294 1 I Corrections and Prison Practices—Civic Forensics
inform them. In the case of Susan and George, it is possible that George's beliefs and
"culture" were incompatible with a community-based treatment approach for sex
offenders. Thus, he may have relied upon any excuse to cause problems for Susan,
Forensic Psychology and Policy Implications
Because there are so many factors involved in garnering public support for com-
munity corrections, policy makers must begin to understand what these factors are.
If they understand how citizens perceive community corrections, then they can
develop educational campaigns to aid the public in overcoming their opposition to
such programs. If policy makers do not learn about neighborhood attitudes, then
programs that may actually benefit offenders and help decrease recidivism could be
delayed or even destroyed (Elrod & Brown, 1996). Also, as previously discussed in
the research by Sigler and Lamb (1995), people who are informed about commu-
nity corrections hold more positive attitudes toward such initiatives. This indicates
that policy makers need to educate society generally about community-based pro-
grams. If the community knows what these programs are about, then it may be
more willing to accept them into its own "backyard." Wenocur and Belcher (1990)
caution against notifying well-organized neighborhoods that have clearly identifi-
able leaders because they found such neighborhoods increase their opposition when
informed in advance that a group home will be located there. If a community is
well organized, their tactics to prevent the group home from being established are
likely to be very effective.
With the rising prison population it is inevitable that correctional agencies will
increasingly turn to alternative sentencing options. If policy makers cannot provide
the support required for these programs, then a great deal of time and money will
be wasted in trying to implement new alternatives. As shown in the case illustration,
a single member of the community can cause problems for a program if steps are
not taken to ensure support.
Suggestions for Future Research
In order for policy makers to understand what factors are involved in obtaining
public support, research must first be conducted. Steps have been taken toward
gaining an understanding of why communities support certain programs, but much
more needs to be learned. What factors will change public attitudes from negative
to positive? How do public attitudes influence the way individuals in the justice
system make decisions about what to do with offenders? Are community programs
achieving their goals so that the neighborhood can be confident in supporting these
programs? These are all areas that should be examined using a systematic method
(Sigler & Lamb, 1995).