Research and Practice in Planning Correctional Change

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Abstract
Growing public concern over the operation of correctional systems has led to renewed interest in examining the relationship between research and correctional practice . Correctional research can be classified into five categories: (1) research describing the personal characteristics of offenders; (2) records-keeping and information systems; (3) controlled experimentation; (4) organi zational research; and (5) research aimed at effecting planned change . After reviewing the relationships between each type of research and actual correctional practices, the paper concludes that none has been successful in changing the underlying struc ture of correction and that correctional research has had the latent function of perpetuating the existing system. Nevertheless, research aimed at effecting planned change is providing admin istrators and researchers with valuable experience and thus , of the various types of research, offers the best hope of bringing about needed change.

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