The Multifunction Jail: Policy Makers' Views of the Goals of Local Incarceration

Abstract

As scholars of local corrections have noted, jails hold a myriad of inmates for widely diverse reasons. What remains unclear, however, is what purpose or purposes jails are expected to serve. Despite considerable research on the degree of support for various correctional goals, little is known about what goals people want local jails to pursue. Using a survey of local criminal justice leaders in Orange County, Florida, this study examines the preferences policy makers hold regarding the appropriate functions of jails. Our results suggest that these policy makers supported several utilitarian goals but were most supportive of rehabilitation and serving the needs of those with mental health and substance abuse problems. Lesser support was expressed for incapacitation, deterrence, retribution, and detention. The implications of these findings for criminal justice policy and for future research are discussed.

Moving Toward Utopia

“…Throughout history, jails have struggled with ambiguous roles that have never been well defined (Applegate et al, 2003; Kerle, 2003; Stinchcomb, 2011; Thompson & Mays, 1991), and, as a result, society has maintained both widely varying perspectives of their functions and unrealistic expectations of their capabilities. In this article, we have advocated an expanded organizational identity for achieving utopian jails that would embrace a new mission involving everything from mental health services to substance abuse treatment.…”

“…Beyond custody, however, an organizational image related to broader reformative goals would open possibilities for achieving much more. For example, inmate programming, intervention, and reintegration would become guiding principles rather than secondary (or nonexistent) considerations (Applegate, Davis, Otto, Surette, & McCarthy, 2003; Kifer, Hemmens, & Stohr, 2003).…”

From the Inside

“…When asked what corrections should be, it is not uncommon to find that professionals and the public alike endorse multiple goals (see, e.g., Applegate, Davis, Otto, Surette, & McCarthy, 2003;Kifer, Hemmens, & Stohr, 2003;McCorkle, 1993). When unencumbered by considerations of how pursuing different goals might lead to conflicting practices, people want offenders to be deterred and rehabilitated, to be punished only to the extent they deserve but also to be isolated to protect the public from their future offenses.…”