Introduction to Corrections

Introduction to Corrections: Policy, Populations, and Controversial Issues provides students with a holistic introduction to contemporary corrections practice and the opportunities and challenges they are likely to face within their future professional careers.

The text is divided into three distinct units. Unit I examines the evolution of contemporary corrections and philosophies of punishment, correctional administration, probation and parole, and reentry and reintegration. In Unit II, students learn about the constitutional rights of incarcerated individuals, prison culture, and correctional programming. Dedicated chapters explore the characteristics of incarcerated female, juvenile, and vulnerable populations—including LGBTQ persons, elderly persons, and individuals who suffer from mental illness—as well as how these characteristics can impact their incarceration experiences. The final unit speaks to modern controversies in corrections such as racial equity, wrongful conviction, the death penalty, and the prison industrial complex. Throughout, case studies, discussion questions, and application exercises facilitate greater student learning and retention.

Written to provide students with a solid knowledge base within the discipline, Introduction to Corrections is an ideal textbook for courses in corrections, administration of justice, and criminal justice.