Corrections in America: An Introduction, Tenth Edition

Corrections in America: An Introduction, Tenth Edition, by Harry E. Allen, Clifford E. Simonsen and Edward J. Latessa, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004, 511 pp.

Corrections in America: An Introduction, which first came out in 1975, is one of the tried and true introductory corrections texts. The

There are essentially three types of introductory textbooks available: readers, usually presenting selections that offer differing perspectives on a variety of issues; policy-oriented texts, in which the author has a particular point of view that is being presented in the book; and general survey texts, which present comprehensive and balanced views of correctional issues. Corrections in America is mainly the third type, though at times it crosses over into the policy-oriented area.

There are two main problems for the author of a general survey text. The first challenge is finding a middle ground between overwhelming readers with data and trying to cover every aspect of the topic. This text does a fairly good job in this respect. While some of my favorite correctional issues seem to get short shrift (net widening, the importation theory of prisonization, Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment), space demands make such disappointments inevitable. A wealth of up-to-date and wide-ranging material is presented - enough that a professor can be selective but still cover most of the text in a semester.

The second problem is trying to maintain an ideological balance, presenting the many sides of correctional issues as fairly as possible. This is a more difficult problem, especially if the supporting literature for the various positions may be of differing quality and quantity. While Corrections in America is not so much a biased text, it does have a liberal preference that probably should be more clearly acknowledged by the authors.

The text favors a rehabilitation and reintegration approach to corrections, as opposed to the rival goals of retribution, deterrence or incapacitation. While not ignoring the need for public safety, the authors seem to prematurely dismiss the possibility that the high level of incarceration and correctional supervision currently in effect may have played some significant role in the 10 or so years of crime reduction that the country has experienced. They are more inclined to attribute the increase in use of prison to a kind of irrational panic over crime levels than to any real need to respond to high crime levels. They see the "institutional model" as an obstacle to the expansion of community-based programs and clearly imply that vast numbers of the currently incarcerated could be added to community-based corrections. Even the high number of inmates' legal appeals is seen as due to the lack of their constitutionally guaranteed protections.

The above examples represent an attempt to critically examine the book for a possible ideological slant. On the whole, the text is reasonably balanced, and the complexity of correctional issues is examined. Certainly the authors have the right to express their preference for one or the other side of a debate, and perhaps a truly neutral text is not possible in this area. Also, classroom discussion can be used to provide balance, and the very fact that the authors have a point of view may make the text more useful for generating such discussions.