Lack of Prisons Rehabilitation Programs Essay

Combating recidivism and the continuously growing prison population has been an ongoing problem that has been steadily draining federal, state, and local budgets. In a vain attempt to reduce recidivism the criminal justice system made sentences harsher, which in turn lead to more prisons being built to house the booming prison population. For almost 30 years’ researchers have sought answers for why so many criminals return to crime within five years of being released. These

Starting with the first policy option, rehabilitation has been proven in numerous studies that it reduces the probability of recidivism and reduces the costs of incarceration. The Justice Policy Institute discovered that substance abuse treatment reduces the societal costs of substance abuse more effectively than incarceration does(ENDNOTE).

The RAND research report presented the findings and objective analysis of just one singular type of rehabilitative programming. The Illinois Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform took it a step farther and came to some very significant determinations when they evaluated the effectiveness of rehabilitation programming as a whole. They came to some of the same conclusions that Jerome G. Miller came to in his article for the Washington Post. The commission agrees with Miller that there are some difficult challenges that DOC faces when providing rehabilitation programs for offenders. The first and foremost challenge being: although there are programs being offered throughout the Illinois Department of Corrections, quality

It has been noted that post-incarceration re-entry programs are nearly existent, which leaves former offenders committing the same crimes over and over again. If inmates are doing time for drugs or a mentally related illness, there should be some type of rehabilitation so they are able to learn from their mistakes and overcome them. If the U.S. could set-up a program for these types of issues, it could also help overcrowding in prisons because they won’t be committing the same crimes over

As a country, we should care about all of our citizens and work toward bettering them, because we are only as strong as our weakest link. When it concerns the issue of corrections it should not be a discussion of punishment or rehabilitation. Instead, it should be a balance of both that puts the spotlight on rehabilitating offenders that are capable and willing to change their lives for the better. Through rehabilitation a number of issues in the corrections field can be solved from mental health to overcrowding. More importantly, it allows offenders the chance to do and be better once released from prison. This paper analyzes what both rehabilitation and punishment are as well as how they play a part in corrections. It also discusses the current reasons that punishment as the dominant model of corrections is not as effective as rehabilitation. After explaining rehabilitation and punishment, then breaking down the issues with punishment, I will recommend a plan for balance. A plan that will lower incarceration rates and give offenders a second chance.

He highlighted that two thirds of these prisoners often reoffend within three years of leaving the prison and often the crime is more serious and more violent every next time.

Although several educational programs are widely available, many inmates are unable to take advantage of them, do not complete them, or lack follow up in the form of ongoing support services once released from the correctional system. The following table displays this concern: Table 2. national and state data on inmate participation and completion . Approximate Numbers 1993-2007: Institution Type Total Number of Inmates System 165,000 167,717 Number of Inmates Enrolled in Education Programs 54,000 87,624 Rate of Attendance, At Completion of Course 50% 60% Rate of Completion

Recidivism is the act of repeating an undesirable behavior after numerous occasions of negative consequences. Recidivism refers to a person 's relapse into criminal behavior and is measured by criminal acts that resulted in rearrest, reconviction or return to jail within a three-year period following the criminal 's release. Approximately 6 in 10 released inmates are rearrested or reincarcerated within three years of release from prison (The Bureau of Planning, Research and Statistics, 2013). Many criminals go to jail after doing time because they find it hard to fit back in with the normal life due to returning to high risk places and finding a job. In order to eliminate high recidivism with the jail system, it is necessary to provide education and vocational training.

Community aftercare is a significant component to further the success of prison-based treatment. Prison-based treatment starts the recovery process, but a continuum of care is a necessity to maximize the effectiveness of treatment (Olson & Lurigio, 2014). Continued substance abuse treatment along with educational and employment training will be emphasized at the IDOC reentry center. A lack of high school diploma or GED has been correlated with a high number of offenders who are probation violators (Linhorst, Dirks-Linhorst, & Groom, 2012); therefore offenders will be participating in educational classes. Employment training will be a necessity as many offenders have poor work histories, however once an offender obtains employment, the chances of them remaining of productive member of society increase. (Webster, Staton-Tindall, Dickson, Wilson, & Leukefeld, 2014).

The tension between rehabilitation and punishment has been increasing dramatically. This is because there have been sharp rises in the prison population and repeat offender rates. When one area is over emphasized in relation to the other, there is the possibility that imbalances will occur. Over the course of time, these issues can create challenges that will impact the criminal justice system and society at large. (Gadek, 2010) (Clear, 2011) (Gatotch, 2011)

Recidivism is a social problem that continues year after year. The National Institute of Justice claims that this is one of the most fundamental concepts in criminal justice. They also provide some statistic. Within three years of release, about two-thirds (67.8 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested. Within five years of release, about three-quarters (76.6 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested. Of those prisoners who were rearrested, more than half (56.7 percent) were arrested by the end of the first year. Recidivism is the act of an individual continuing a bad behavior after they have experienced negative consequences or repercussion from that behavior. In some instances

Prisons and jails are both referred to as incarcerations. A prison is where people get physically confined and lack personal freedom, and also those awaiting trails and those serving a term exceeding one year are confined here, while a jail is where inmates are housed prior to their trials on local level and those serving a term of one year or less. The society is protected from the offenders by them being confined in prisons, where their behaviors can be monitored, or they can be placed in community-based facilities which are secured and also offer an opportunity for the prisoners to acquire skills and knowledge through work related activities. The jail on the other hand serves the purpose of detaining law offenders of which they shall

Rehabilitation in prisons is defined as “an internal change that results in a cessation of the targeted negative behavior” (Joycelyn M. Pollock, Prisons today and tomorrow).

As stated by the ABA, was it is vital that “Correctional authorities should begin to plan for each prisoner’s eventual release and reintegration into the community from the time of that prisoner’s admission into the correctional system and facility” (ABA Standard 23-8.2 pg 246). Everyone would regard the reintegration of inmates of correctional institutes as a learning task. I am aware that usually when people think about learning something, they think of schoolwork and learning physical and verbal skills in a classroom. These inmates of the prison system will be learning the necessities of outside of a classroom. The rehabilitation of these prisoners will include a lot of vocational training, learning to live by the rules and guidelines of society. Vocational training enable the prisoners to have privileges. The existence of privileges is very vital for prisoners because they help promote inmate rehabilitation. According to Brad Parks of The New York Post “The federal Bureau of Prisons budget has more than sextupled since 1980, even when adjusting for inflation.

Criminologist and politicians have debated the effectiveness of correctional rehabilitation programs since the 1970’s when criminal justice scholars and policy makers throughout the United States embraced Robert Martinson’s credo of “nothing works” (Shrum, 2004). Recidivism, the rate at which released offenders return to jail or prison, has become the most accepted outcome measure in corrections. The public's desire to reduce the economic and social costs associated with crime and incarceration has resulted in an emphasis on recidivism as an outcome measure of program effectiveness. While correctional facilities continue to grow, corrections make up an increasing amount of state and federal budgets. The recidivism rate in