Legitimacy In Corrections Research Paper
Courtney Weidner
Legitimacy of Corrections
Chestnut Hill College
Abstract
This paper will attempt to define legitimacy in the context of corrections and the overall criminal justice system. A study will be introduced that will reflect the correlation between compliance and perceived legitimacy while incarcerated. Specifically, 202 adult inmates were randomly assigned to serve a 6-month sentence at either a military-style boot-camp or a traditional prison. They then took a survey to voice their concerns and overall experiences. The findings suggest legitimacy-building policies such as fair treatment and decision making among officers and other authority. In …show more content…
However, it is often viewed as a challenging task to define and measure such a subjective and abstract issue. Within our current justice system there are two different facilities used to implement the principles of corrections; a traditional facility and a modern boot camp. In an effort to define what makes a correctional facility legitimate, research was extended. In fact, a study was conducted that followed 202 adult inmates. During this study, the inmates were assigned to serve a six-month sentence at one of the two institutions. After their experience, each inmate was asked to take a survey and reveal their individual perceptions on the facility as a whole, specifically their programs regarding treatment, functions of efficiency, and authoritative tactics while incarcerated. The results of this experiment are used to suggest ideas for the future of correctional …show more content…
In fact, being one of the most institutionalized and widely known forms of authority, there tends to be a great deal of pressure on the criminal justice system. If society does not view the justice system as legitimate, then there is little chance for other, less influential figures of authority to obtain a sense of legitimacy (Hoffman, 1977). Any lack of public cooperation could lead to a decline in structure, order, and compliance. For example, a repercussion to lack of legitimacy is the inclination that citizens have to disobey or even disregard police mandate (Skogan and Frydll, 2003) or court decisions (Tyler, 2003). However, it has been found that legitimacy of the law is more influential in determining offending behavior than the risk of punishment (Tyler, 1990). Essentially, the definition of legitimacy has found that the decision itself is not nearly as important as the discernment process or the means of rehabilitation (Franke, Bierie and MacKenzie,
Legitimacy of Corrections
Chestnut Hill College
Abstract
This paper will attempt to define legitimacy in the context of corrections and the overall criminal justice system. A study will be introduced that will reflect the correlation between compliance and perceived legitimacy while incarcerated. Specifically, 202 adult inmates were randomly assigned to serve a 6-month sentence at either a military-style boot-camp or a traditional prison. They then took a survey to voice their concerns and overall experiences. The findings suggest legitimacy-building policies such as fair treatment and decision making among officers and other authority. In …show more content…
However, it is often viewed as a challenging task to define and measure such a subjective and abstract issue. Within our current justice system there are two different facilities used to implement the principles of corrections; a traditional facility and a modern boot camp. In an effort to define what makes a correctional facility legitimate, research was extended. In fact, a study was conducted that followed 202 adult inmates. During this study, the inmates were assigned to serve a six-month sentence at one of the two institutions. After their experience, each inmate was asked to take a survey and reveal their individual perceptions on the facility as a whole, specifically their programs regarding treatment, functions of efficiency, and authoritative tactics while incarcerated. The results of this experiment are used to suggest ideas for the future of correctional …show more content…
In fact, being one of the most institutionalized and widely known forms of authority, there tends to be a great deal of pressure on the criminal justice system. If society does not view the justice system as legitimate, then there is little chance for other, less influential figures of authority to obtain a sense of legitimacy (Hoffman, 1977). Any lack of public cooperation could lead to a decline in structure, order, and compliance. For example, a repercussion to lack of legitimacy is the inclination that citizens have to disobey or even disregard police mandate (Skogan and Frydll, 2003) or court decisions (Tyler, 2003). However, it has been found that legitimacy of the law is more influential in determining offending behavior than the risk of punishment (Tyler, 1990). Essentially, the definition of legitimacy has found that the decision itself is not nearly as important as the discernment process or the means of rehabilitation (Franke, Bierie and MacKenzie,