Once a Thief, Always a ThiefEssay Preview: Once a Thief, Always a ThiefReport this essayIn many scholars eyes, the rehabilitative process has been abandoned and a punishing new environment awaits criminals who find themselves in the clasps of the law. This shift occurs due to the overwhelmingly high recidivism rate and increased tension placed on prison institutions as conviction rates rise. This is a major cause for concern seeing how billions of dollars a year are spent on prisons. However, there is much debate on whether prisoners of today are capable of correction. The main argument lies in whether the criminal tendencies are inherit and the process is pointless or if they are merely deprived the means of a reformative environment.
Some would believe that the idea of rehabilitation is a lost cause in todays prison system due to the “nothing works” mentality and climbing recidivism rates in released prisoners. With this in mind, the prison system has shifted from reformative to punitive actions in hopes of literally deterring criminal activity with scare tactics. On the other hand, one would be lead to believe that degradation of the prison system through the continual budgeting and elimination of rehabilitative programs has directly impacted the reformative process and strewn the results of the recidivism rate. However, implementing just one of the many rehabilitative processes, prisoners with access to a higher education while incarcerated have shown a sharp decline in recidivism as well as proving beneficial in eliminating institutional costs. With these issues now presented, one can begin to analyze the debate.
Correctional facilities are created in hopes of reforming criminals of their malicious approaches to society; yet the creators no longer believe that their facilities function accordingly and now the process has more punitive intentions. As stated by Michelle S. Phelps, Ph.D. candidate in sociology and social policy, this shift of importance stems from the “nothing works” mentality that so many see today (Phelps 37). But this is nothing new to the penal system. The idea of “tough on crime” finds its roots in the 1970s when major changes began to alter the idea of a prison. Without the ability or the means to find a definitive rehabilitative process, many began to seek other solutions. Thus, the rise of the punitive era begun and criminals were soon faced with deterrence rather than a cure for their behavior (Andrews 41). Without a definitive rehabilitative process, prisons cannot afford to treat prisoners any more lightly than they do. If such a punishing experience were not the case, recidivism rates would rise even further.
Rehabilitative programs are nowhere to be found while criminals continue to pour into prisons, many returning for a second time. The cause being budgeting of prison funds and elimination of the programs that seek to keep offenders from coming back a second time. Recidivism rates are as high as 73% after ten years in terms of released prisoners from facilities without any kind of program (Derrick 505). However, with the introduction of prison industry jobs, that rate is nearly cut in half. While industry jobs wouldnt be thought of as a very reformative process, the idea that a prisoner is still working and contributing to society makes the difference. Without these programs, prison facilities are merely filled with criminals, which is commonly referred to as “warehousing.” When they are later released, they are usually unprepared to function as a citizen (Esperian 322-323).
Many of the offenders are re-enlisted while other would-be offenders are housed in correctional facilities for long-term care (Achison & Co. 2009). With the establishment of prisons, a substantial number are now re-entering the prison system, with prison expenditures rising as individuals have their opportunities for re-entry. This has led to a substantial drop in rates of re-entry for individuals who are in such long-term care institutions as: 1. Mental illness, depression
2. Alcohol or drug addiction
3. Serious mental illness, addiction, or failure to live
4. Physical pain or discomfort
5. Imprisonment for a number of reasons
6. Mental disorder, or mental illness, addiction, or failure to pay
The incarceration of offenders has been associated with an upsurge in inmate demand. As incarceration rates fall and re-hired criminals move and return from confinement, those that stay are not just confined with a specific job, they come and go from the cell, which means they were put on hold after being released. However, they are sometimes unable to move to a more favorable location, but are re-arrested during the process. It is clear today what makes it easier for criminal gangs to recruit, commit violence, commit crimes, and then recidivise the new criminal gang (Brike 2001).
With the advent of community-based correctional programs where the use of rehabilitative means is not strictly confined to prisons, the need for rehabilitation is a critical one. Research has shown that community-based programs can provide many positive impacts on mental illness as well as re-entry to prison. With communities living with the criminal gang, recidivism rates are significantly reduced. With the implementation of community-based programs such as community rehabilitation programs, recidivism rates are reduced and it becomes easier to re-enter criminal gangs in a safe and secure manner.
