Corrections in America: An Introduction

by Harry E. Allen, Edward J. Latessa, Bruce S. Ponder

This has been the # 1 Intro to Corrections book in the market for nearly 30 years. The newest edition retains the majority of the content that makes it a favorite, namely the comprehensive coverage that spans the field’s history from its inception in the 1800s to present day correctional trends. The text integrates well designed learning aids such as Fast Facts and Correctional Briefs to effectively reinforce the subject matter. An outstanding CD Rom accompanies the book, which includes videos featuring the authors’ overview of each chapter, as well as introducing leading criminologists on pertinent topics. The authors address hot trends, present unbiased views on controversial issues and bring the reader face-to-face with key players in both the world of corrections and the offenders who make the system necessary. Covers corrections' most controversial issues including female offenders, re-entry, special

Genres: School, Nonfiction

501 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few textbooks I can honestly say I would enjoy reading for pleasure. The information is well laid-out and fascinating for those with an interest.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the 12th edition. I usually don't give two-star reviews, so I wanted to explain. (I typically don't finish any book that is feeling like one or two stars after 3-4 chapters, and it doesn't seem fair to rate a book I don't finish -- but I'm doing the 52 book challenge this year so I decided to push through this time).

This seemed like a decent primer on the correctional system in America, with a decent Eurocentric history of corrections. But the authors' own agenda was pretty evident at times, which seemed odd whether I agreed with them (e.g. more resources should be devoted to rehabilitation as opposed to punishment and control) or disagreed with them (e.g. private, for-profit prisons are a "promising" venture).

The authors also made strange decisions about which terms they would highlight and define in the sidebar. For example, I didn't need them to tell me what "appeal" or "expunge" means, but they felt no need to explain "certiorari" so I had to Google it. :)

Another thing that irritated me was their list of typical traits of female offenders, which included "deficient parenting skills." This obviously was not present on the list of typical traits of male offenders.

And finally, there were lots of typos considering this was the 12th edition. (I mean, excuse any typos in this post — but it's a Goodreads review, not the 12th edition of an educational text.)

So overall... two stars.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corrections isn't much of a topic of interest to me, but I needed another criminal justice course to complete my minor, and nothing else relevant to forensics was being offered besides the hair & fiber analysis class I also enrolled in.

Anyway, even though this isn't really my thing, it wasn't a tedious book to get through. It's a good overview of different aspects of correctional institutions in the US and the different segments of the inmate population.

If you're interested in corrections, criminal court procedures, or law enforcement, I'd recommend this as an introductory text.