The American Jail in Perspective
Keyword(s):
The Face
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Despite many years of severe criticism, the American jail has shown little sign of improvement. The main obstacle to remedial action is conflict. Individuals with different interests and opin ions disagree about what—if anything—is to be done. The process of administrative and political decision-making is sensi tive to pressure from several directions. Reform is usually a threat to the administration in power. Thus, any attempt—no matter how small—to reform a system risks opposition, which is likely to be far greater than the amount of support the reform ers are able to mount. In the face of public indifference, policy- makers cannot be expected to sustain the reformers' initiative.