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Abstract: 

The dilemma of how to adequately and appropriately supervise and assist offenders in community settings continues to challenge agency and program administrators, and this is especially evident when dealing with high-risk offenders. This dilemma is exacerbated by various legislative initiatives that take tough-on-crime and zero-tolerance positions in regard to supervision strategies for offenders released to the community. When this viewpoint is combined with governments’ near-universal goal of public safety, it puts community agencies in the difficult spot of attempting to assuage the public’s fear of crime and at the same time work with offenders to become law-abiding citizens. When the fear of crime dictates community responses to the crime problem, the result is usually to exclude the offender from the community. This act of exclusion further hinders the efforts of community correctional work and has the unintended consequence of making the community less safe. I base this last statement on the acknowledged needs of released offenders who, failing to get their needs addressed, tend to reoffend or fail to comply with their conditional releases. This issue of JCC presents three interesting and informative articles highlighting approaches to offender supervision that can be viewed as providing care or using public health approaches and control, or using community protection approaches in the monitoring of offenders released to the community. Restorative Justice in Chile. The first article, by Alejandra Mera, looks at the shift from the inquisitorial justice system in Chile to restorative practices. It is an examination of the challenges facing reform of the criminal justice system in South America. In other countries, the use of restorative justice principles and practices are being seen as an application of a general public health approach to the challenge of crime in our communities. Previous issues of JCC have presented research on restorative justice, and we will continue to bring some of the latest thinking about the practice and application of restorative approaches to these pages. Effective Cognitive Behavioral Intervention. For some time now, readers of JCC have become accustomed to discussions about the use of cognitive behavioral interventions as a prime example of evidence-based practice. Because this approach seeks to assist offenders in making right choices and decisions, it is an example of a program that falls under the idea of care for the offender but also—because it addresses offenders’ thinking and acting habits—care about reducing potential victimization. An essential aspect of the delivery of an effective intervention relates to the integrity of the program. Randy Shively and Mary Horn discuss this critical issue in clear and concise terms, and their paper is a must-read for those implementing cognitive behavioral programs. GPS Tracking of Criminal Offenders. The third article, by Leonard Sipes, deals with the way in which one agency, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, in Washington, DC, is using global positioning technology to help protect society. The article is clear that this useful technology is used only in conjunction with other treatment and specialized services and that although it is very useful for monitoring offenders, it is insufficient on its own to provide the kind of protection that can be achieved by blended approaches to changing offender behavior. Although there have been significant changes in correctional policies and practices, we must remember that these changes are complex and require us to continually evaluate and question whether we are helping or hindering the effort to promote not only community safety, but also community justice. Our quest is for both a safe and a healthy community.

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