Cycle Of Recidivism In Prisons

This paper will discuss facts regarding the prosecution process, the concepts of incapacitation and deterrence as methods of reducing crime rates, the network of people that the prison system exposes criminals to, and the assimilation of criminals back into society as seen through recidivism rates, for the purpose of analyzing the ethical scope of the effectiveness of the process of remediation as a whole.

According to the studies doing by Bureau of Justice Statistics, 67.5% of prisoners released in 1994 were rearrested within 3 years in the United States. This high recidivism rate clearly indicates that it is important to rehabilitate prisoners in an efficient way to prevent them committing a second-time crime. Ignoring such a high recidivism rate, some people argue that they don’t need a rehabilitation program since it costs too much. However, the 67.5% recidivism rate suggests that society necessarily needs to establish a complete rehabilitation program to solve this problem.

The article "The Impact of Career and Technical Education Programs on Adult Offenders: Learning Behind Bars" by Howard Gordon and Bracie Weldon (2003) studies of how prisoners receiving educations in prison reduces the recidivism rate. Gordon and Weldon studied the inmates who were participating in the educational programs at the Huttonsville Correctional Center in West Virginia and claimed that inmates who participated in the educational programs were less likely to recidivate once released back into the population as compared to inmates who did not participate in these programs (Gordon & Weldon, 2003). This study provides valuable information as to the effectiveness of educational programs in prison and how they affect prisoner's lives

Recidivism is such a significant problem here in New Mexico. Many tend to throw it off and label it “just” a prison problem. But in all reality and factuality it’s a whole lot more than that; it’s a societal problem that affects our whole community, it affects our state as a whole. Recidivism is the act of reoffending or falling back into criminal behavior after one has been incarcerated and released. Recidivism tends to more common, than uncommon here in New Mexico.

Many programs have been initiated to help the problems of overcrowding and negligence. These include education, rehabilitation programs, work-release programs, and other preventative measures. Numerous education programs are offered to inmates. Some prisons even mandate the completion of a GED if the offender never finished high school. Many colleges in the prison’s community partner together with each other to enable higher learning as a possibility for offenders to obtain college credit. These services help inmates succeed in an inmate’s preparation to reintegrate into society with less chances of being arrested again. Offenders that are more prepared to leave prison are not as likely to commit a crime which improves the safety of the public and also saves money from taxpayers. (Office of Vocational Adult Education, 2009)

The study of recidivism amongst women in prison is important because most research focuses on the male population. The reasons for the “revolving door” phenomenon are different for women; therefore, their treatment should be more gender focused and specific to their needs. Judging by the rates at which women recidivate, you could assume that somewhere along the way the system has failed them. What role does drug use, motherhood, mental health, physical, sexual, and mental abuse play in the recidivism of female inmates?

Moreover, the studies had also been conducted to evaluate correctional programs’ effects on recidivism. All studies point to one conclusion; offenders who participate in correctional education programs are less likely to return to prison after being released. For example, researchers at the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) evaluated correctional education’s effect on inmates who participated in the programs offered in IDOC and compared their results with a group that had not

Parole is a huge problem in america as of current. This is because the odds of the offender staying out of prison are very low. This happen because the offender does not respect the privilege of parole, to them it is just an excuse to get out of jail.

The courts are reducing punishment for non-violent offenders by putting them in rehabilitation programs (Berenji, B., Chou, T., & D'Orsogna, 2014).The reintegration will help these offenders to become new are whole again. However, resources may be limited these offenders should be offered the chance to participate in these programs. There are lots people who have been locked upon returning back into society it is hard for them to get a job, therefore, they go back to their life of crime. The people that are not violent criminals should at least be given a second chance. The program recidivism constituted studies by researchers to see if it has helped habitual offenders in becoming complete again (Rice, & Harris, 2014). Nevertheless, some may fall back into the system simply these intervention programs will be a great success for the ones who truly want to change their lives. The implementing of these programs is no guarantee that the convicts will not continue to violate the law. The statistic shows that age and sexual violent is a predictor of recidivism. The three strike law is ridiculous because stealing can be an addiction just like drugs are (Bohm, R. M. & Haley, 2011). The cons to the three strike law are that lots children that will grow up without their parents. The non-violent offenders should have mentors to help them get a job and put them in rehabilitation programs to reach the core of their addiction. The pros to this three strike law are that it will help some people to

Vocational or postsecondary education programs are a preventative method used to deter inmates from re-incarceration. Positive outcomes from the education program elevated educational fulfillment levels and lowered recidivism rate. In 2009-2010 there were over 71,000 inmates in prison that were enrolled in a vocational or postsecondary education program in the United States. A great amount of prisoners were not enrolled in college classes instead they were enrolled in a vocational or certificate program. There were nothing but positive outcomes from the educational program. By doing so it also improved post release employment opportunities and earnings.

Overall, the results of this study indicate that incarceration, at least for drug related offenses, does not decrease recidivism. Inmates sentenced to incarceration rather than other community-corrections sentences learn how to continue to commit crime. This is true because these individuals are housed with more serious offenders. The prisonization effect creates more criminality. According to the results of this study, one participant went on to commit murder while several offenders went on to burglarize or shoplift. On the other hand, community corrections (probation and deferred prosecution) appear to be much more beneficial to the community. Although half of the offenders sampled did recidivate, the most common repeat offense was a probation

“Prisoners have a variety of risk factors that make their transition to mainstream society more difficult. For example, 40 percent of state prisoners and 27 percent of federal prisoners have neither a high school diploma nor GED. By comparison, just 18 percent of the general population failed to obtain a GED or high school diploma”, Conis, Delisi (2013). Most convicted inmates typically don’t have any high education achievements prior to their convictions. In prison, inmates are revoked the opportunities such as work, education and social contact from the outside world. They chose this path by the actions they took to get them in a correctional facility. Prisons do offer education and vocational programs to rehabilitate them while

Prison corrections, treatment programs, rehabilitation, and the prevention of recidivism is a process that can only be measured in small percentage points…sometimes gaining, sometimes losing, and on an individual level, in the trenches, between the agents of the system and the offenders, a sometimes lumbering, attempt and daily challenge to hold ground. The nature of crime and punishment (rehabilitation and prevention) is fragile and tenuous by nature, with no grand sweeping touchdowns or grand slams. With the nation’s correctional facilities burgeoning at an ever increasing rate, along with the financial burden at the state and federal level, even the small percentages of positive outcomes that are the goal of all correctional programs are important in their implementation, along with a steady and active analysis and retooling toward improvement. The daily doings on the part of the actors on both sides of the bars is a tortuous thing…a very slow dance, a walk on the balance beam, a handling of explosives, a relationship based on mood, tone, attitude, and the space in between the players. Academicians, researchers, and social philosophers will provide anecdotal and data-based evidence of effectiveness and suggested treatments and a recommended handling of the subject—but that work is done over time and always with some lag. The shadow behind the animal, if you will. The hope is that the two entities will get closer together in time and this particular cultural relativism,

Education reduces the recidivism rate. According to www.ed.gov, “Employment after release was thirteen percent higher among prisoners who participated in either academic or vocational education programs than among those who did not.” Education gives

This paper explores the benefits provided by educational programs in jails and prisons. Included are the reasons inmates need education in order to successfully reenter society once they are released and use the knowledge and skills they have learned to obtain a job in order to support themselves and their families. Also examined in the paper are the financial benefits of incorporating educational programs instead of cutting them, as well as the effect these programs play on the recidivism rate. Lastly is a focus on understanding the importance of education and job training, even though the recipients are criminals.