Too early is too soon: lessons from the Montana Department of Corrections early release program

摘要: Intheir seminal work,Reaffirming Rehabilitation, Cullen andGilbert (1982: 176) issued a warning that “in the face of teeming penitentiaries, alternative release procedures could and undoubtedly will be evolved. Yet these adaptations are likely to hastily instituted create new inefficiencies inequalities in administration justice.” Nearly three decades later, their premonition has proved correct as state correctional administrators have struggled efforts combat “incompatible powerful forces” (Cullen, Wright, Applegate, 1996: 70) underfunding overcrowding (see, e.g., Lane, 1986). Indeed, by year-end 2009, 19 states federal government had prison systems operating at more than 100% highest inmate capacity with 27 lowest (West, Sabol, andGreenman, 2010).1 Additionally, current economic crisis led significant, across-the-board cuts seemingly untouchable sphere budgets (Engel, Larivee, Luedeman, 2009). The task, then, is for researchers, policy makers, practitioners find ways alleviate strains without compromising goals corrections or safety general public.