from the Publisher
CONTRIBUTORS
GEOFFREY P. ALPERT, College of Criminal Justice, University of South
Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208
ALFRED BLUMSTEIl':, School of Urban and Public Affairs, Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
JOHN P. CONRAD, 544 Reed Drive, Davis, California 95616
FRANCIS T. CULLEN, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Cin
cinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0108
TIMOTHY J. FLANAGAN, School of Criminal Justice, State University of
New York at Albany, Albany, New York 12222
PAUL GENDREAU, Centracare Saint John Inc., Saint John, New Brunswick
E2M 4H7, Canada
LYNNE GOODSTEIN, Administration of Justice Department, The Pennsyl
vania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
J. DOUGLAS GRANT, Nicasio, California 94946 (Formerly of the Social Ac
tion Research Center)
KENNETH C. HAAS, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Dela
ware, Newark, Delaware 19716
JOHN R. HEPBURN, School of Justice Studies, Arizona State University,
Tempe, Arizona 85287
KAy A. KNAPP, Institute for Rational Public Policy, Inc., 40 Philadelphia
Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland 20912
CHARLES H. LOGAN, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06268
v
vi CONTRIBUTORS
DORIS LAYTON MACKENZIE, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana 70803, and National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of
Justice, 633 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20531
HANS TaCH, School of Criminal Justice, State University of New York at
Albany, Albany, New York 12222
NICOLE HAHN RAFTER, College of Criminal Justice, Northeastern Uni
versity, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
KEVIN N. WRIGHT, Center for Education and Social Research, State Uni
versity of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York 13901
PREFACE
Despite the dire forecasts of others who had themselves edited books,
we proceeded with the project of an edited volume on the American
prison, although with more than a little trepidation. We had heard the
horror stories of authors turning in their chapters months or years late
or never at all, of publishers delaying publication dates, of volumes that
read more like patchwork quilts than finely loomed cloth. As if to prove
the others wrong, our experience in editing this volume has been mar
velous, and we think the volume reflects this.
Most likely, the success of our experience and of the volume stems
from two elements: first, the professionalism and commitment of the
authors themselves; and second, the fact that early in the life of this
volume, most of the authors convened for a conference to critique and
coordinate the chapters.
This book brings together an illustrious group of criminologists and
correctional scholars who wrote chapters explicitly for this volume. Co
hesiveness was furthered by the charge we gave to each author to (1)
present the major issues, (2) review the empirical research, and (3) dis
cuss the implications of this work for present and future correctional
policy. The goal of this project was to examine the major correctional
issues facing prison systems. The chapters scrutinize the issues from
the perspective of the system and the individual, from theory to practical
and daily management problems, from legal to psychological concerns.
The advantage of this approach is revealed by the depth and richness
of the chapters. No one or two individuals could have adequately cov
ered so many of the issues relating to research and policy in today's
prisons with such sophistication and comprehensiveness.
To insure editorial integrity and cohesiveness, the authors met in
Nags Head, North Carolina, in late 1987 to review each other's drafts
and to provide suggestions and feedback to each author. Arriving at the
conference with completed chapters, authors distributed copies to all
vii
viii PREFACE
participants, and time was scheduled to discuss, evaluate, and offer
suggestions for improving chapters that were already superb. Partici
pants approached these tasks with the perfect combination of serious
ness and good humor to enable the conference to proceed not only
efficiently and productively but enjoyably as well.
Thoughts of the conference bring back wonderful memories of sit
ting on the beach reading chapters, meetings to critique others' work,
being on the "chopping block" when one's own chapter was critiqued,
sharing sunsets and swims, picnics and wind. It was a time to build
new friendships, share time with old friends, and discuss issues in re
search and policy.
The results of all this fun and sharing of talents is a volume that
we believe has a cohesiveness not usually found in an edited book. Our
job, of course, was also simplified because the burden of editorship was
shared by all conference participants. Moreover, after the conference
when the new editions of the chapters were received, they were ready
to go to press. We are indebted to numerous colleagues for their en
couragement and advice on this project, but most importantly, we would
like to thank the authors whose work appears in this volume.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Introduction: Issues in Correctional Research and
Policy ..................................................... 1
LYNNE GOODSTEIN AND DORIS LAYTON MACKENZIE
1. The Prison as a Rational Organization ......................... 2
2. Prisons, Politics, and Demographics ........................... 4
3. The Private Sector and the Prison .............................. 6
4. The Prison and the Prisoner .................................... 6
5. The Prison as a System.......................................... 7
6. The Future of Correctional Research ........................... 9
PART 1. CORRECTIONS AS A SYSTEM: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Chapter 2. American Prisons in a Time of Crisis.................. 13
ALFRED BLUMSTEIN
1. Introduction ...................................................... 13
2. The Growth in Prison Population .............................. 13
2.1. Prison as Correction ........................................ 13
2.2. The Demise of Rehabilitation .............................. 14
2.3. The Rise in the Call for Punishment...................... 16
3. The Demographic Shift .......................................... 18
4. Prospects for the Future ......................................... 20
4.1. Continued Politicization ................................... 20
4.2. Demographic Prospects .................................... 21
5. Summary.......................................................... 22
6. References ........................................................ 22
ix
x CONTENTS
Chapter 3. The Effectiveness of Correctional Rehabilitation:
Reconsidering the "Nothing Works" Debate.......... 23
FRANCIS T. CULLEN AND PAUL GENDREAU
1. The "Nothing Works" Debate .................................. 24
1.1. The Martinson Phenomenon .............................. 24
1.2. The "Nothing Works" Doctrine in Context .............. 27
1.3. Nothing Works? A Time for Reassessment .............. 30
2. Effective Correctional Treatment:
Prospects and Principles ......................................... 31
2.1. Principles of Effective Correctional Intervention ......... 32
2.2. Recent Research: Further Reason for Optimism ......... 34
3. The Tenacity of Rehabilitative Ideology ........................ 35
4. Conclusion ........................................................ 38
5. References ........................................................ 39
Chapter 4. Proprietary Prisons ...................................... 45
CHARLES H. LOGAN
1. The Recent Interest in Privatization ............................ 46
2. The Early Contracts .............................................. 47
3. Private Prison Issues: Pros and Cons .......................... 50
4. The Propriety of Proprietary Prisons ........................... 52
5. Public and Private Prison Costs ................................ 54
5.1. The "Hidden Costs" of Corrections ...................... 55
5.2. Hamilton County: A Relatively Complete
Cost Analysis ............................................... 56
6. Summary and Conclusion ....................................... 60
7. References ........................................................ 62
PART II. LEGAL ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONS
Chapter 5. American Prisoners and the Right of Access to the
Courts: A Vanishing Concept of Protection ........... 65
KENNETH C. HAAS AND GEOFFREY P. ALPERT
1. Introduction ...................................................... 65
2. Prison Policies and Practices Affecting the Right of Access
to the Courts ..................................................... 66
2.1. U.S. Supreme Court Decisions ............................ 66
2.2. Prison Legal Assistance Programs and Their Impact.... 70