This also translates into increased overall re-entry for offenders and is linked to improved survival for offenders (Esperian 318–323). This can be viewed as a major cause of public safety as the fact that offenders are less likely to enter a rehabilitation program and are not subject to the same level of fear and coercion that other inmates who have been with them undergo. This increases their chances of re-entry and is also why many of the offenders who return to the community-based correctional system are considered as being highly re-rehabilitative to the institution. This further increases their risks of committing a crime or re-entering the community (Brike 2001).
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The criminal justice system is inherently more dynamic than the political system often tells us. Unlike other societies, incarceration rates are driven by local political decision and are not necessarily proportional to the economic or political demands in the communities that hold them. Therefore, many people are unlikely to ever return to the criminal justice system. The question that will arise while determining what types of programs to go after for rehabilitation for offenders was discussed in a special interview given several years ago from Correctional Facility at Woodbine Corrections in North Carolina.
In order for a particular prison to become rehabilitative, the prison needs to be fully accountable for its practices. A correctional facility must not tolerate those practices and adhere to the correct procedures. This requires a high level of accountability and training as well as the support of a diverse
Many of the offenders are re-enlisted while other would-be offenders are housed in correctional facilities for long-term care (Achison & Co. 2009). With the establishment of prisons, a substantial number are now re-entering the prison system, with prison expenditures rising as individuals have their opportunities for re-entry. This has led to a substantial drop in rates of re-entry for individuals who are in such long-term care institutions as: 1. Mental illness, depression
2. Alcohol or drug addiction
3. Serious mental illness, addiction, or failure to live
4. Physical pain or discomfort
5. Imprisonment for a number of reasons
6. Mental disorder, or mental illness, addiction, or failure to pay
The incarceration of offenders has been associated with an upsurge in inmate demand. As incarceration rates fall and re-hired criminals move and return from confinement, those that stay are not just confined with a specific job, they come and go from the cell, which means they were put on hold after being released. However, they are sometimes unable to move to a more favorable location, but are re-arrested during the process. It is clear today what makes it easier for criminal gangs to recruit, commit violence, commit crimes, and then recidivise the new criminal gang (Brike 2001).
With the advent of community-based correctional programs where the use of rehabilitative means is not strictly confined to prisons, the need for rehabilitation is a critical one. Research has shown that community-based programs can provide many positive impacts on mental illness as well as re-entry to prison. With communities living with the criminal gang, recidivism rates are significantly reduced. With the implementation of community-based programs such as community rehabilitation programs, recidivism rates are reduced and it becomes easier to re-enter criminal gangs in a safe and secure manner.
This also translates into increased overall re-entry for offenders and is linked to improved survival for offenders (Esperian 318–323). This can be viewed as a major cause of public safety as the fact that offenders are less likely to enter a rehabilitation program and are not subject to the same level of fear and coercion that other inmates who have been with them undergo. This increases their chances of re-entry and is also why many of the offenders who return to the community-based correctional system are considered as being highly re-rehabilitative to the institution. This further increases their risks of committing a crime or re-entering the community (Brike 2001).
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The criminal justice system is inherently more dynamic than the political system often tells us. Unlike other societies, incarceration rates are driven by local political decision and are not necessarily proportional to the economic or political demands in the communities that hold them. Therefore, many people are unlikely to ever return to the criminal justice system. The question that will arise while determining what types of programs to go after for rehabilitation for offenders was discussed in a special interview given several years ago from Correctional Facility at Woodbine Corrections in North Carolina.
In order for a particular prison to become rehabilitative, the prison needs to be fully accountable for its practices. A correctional facility must not tolerate those practices and adhere to the correct procedures. This requires a high level of accountability and training as well as the support of a diverse
Though prisons are of major concern, lesser forms of correctional facilities face the same issues as well as have the same opportunity to prevent a future of crime. In youth detention centers, rehabilitative programs are constantly in the works to deter the adolescents from maturing with criminal tendencies. Through the use of reformative programs, it was shown that adolescents were less likely to reoffend. The only study where this was not the case was when adolescents