Total Institution
an institution, such as a prison, that provides all of the necessities for existence to those who live within its boundaries.
Prisonization
The socialization process through which a new inmate learns the accepted norms and values of the prison population.
Deprivation Model
A theory that inmate aggression is the result of the frustration inmates feel at being deprived of freedom, consumer goods, sex, and other staples of life outside the institution.
Relative Deprivation
The theory that inmate aggression is caused when freedoms and services that the inmate has come to accept as normal are decreased or eliminated.
Prison Gang
A group of inmates who band together within the corrections system to engage in social and criminal activities.
Hands Off Doctrine
The unwritten judicial policy that favors noninterference by the courts in the administration of prisons and jails.
Deliberate Indifference Standard
the standard for violation of an inmates eighth amendment rights requiring that prison officials be aware of harmful conditions of confinement and fail to take steps to remedy those conditions
Identifiable Human Needs
the basic human necessities that correctional facilities are required by the constitution to provide to inmates
Parole
(law) a conditional release from imprisonment that entitiles the person to serve the remainder of the sentence outside the prison as long as the terms of release are complied with
Mandatory Release
Release from prison that occurs when an offender has served the full length of his or her sentence, minus any adjustments for good time.
Pardon
An act of executive clemency that overturns a conviction and erases mention of the crime from the person's criminal record.
Furlough
Temporary release from a prison for purposes of vocational or educational training, to ease the shock of release, or for personal reasons.
Discretionary Release
The release of an inmate into a community supervision program.
Parole Board
A body of appointed civilians that decides whether a convict should be granted conditional release before the end of his or her sentence.
Parole Grant Hearing
A hearing in which the entire parole board or a subcommittee reviews information, meets the offender, and hears testimony form relevant witnesses to determine whether to grant parole.
Parole Guidelines
Standards that are used in the parole process to measure the risk that a potential parolee will re-offend.
Parole Contract
An agreement between the state and the offender that establishes the conditions of parole.
Parole Revocation
The process of withdrawing parole and returning the parolee to prison.
Prisoner Reentry
A corrections strategy designed to prepare inmates for a successful return to the community and to reduce their criminal activity after release.
Desistance
The process through which criminal activity decreases and reintegration into society increases over a period of time.
Work Release Program
Temporary release of convicts from prison for purposes of employment.
Halfway House
A community-based form of early release that places inmates in residential centers and allows them to reintegrate with society.
Sex Offender Notification Law
Legislation that requires law enforcement authorities to notify people when convicted sex offenders are released into their neighborhood or community.