Rehabilitation versus Control: An Organizational Theory of Prison Management

Abstract

Traditionally, the organizational effectiveness of prisons has been seen in terms of control, rather than rehabilitation, of inmates. Consequently, control-oriented organizational models have been presumed to be the most effective. Historical and contemporary prison management models are discussed. It is suggested that control-oriented models have had an inhibitory effect on the performance of other organizational goals of prisons, notably those of rehabilitation and treatment. Implications of control-oriented organizational models for the management of personnel working in the prison are examined, as are the potential impacts of such models on the delivery of rehabilitation services by private-sector providers.