This chapter discusses community corrections and reentry programs as alternatives to incarceration. It outlines intermediate sanctions like intensive probation supervision and split sentencing that allow offenders to serve part of their sentence in the community under strict conditions. Reentry programs prepare offenders for life after prison, including work release and halfway houses. The chapter also examines drug treatment programs like drug courts that provide community-based treatment as an alternative to imprisonment for substance abusers. The goal of these community corrections programs is increased public safety and more successful reintegration of offenders back into society.

1. Chapter 11
Corrections in the Community
Chapter Outline
I. Why Intermediate Sentences?
II. Incarceration Fails to Prepare Offenders for Reentry
III. Concern for Community Safety
IV. Intermediate Sanctions and Community Corrections
Intensive Probation Supervision
Split Sentencing and Shock Probation
Shock Incarceration: Boot Camps
Home Confinement and Electronic Monitoring
V. Reentry Programs: Preparing Offenders to Take Responsibility
Work Release
Education Release
Halfway Houses
Day Reporting Centers
VI. Reentry Programs for Drug Offenders
Adult Drug Courts
Tribal Drug Courts
TASC and RSAT
Try, Try Again

2. Learning Objectives
After completion of this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Explain why federal and state government are turning to community corrections sanctions.
2. Describe opposition to community corrections sanctions.
3. Describe the various sanctions used by the criminal justice system.
4. Detail new strategies being used to promote reentry into the community for ex-offenders.
5. Explain the purpose of adult drug court.
Key Terms
Community based corrections (p. 208) prevention and treatment programs designed to promote
the successful transition of offenders from prison to the community.
Day reporting center (p. 218) an intermediate sanction to provide a gradual adjustment to
reentry under closely supervised conditions
Drug court (p. 219) an approach that provides drug offenders the opportunity for intermediate
sanctions, community treatment, and intensive probations supervision instead of prison time
Education release (p. 217) a program in which inmates are released to attend college or
vocational programs.
Electronic monitoring (p. 213) an approach in home confinement programs that ensures
compliance through electronic means
Faith-based programs (p. 215) programs provided by religious-based and church-affiliated
groups; their role in rehabilitation is controversial because they receive federal money and may
combine religious instruction with rehabilitation.
Halfway house (p. 217) a transition program that allows inmates to move from prison to the
community in steps
Home confinement (p. 213) a court-imposed sentence requiring offenders to remain confined in
their own residences.

3. Intensive probation supervision (p. 211) probation supervised by probation and parole officers
with smaller caseloads, placing a greater emphasis on compliance with the conditions of
supervision
Intermediate sanctions (p. 210) punishments that restrict offenders’ freedom without
imprisoning them and that consist of community-based prevention and treatment programs to
promote the successful transition of offenders from prison to the community.
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (p. 220) a federal assistance program that helps states
provide for treatment instead of prison for substance abusers.
Revolving door syndrome (p. 220) the repeated arrest and incarceration of an offender
Shock incarceration (p. 212) programs (boot camps) that adapt military-style physical fitness
and discipline training to the correctional environment
Shock probation (p. 212) a sentence for a first-time, nonviolent offender, who was not
expecting a sentence, intended to impress on the offender the possible consequences of his or her
behavior by exposure to a brief period of imprisonment before probation
Split sentencing (p. 212) after a brief period of imprisonment, the judge brings the offender back
to court and offers the option of probation
Treatment Accountability Abuse Treatment (p. 220) a federal assistance program that helps
states break the addiction-crime cycle
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (p. 220) Native American drug treatment programs that
adapt traditional cultural beliefs and practices
Work release (p. 215) a program that allows facilities to release inmates for paid work in the
community
Chapter Summary
An over whelming number of offenders are currently returning from prison to the
community. Often they fail in their attempt to reenter the community as law-abiding citizens.
Given the disappointment with traditional probation and parole programs, new programs are
being tried with the aim of better protection for the community and more successful reentry into
the community. New programs include: intermediate sanctions and community-based
corrections.
Intensive probation supervision (IPS) is used to emphasize strict accountability to the
conditions of probation. Split sentencing and shock probation require the offender to spend a
brief period of time in prison before being granted supervised release in the community. Shock

4. incarceration is accomplished through boot camps for adult and juvenile offenders. Home
confinement is an intermediate sanction that requires offenders to remain within the home unless
specifically authorized to leave. Electronic monitoring effectively and efficiently ensures that
offenders remain at home.
Community-based treatment programs such as work release and education release help
offenders to obtain work or education so that they will be successful when they reenter the
community. Halfway houses are programs designed to help inmates make the transition from
prison back into the community. Halfway houses provide offenders with restricted freedoms
within the community during the last part of their sentence. Day reporting centers are used as
intermediate sanctions to keep offenders out of prison, with relatively low recidivism rates.
Media to Explore
For data and resources on corrections, see www.nicic.org/Features/Library/, the library
services of the National Institute of Corrections. This is an excellent Web site for gathering data
for academic papers.
See www.allencountycorrections.com/ to visit the home page of the Allen County Community
Corrections – Fort Wayne, Indiana Web site. Established in 1984, by the Community Corrections
Advisory Board, Allen County Community Corrections is one of the most comprehensive
community corrections programs in the nation.
Go to www.judiciary.state.nj.us/drugcourt/index.htm to obtain information about the New
Jersey Adult Drug Court programs.
To view information about state “boot camps” see www.state.nj.us/corrections/cia/srp.html for
information about New Jersey’s program and for information about Georgia’s boot camp
programs see www.dcor.state.ga.us/Divisions/Corrections/BootCamps.html
To view information about Kentucky’s drug court see
www.courts.ky.gov/stateprograms/drugcourt/
To view information about New York’s veterans court see
www.erie.gov/veterans/veterans_court.asp