Symposium: Law and the Correctional Process in Washington. Introduction

Of all the problems which face a public official there is none which is potentially more explosive than that of corrections. Under the best of circumstances there is always public uneasiness over the correctional system; under the worst conditions, corrections are a corrosive political issue which can destroy orderly, rational action by the public or by elected officials. Recently, debate seems to have centered around the controversy of rehabilitation versus punishment. An absolutist position has been taken by many of those who embrace either of the two concepts. Unfortunately, this focus (1) fails to look at corrections as a part of the total system for the administration of justice; and (2) overlooks the fact that different circumstances and different persons within the correctional system may require different treatment. [The author was the Governor of the State of Washington when this article was published.