Since he was a young teenager, Dylan has struggled with substance abuse and addiction. Like many other young men, his chronic addiction led to his failure to complete high school and to maintain employment. Eventually, Dylan began to commit lower-level crimes such as theft, possession and sale of controlled substance, and driving while impaired. Having been convicted three times of misdemeanors and low-level felonies, Dylan has served sentences of probation. Now, however, Dylan has been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon after stabbing a drug dealer during a fight. As a result of the conviction, his probation was also revoked. Dylan is now facing mandatory incarceration with a sentence of up to five years in prison for the assault plus an additional two years for the probation violation.

 

During the sentencing hearing following Dylan's convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and probation violation, his court-appointed attorney acknowledges the mandatory sentencing restriction by which the judge must abide; however, the attorney recommends to the judge that Dylan be court-recommended for lower-security incarceration, including work release and residential substance abuse treatment. On the other hand, the prosecutor points to Dylan's previous and increasingly serious convictions, as well as his lack of successful treatment in the past. The judge sentences Dylan to the mandatory minimum five years in prison but does not activate the sentence on the probation. The judge also defers to the Department of Correction officials the decision on the security level and the programs to which Dylan will be offered.

 

Options and recommendations:

Upon Dylan's arrival in the prison you, as the classification manager for the admitting prison facility, have discretion and responsibility to act on the judge's recommendations. Considering the three models of incarceration, which option would be most appropriate model to use in Dylan's situation?

 

3 models= custodial, rehabilitation, and reintegration.