Offering a practical approach, this text introduces students to the ideas and practices characteristic of modern corrections while equipping them with the skills necessary to succeed in the field. Its three-pronged approach to corrections includes a thorough description of correctional ideology, including professionalism, policy issues, and society's avowed goals for the correctional enterprise; a comprehensive overview of correctional practice, including the everyday operations of correctional agencies, prisons, jails, and the procedures of parole and probation; and the development of personal skills applicable to the corrections field. The text's central theme throughout is professionalism in corrections. "Corrections professionalism has garnered support from policy-makers and is winning respect among the public. It serves as this textbook's organizing principle." (from the Preface)The Third Edition has been extensively updated, revised, and reorganized and now features enhanced coverage of the goals of punishment, restorative and retributive justice, the impact of terrorism on facility management, prison and sentencing reform, professional credentialing, capital punishment, and much more.