Chapter 6

The Correctional
Client

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

 types of offenders

long-term elderly
situational
AIDS

career
special
correctional
populations mentally
handicapped

sex
substance mentally ill
abuser

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

“situational
definition
offender”

a person who in a particular set of

circumstances has violated the
law, but who is not given to
criminal behavior in normal
circumstances and is unlikely to
repeat the offense

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

 definition
“career criminal”

a person who sees crime as a

way of earning a living, who has
numerous contacts with the
criminal justice system over time,
and who may view the criminal
sanction as a normal part of life

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

 definition
“sex offender”

a person who has committed a

sexual act prohibited by law,
such as rape, child molestation,
or prostitution, for economic,
psychological, and even
situational reasons

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

“substance
definition
abuser - drugs”

a person whose use of illegal

chemical substances disrupts
normal living patterns to the
extent that social problems
develop, often leading to
criminal behavior

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

 drugs and crime
% of convicted jail inmates (for selected offenses)
who committed their offense to support a drug habit
35% 32% 31%
30%
% of total inmates

24%
25%
19%
20%
13% 14%
15% 12%
10%

5%

0%
total total robbery total burglary total traffick-
offenses violent property drugs ing
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th
“substance
definition
abuser - alcohol”

a person whose use of alcohol is

difficult to control, disrupting
normal living patterns and
frequently leading to violations of
the law while the person in under
the influence of alcohol or
attempting to secure it

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

“mentally ill
definition
offender”

a “disturbed” person whose

criminal behavior may be traced
to diminished or otherwise
abnormal capacity to think or
reason as a result of
psychological or neurological
disturbance

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

“deinstitutionalization” definition

 the massive release of mental

patients from mental hospitals
and their return to the
community

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

 “mentally definition
handicapped offender”

a person whose limited mental

development prevents their
adjustment to the rules of society

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

 definition
“AIDS offenders”
 persons who in the course of their lives
inside or outside of prison have contracted
the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
and/or developed its full-blown
symptomatic stage -- acquired immune
deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

issues
medical
prevention care
housing
Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th
 definition
“elderly offender”

 older offenders are becoming an

increasingly significant part of the
correctional population
 WHY?
 citizenry are getting older
 sentences are getting longer
 ISSUES:
 health (cost = $69,000/yr. for inmate > 60)
 “institutionalization” is dramatic for elderly
 elderly pose a less serious risk upon release;
so they are often released early

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

“long term offender” definition

 increasingly, offenders are doing longer

terms, creating same problems as those
related to “elderly offenders”
 1st-time offenders do an average of 22 mo.
 11 - 15% will serve > 7 yr.
 24% will serve > 25 yr.
 9% will serve life
 ISSUES:
 elderly problems
 create meaningful living
 maintain contact with outside world

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

“classification definition
systems”
 specific sets of objective criteria--
such as offense history, previous
experience in the justice system, &
substance abuse patterns--are applied
to all inmates to determine
appropriate institutional housing
and treatment programs

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

 Correctional classification

classification
criteria
social &
political program &
commitment
offense pressures! treatment
needs

risk of
future crime

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th

 debate over
classification criteria

program institutional
treatment vs. control
needs needs

how to help the how to manage

offender the institution

Clear & Cole, American Corrections, 6th