Current Issues in Corrections (Paperback)

Current Issues in Corrections explores a variety of the most timely and salient challenges facing the correctional system today. The text is comprised of chapters written by experts in the field who have experience as both academic and criminal justice practitioners.

The book begins with an exploration of issues in private corrections and then moves forward to discuss the rights of individuals in correctional institutions and under community supervision, the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2018, jails and immigration, the role of drug courts in reducing recidivism, institutional programming, inmate reentry, educational trajectories of post-incarcerated youth, and more. The text concludes by considering the future of capital punishment. Each chapter includes opening questions, key terms, and discussion questions to stimulate reflection and critical thinking.

For the second edition, updates have been made throughout the chapters to reflect the most current information and statistics. The book also features two new chapters on the experiences of women and juveniles in the correctional system. Finally, the chapters on correctional history, civil commitments, and comparative corrections have been removed, allowing the volume to focus more directly on contemporary issues and remain brief enough to use in a single semester course.

Featuring a unique balance of theory and practice, Current Issues in Corrections is an exemplary textbook for courses in criminal justice and corrections.

Christopher James Utecht is an associate professor and department chair in the Criminal Justice Department at the College of Lake County. He holds master's degrees in criminal justice and sociology from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, respectively.