The contemporary emphasis of criminal justice policy on incapacitation of felony offenders has ironically opened up a window of opportunity for the expansion of alternatives to incarceration, including community corrections. This study analyzes the organizational diffusion of state-mandated community corrections policy in Connecticut, Colorado, and Oregon. Specifically, we measure the degrees of implementation in each state and analyze the organizational conditions that contribute to successful implementation. Also, we present a model of transformative rationality that points to the theoretical underpinnings of successful implementation. It identifies organizational conditions that are necessary to maintain a commitment to the fundamental premises of policy while simultaneously encouraging constructive adaptation of the policy to local environments.
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