Correctional Theory

Francis T. Cullen is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Associate in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, where he also holds a joint appointment in sociology. He received a Ph.D. (1979) in sociology and education from Columbia University. Professor Cullen has published more than 500 works in the areas of criminological theory, corrections, white-collar crime, public opinion, sexual victimization, and the criminology of Donald Trump. He is author of Rethinking Crime and Deviance Theory: The Emergence of a Structuring Tradition and is coauthor of Reaffirming Rehabilitation, Correctional Theory: Context and Consequences, Environmental Corrections: A New Paradigm for Supervising Offenders in the Community, Criminology, Communities and Crime: An Enduring American Challenge, Corporate Crime Under Attack: The Ford Pinto Case and Beyond, Combating Corporate Crime: Local Prosecutors at Work, Unsafe in the Ivory Tower: The Sexual Victimization of College Women, and Confronting School Violence: A Synthesis of Six Decades of Research. He also is coeditor of Criminological Theory: Past to Present—Essential Readings, Taking Stock: The Status of Criminological Theory, The Origins of American Criminology, Encyclopedia of Criminological Theory, The Oxford Handbook of Criminological Theory, Challenging Criminological Theory: The Legacy of Ruth Rosner Kornhauser, Sisters in Crime Revisited: Bringing Gender Into Criminology, Delinquency and Drift Revisited: The Criminology of David Matza and Beyond, Deterrence, Choice, and Crime: Contemporary Perspectives, The Oxford Handbook of White-Collar Crime, The American Prison: Imagining a Different Future, and Crime and Victimization in the Trump Era. Professor Cullen is a Past President of the American Society of Criminology and of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. In 2010, he received the ASC Edwin H. Sutherland Award. In 2013, he was honored by his alma mater, Bridgewater State University, with a Doctorate in Public Service. He was selected as the Winner of the 2022 Stockholm Prize in Criminology.Cheryl Lero Jonson is Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Xavier University. She received a Ph.D. (2010) in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. She is coeditor of The Origins of American Criminology, Sisters in Crime Revisited: Bringing Gender into Criminology, The American Prison: Imagining a Different Future, and Deterrence, Choice, and Crime: Contemporary Perspectives. Her published work has appeared in Criminology and Public Policy, Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, and Victims and Offenders. Her current research interests include correctional policy, the impact of incarceration on recidivism, the use of incentives to downsize American prisons, inmate adjustment to conditions of confinement, strategies to prevent school shootings, and work reactions among criminal justice employees. From 2012 to 2015, she served as an Executive Counselor of the Corrections Section of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

"[The] writing style was clear and made the subject matter easily accessible to the students. Good, concise discussion of correctional theories including examples that enhanced the material being covered. The authors ask the readers to consider important questions that are not always considered in the public realm in thinking about whether certain correctional practices work or not.  These questions helped promote engaging discussions in class."

• PrefacePART I. Crisis in American CorrectionsCHAPTER 1. From Theory to Policy: Evidence-Based CorrectionsTheories of CorrectionsSix Theories in BriefUtility, Opinion, and EvidenceEvidence-Based CorrectionsConclusion: What’s Ahead?CHAPTER 2. Correctional Theory in Crisis: America’s Changing ContextWhat Is Rehabilitation?The Rise of the Rehabilitative IdealAttacking RehabilitationThe “Nothing Works” Doctrine: Martinson and BeyondConclusion: Crisis in Correctional TheoryPART II. The Punishment ResponseCHAPTER 3. Just Deserts: Doing Justice or Getting Tough?The Concepts of Retribution and Just Deserts: Punishing the CrimeRetribution: Just and PainfulFour Problems for RetributionThe Justice Model: Restraining State DiscretionWhat Went Wrong? Winning the Battle but Losing the WarConclusion: The Need for Crime ControlCHAPTER 4. Deterrence: Scaring Offenders StraightThe Concept of DeterrenceIs Deterrence a “Conservative” Theory?The Theoretical Assumptions of DeterrenceStudying Whether Deterrence Works: Assessing Types of EvidencePolicy Changes That Increase PunishmentMacro-Level Studies of Punishment and Crime RatesPerceptual Deterrence StudiesDeterrence in the CommunityThe Effects of ImprisonmentConclusion: The Limits of DeterrenceCHAPTER 5. Incapacitation: Locking Up the WickedToo Many PrisonersMore Than Enough CriminalsThe Concept of IncapacitationEstimating the Incapacitation Effect: Studying Individual OffendersEstimating the Incapacitation Effect: Macro-Level StudiesConclusion: Compared to What?PART III. The Social Welfare ResponseCHAPTER 6. Restorative Justice: Reintegrative ShamingThe Concept of Restorative JusticeThe Appeal of Restorative JusticeThree ProblemsDoes Restorative Justice Work?Conclusion: The Limits of HarmCHAPTER 7. Rehabilitation: What Works to Change OffendersThe Concept of RehabilitationKnowing What WorksChallenging Nothing Works: Narrative ReviewsChallenging Nothing Works: Meta-Analytic ReviewsWhat Does Not WorkWhat Does Work: Principles of Effective InterventionWhat Else Might Work?Conclusion: Reaffirming RehabilitationPART IV. Extending the Vision of CorrectionsCHAPTER 8. Reentry: Saving Offenders from a Life in CrimeFrom Parole to ReentryThe Reentry ProblemReentry ProgramsThe Effectiveness ProblemTwo Things to Keep in MindConclusion: Saving Offenders From a Life in CrimeCHAPTER 9. Early Intervention: Saving Children From a Life in CrimeLessons From Childhood CriminologyThe Need for Early InterventionFive Programs That Work—At Least When Done RightTwo More Reasons to Support Early InterventionConclusion: Beyond Adult-Limited CorrectionsCHAPTER 10. Six Correctional Lessons: Choosing Our FutureThree ThemesFour LessonsConclusion: Choosing Our FutureReferencesIndexAbout the Authors