The role of the corrections subdomain of the criminal justice system

by | Mar 9, 2025 | criminal justice

 

 

,What is the role of the corrections subdomain of the criminal justice system? What are its goals?

 

2.How are prisons similar to jails? How are they different?

3.How is probation similar to parole? How is it different?

4.Which of the four major models of corrections (punishment, crime control, rehabilitation, reintegration) do you think has been the most successful in accomplishing the goals of the corrections system? Justify your response.

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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Let’s break down the role, goals, and models of corrections within the criminal justice system:

1. Role and Goals of Corrections:

  • Role:
    • The corrections subdomain is responsible for the supervision and management of individuals who have been convicted of crimes.  
    • It encompasses a range of institutions and programs, including prisons, jails, probation, and parole.  
    • Its core functions include incarceration, supervision, and the provision of services aimed at rehabilitation and reintegration.

Let’s break down the role, goals, and models of corrections within the criminal justice system:

1. Role and Goals of Corrections:

  • Role:
    • The corrections subdomain is responsible for the supervision and management of individuals who have been convicted of crimes.  
    • It encompasses a range of institutions and programs, including prisons, jails, probation, and parole.  
    • Its core functions include incarceration, supervision, and the provision of services aimed at rehabilitation and reintegration.
  • Goals:
    • Punishment: To impose penalties on offenders for their crimes, serving as retribution and deterring future offenses.
    • Incapacitation: To remove offenders from society, preventing them from committing further crimes.  
    • Deterrence: To discourage individuals from committing crimes through the threat of punishment.  
    • Rehabilitation: To provide offenders with programs and services that address the root causes of their criminal behavior and promote positive change.  
    • Reintegration: To facilitate the successful return of offenders to society as law-abiding citizens.

2. Prisons vs. Jails:

  • Similarities:
    • Both are secure facilities that hold individuals who have been accused or convicted of crimes.
    • Both involve the restriction of freedom and the imposition of rules and regulations.
    • Both may provide basic services such as food, medical care, and recreational activities.
  • Differences:
    • Purpose:
      • Jails primarily hold individuals awaiting trial or those serving short sentences (typically less than one year).  
      • Prisons hold individuals convicted of felonies and serving longer sentences.
    • Jurisdiction:
      • Jails are typically operated by local law enforcement agencies (e.g., county sheriffs).  
      • Prisons are operated by state or federal governments.
    • Population:
      • Jails have a more transient population, with individuals moving in and out frequently.  
      • Prisons have a more stable population, with individuals serving longer terms.
    • Services:
      • Prisons typically offer more extensive rehabilitative and educational programs than jails.

3. Probation vs. Parole:

  • Similarities:
    • Both involve the supervision of offenders in the community.  
    • Both require offenders to adhere to specific conditions, such as reporting to a supervision officer, maintaining employment, and avoiding further criminal activity.
    • Both can be revoked if the offender violates the conditions of supervision.
  • Differences:
    • Timing:
      • Probation is a sentence handed down by a judge as an alternative to incarceration.  
      • Parole is a conditional release from prison after a portion of the sentence has been served.  
    • Authority:
      • Probation is overseen by the courts.  
      • Parole is overseen by a parole board or agency.  
    • Conditions:
      • Probation conditions may be more flexible and tailored to the individual offender’s needs.  
      • Parole conditions are often more strict and focused on ensuring public safety.  

4. Most Successful Corrections Model:

  • It’s challenging to declare one model universally “most successful,” as success depends on the criteria used (recidivism rates, cost-effectiveness, etc.) and the context.
  • However, a strong argument can be made that a model that embraces a focus on rehabilitation and reintegration, when properly funded and implemented, yeilds the best long term results for communities.
    • Justification:
      • Purely punitive models often result in high recidivism rates, as offenders are not given the tools to change their behavior.
      • Rehabilitation focuses on addressing the root causes of crime, such as substance abuse, lack of education, and mental health issues.  
      • Reintegration programs help offenders transition back into society, reducing the likelihood of re-offending.  
      • While crime control is important, focussing entirely on crime control, does not address the core problems that cause crime.
      • When offenders have the tools they need to function as productive members of society, communities become safer.
      • Also, focusing on rehabilitation, and reintegration, lowers long term costs to society.
    • It is important to understand that no model works perfectly for all people. There will always be individuals that are a threat to society. However, focusing on rehabilitation will provide the best out comes for most people.

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