The Most Significant Change in Correctional Policy in Last Years - Essay Example

The correctional policy has undergone immense changes over the last century, to encompass contemporary issues in cultural, social, and economic aspects.

Violators of social norms, rights, and freedom are referred to as offenders. The correctional policy is designed to address the resultant conflict that emerges when the justice system is jeopardized by individuals or groups of people. One of the significant changes that have been realized in the correctional policy is the embracement of the fact that offenders have rights. In the early stages of the implementation of the policy, the rights and freedoms of individuals subjected to the policy were often curtailed and therefore not observed. However, over the years, the fact that the offenders have rights too has been upheld, leading to from time to time reforms that account for the welfare of both the offenders and the community prior to the interests of the policy.

Secondly, the policy has evaluated and assessed punishment mechanisms in a bid to realize the required corrections. In this regard, diversity and dynamism in modes and mechanisms of punishments have been adopted over the years. While strict and specific procedures of corrections were employed in the earlier years of the practice of the policy, reforms, rehabilitation, reintegration, and restraint are common in the policy today (Roberts & Springer 32). On the same note, the policy’s diversity has made it possible for its practice to encompass alternative programs that ease pressure in correctional facilities.

Sentencing guidelines prior to the desired goals and objectives of the correctional policy have significantly changed over the last 100 years. Uniformity and proportionality are the two primary aspects that have characterized this change (Cole & Smith 495). Offenses of the same or similar magnitude are critically matched to carry the same sentences, as provided for by the policy. With regard to proportionality, the policy differentiates between offenses and sentences. This means that the policy provides for the ranking of offenses in terms of severity, and further outlines the relevant sentence accorded to each identifiable offense magnitude.

Finally, resource control has been another change that has characterized the policy over the last century. Since the formulation and implementation of the policy, resources are allocated for correctional facilities and the maintenance of the policy. Changes in relation to resource control over the last one hundred years encompass fitting correctional practices within the limitations of resources, a scenario that had been earlier ignored. Correctional research has aided this process in a bid to uphold community justice. All these changes are important as they address social, economic, and political concerns that arise in the practice of the policy over time.