It is believed that letting a criminal free from incarceration puts society at risk. Before the reform recidivism rates were high, scaring the public with the idea that criminals can reenter society. When comparing individuals who were sentenced to prison to those in diversion programs, those in diversion programs were more likely to stay out of jail while those who went to jail were more likely to have re-arrests. It was reported that 64% of the treatment sample were arrest-free over a two-year follow up period. Those in the diversion program had recidivism rates as low as 36%; this compares to the group who were given jail time with a recidivism rate of 54% (Parsons, Wei, Henrichson, Drucker, & Trone, 2015).
After conducting some research I have reached the conclusion that drug offenders are the population in which could be more successfully controlled and rehabilitated in less secure correctional alternatives. There are a couple different beneficial aspects to transferring drug offenders out of prisons and into programs. The first is that is saves money while also being more effective. When you place an inmate into a program that is designed to help them with their specific problem your results improve. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s final report on NTIES noted that “In summary, we observed a pattern of substantially reduced alcohol and drug use in every type of treatment modality, with reductions typically between one-third and two-thirds
It is clear that we have not embraced the theory of rehabilitation because we still use prisons to “warehouse” offenders. The concern with “warehousing” is that the offender will more than likely end up back in prison. We have learned that recidivism is a major concern facing society today because offenders have little chance of employment, no funds or housing, and often time’s very little support from family or friends. I stand behind rehabilitation for offenders because I feel like it is the only way to truly stop crime. In
The idea behind these program was to help treat the offenders for their substance abuse disorders while still holding them accountable for the crime that they had committed (Lutze & Wormer, 2013). Many studies have been conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of drug court programs across the country. In a qualitative study done by Gallagher 100 participants of the drug court program were examined. This study found that of the drug court participants, seventy-nine percent were not rearrested in the follow-up period. Twenty-one percent of those participants were rearrested (Gallagher, 2014).
BELENKO, S., & PEUGH, J. (1998). Fighting crime by treating substance abuse. Issues in Science and Technology, 15(1), 53-60. This article explains how the justice system addresses the issue of substance abuse and criminal offenders.
These can be challenging for the offender for they are returning to familiarity of the life before prison, which could contribute to recidivism if not handled proactively. Relationships with family or friends can be irretrievably forgotten, damaged, or destructive for either the family or the offender. Those released from prison tend to be persons with low human capital and high incidences of substance abuse and addiction. They are persons with limited formal employment histories. The bottom line is, to achieve independence, the offender must shed old roles and images and develop new ones as productive members of the
Life after incarceration, here today gone tomorrow. 95% of adults sentenced to prison will return to our communities, and reentry will be their first step back into society. Imagine have a thousand questions flooding one’s mind all at once. Where will I live, how will I survive, and contribute to the family, while maintaining to the stipulations of one’s parole/ probation, without risking freedom. The number one goal for those newly released back into society by way of the reentry program is to never return to the inside of a prison cell.
V. PRISON REFORMS The main part of this research paper is the reforms for the conditions of prison and make prison a better place for prisoner and make an alternative for incarceration. The prison Reform for prevention of overcrowding in prisons: A ten-point method for reducing the overcrowding in the prisons all over the world, these points are1: 1. Collect and use data to inform a rational, humane and cost-effective use of prison.
Within the jail and prison system there are many types of offenders living together. Some of these offenders require special attention and programs while incarcerated. These special requirements can be based on a mental or physical health issue, age, or type of offense; such as sex offenses or particularly violent offenses. For the purposes of this paper the focus will be on the special requirements of drug offenders, and more specifically drug abusers. On the surface it may not seem like these offenders need any special considerations while incarcerated.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the average prison sentence for weapon offense increased from 52.3 months in 1988 to 88.4 months in 2008 (Pretrial, prosecution, and adjudication). The issue with America's incarceration system is that prison is not working to lower the chance of criminals returning to prison after they get released. A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that over two-thirds of prisoners released in 2005 returned to prison within 3 years. Americans are affected by this because the justice system is releasing criminals back into the public that still pursue a life of crime, which puts parts of the population at risk. There are alternatives in use today such as correctional and rehabilitation
When a person goes to jail, their first thought is probably about how to get out of a jail. Usually, you post bail to escape the confines of jail. A bail is a bond that is usually obtained through a bail bond company. The company lends the money, usually with collateral and good faith, to help the jailed person get out. While the process of obtaining a bail bond is easy, it may not be in your best interest.
Finding a suitable place to live can be further complicated by not having gainful employment to sustain the offender’s cost of living. According to the research of Orrick and Vieraitis, (2015), there are some promising results found in evaluations of job assistance programs that combine pre, and post-release services coupled with agencies incentives for hiring ex-offenders. Notwithstanding income may meet short-term needs of ex-offenders, but Martin (2011) contends that financial literacy and asset ownership should cut down on recidivism. The biggest obstacle is the lack of education and work experience most especially for young offenders (Martin, 2011). The literature points to the lack of income and the inability to attain financial freedom legally as one of the primary variables that cause ex-offenders to reoffend.
Stock hill Lane aims to supports ex-offenders in the transition of leaving prison and to address issues of reoffending, consequently persistent re-offenders, have multiple and complex needs. There is a very high correlation between persistent offenders and history of social exclusion and disadvantage. The density and diversity of the difficulties faced by ex- offenders are numerous many have poor skills and very little experience of employment, negative social networks, severe housing problems, and all of this is often complicated by drug, alcohol and mental health issues. Research from Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) suggests that the elements which impacts on offending behaviour are diverse and highlights that the factors which help to tackle
Here is the revised version of the text with the plagiarism removed: "Thus, the parole system serves two purposes. Firstly, it acts as a deterrent for parolees, as they face the risk of returning to prison or a similar institution if they violate their parole conditions. Secondly, it offers opportunities for parolees to prepare themselves for a law-abiding life in society, facilitating their reintegration as their sentence expires. 2.6 Advantages of Parole The advantages of parole include: I.
The current system that incarcerates people over and over is unsustainable and does not lower the crime rate nor encourage prisoner reformation. When non-violent, first time offenders are incarcerated alongside violent repeat offenders, their chance of recidivating can be drastically altered by their experience in prison. Alternative sentencing for non-violent drug offenders could alleviate this problem, but many current laws hinder many possible solutions. Recently lawmakers have made attempts to lower the recidivism rates in America, for example the Second Chance Act helps aid prisoners returning into society after incarceration. The act allows states to appropriate money to communities to help provide services such as education, drug treatment programs, mental health programs, job corps services, and others to aid in offenders returning to society after incarceration (Conyers, 2013).
