It was intended for the focus of this paper to be "The Sociology of Corrections," a literature review and critical analysis of contemporary writings contained in the periodic literature of the field of sociology, such as Contemporary Sociology or the American Journal of Sociology. As it turns out, the periodic literature of sociology does not seem to concern itself, generally, with the topic of corrections (i.e., jails, prisons, incarceration, etc.). This is not to say that sociologists are not actively involved in research in this field, because they are indeed. However, the vast majority of writers are publishing books, not articles!
The topic, corrections, as revealed in several electronic library databases, is being covered by scholarly researchers and writers, some of whom are sociologists, in the periodic literature of the fields of criminal justice and criminology--British Journal of Criminology, Crime & Delinquency, Prison Journal, etc. Yet when one examines the bibliographies of the relatively few articles contained in these journals, it is once again confirmed that the vast majority of writings in the field are not being presented in the form of articles, but, rather, as published books.
Additionally, there are a variety of "professional" publications, including Corrections Today and the American Bar Association Journal, which contain articles written predominantly by working professionals (i.e., prison wardens, judges and lawyers, correctional officers) and freelance writers, and in which references to some of the various books and articles which are being published by scholars are made. The principal topics discussed in these journals are related to overcrowding and funding, prison design and architecture, and the security and safety of staff and inmates. Unfortunately, and virtually without exception, the articles contained in these kinds of publications are not being written for a scholarly audience, and...