M4 Written Assignment: Treatment Programs

You are the commissioner of the Office of Parole and Community Corrections and have been called before the local legislature to evaluate the need, effectiveness and risks of various kinds of residential and non-residential treatment programs. Develop and write a presentation of about 2,400 words on the need for and types of such programs. Address the political and economic liabilities and public reaction to community treatment programs. Explain a bit about how offenders are screened, their program needs assessed and their treatment planned, as well as how treatment programs are evaluated for effectiveness. Couch your discussion in terms of public educational approaches you might make to garner support for your position (pro or con) concerning these programs, including what research shows about their effectiveness as a tool for successful reintegration of offenders, as opposed to incarceration.

You should be prepared to submit your written remarks to the legislature. Sources should be documented, and your writing should be free of distracting errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax. You must use the material you have been assigned to read in this course as source material.