Some Directions for Citizen Involvement in Corrections

Since the latter part of the 1950's, there has been a growing emphasis on bringing more citizens into cor rectional affairs. And yet, the extent of such involvement is relatively small. An important reason is a failure to recog nize the varying roles which citizens can play in corrections and the different strategies which must be employed to recruit them and maintain their participation. Four key roles can be identified: the correctional volunteer, those who work di rectly with correctional clients; the social persuader , persons of influence in the dominant social system who are willing to persuade others to support correctional programs; the gate- keepers of opportunities, custodians of access to important social institutions; and the intimates, members of offenders' traditional peer groups and their communities. Each of these roles induces supportive and resistant forces within the cor rectional system. These must be successfully manipulated if widespread citizen participation is to be achieved.