Prison Rehabilitation

One of the main barriers that inmates face when they are released from prison is limited cognitive skills, limited education and work experience, and substance abuse or other mental health problems. Substance abuse and other mental health problems limit employability because it limits the job readiness that is required for employment (Holzer, Raphael & Stoll, 2003). Another issue that is faced when inmates are released into society is that any skills that they did have prior to conviction has diminished greatly and they face lower pay due to their diminished or lack of skills, and the attitudes that have been developed during their time in prison deeply affects their attitude during their search for employment. Offenders also face another barrier when searching for employment. Many businesses can be held legally liable for any criminal action that their employees may cause (Holzer, Raphael & Stoll, 2003). These barriers that offenders face upon release is why solid solutions and planning must be implemented when considering the integration of ex-felons into society and preparation for reentry must begin well before the scheduled release date in order to successfully reintegrate an inmate into society and reduce the rate of recidivism.

There are numerous programs available for inmates who are incarcerated, and the individuals who capitalize on these programs show subsequent improvement after being released. However, these programs only help those prisoners who are willing to change. While incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, or BOP, there are numerous programs inmates can take advantage of that will help them in a variety of fields such as, “Education and Vocational Training, English-as-a-Second Language Program, Drug Abuse Education, Sex Offender Treatment Programs – Nonresidential, Skills Programs,” and more (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2015). On the educational side, the BOP offers a program called the Bureau Literacy Program (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2015).

After all, there are work programs in select prisons that afford inmates that are medically able, to work for wages between twelve cents and forty cents an hour depending on the job. Work assignments may include painting, plumbing, landscaping or food service (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n.d.). Three meals a day and shelter are provided to every prisoner. Additionally, they are afforded full medical care, mental health care and substance abuse treatment as needed. Inmates also have the option to complete General Education Development (GED) certificates (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n.d.). There are several vocational training programs and on-the-job training opportunities based on the needs of the labor market. Most impressive however, is that some prisons even offer traditional college courses to inmates. These college course must however, be funded by the inmate (Federal Bureau of Prisons,

Employment is always an issue when it comes to an ex-offender. Not only is it hard for the everyday person in society to find employment due to a poor economy, but it is much harder for an ex-offender. While in prison, prisoners are usually made to work. Unlike other programs such as counseling, prison work programs can be justified for reasons other than rehabilitation of the individual offender. From the perspective of the policy maker in the criminal justice system, they can help manage the population by occupying the time of the prisoners, aid in the operation of the prison, create revenue (maybe), and provide a

Creating positive influences on our prisoners can reap many more benefits than just educating and releasing back into society. Just as we invest money to educate our children, we can reinvest money to target populations that our prisoners come from to prevent crimes. When we teach them new skills that can better their lives, they can then teach others by example. Once an inmate enters back into society and gets a job in his or her field, stays away from crime, and makes better choices, they can make a positive impact on their communities. Younger generations can see the encouraging example set forth and know that they too can make wiser decisions and hope for the

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 68 percent of prison inmates have not received a high school diploma. (Harlow, 2003) Prisons do offer and education for prisoners, but after released how many of those inmates will receive a job after a conviction is placed on their record. I recall a Greyhound bus trip filled with ex-convicts speaking to them I learned that they are released with a bus ticket and $100 dollars after the end of a long sentence to their families or a safe house for rehabilitation after prison. They are expected to find a job on their own, and pay for the stay at the safe house, while the state decides different. This is a guaranty to a one way ticket back to prison; we need to ensure a full rehabilitation. I am not intending for an ex-convict to receive a luxuriance career provided from the government, but at least a minimum wage job to get them on their feet and not back into the cycle of

It has been found that “when fully-trained…inmate workers leave prison, they carry with them credentials of achievement in job skills that meet requirements of today’s business.” In addition, the money that they earn carries several benefits; it can be used to buy daily amenities which will make their life in prison a little more pleasurable, they can also save money that will be extremely useful when they are released. Thus, not only are prisoners kept out of trouble by working, the money they earn benefits them in the present, as it will in the future and eases the burden on society that comes with housing prison inmates.

Building a prison obviously creates jobs, both for construction workers and correctional officers. King, Maurer and Huling name a number of requirements for construction workers employed at a prison. Besides being a member in a trade union (14), they usually need to have a very specific skill set. Most locals do not meet these two conditions, thus leaving only “low-skill and low-wage laborer jobs” (15) for them. According to Schlosser, the highly desirable jobs in corrections do not demand college education, often pay more than the county’s average salary, and provide “health benefits and a pension.” Therefore, he argues, less young people move away from their hometowns. However, studies show that the majority of correctional officials do

never implemented as intended. Although the contours of the correctional system changed—the juvenile court, indeterminate sentencing, probation, parole, and discretion became integral features of this system—the resources and knowledge needed to provide effective treatment to offenders were in short supply. Cullen and Gendreau (2000).

In an era in which rehabilitative inclinations are arguably gaining ground in the criminal justice system, work release programs constitute one of the proposed approaches towards inmate rehabilitation for smoother reentry into society. Work release programs allow selected prisoners to access paid work in the community during the last few months of their incarceration.

Vocational programs are great for prisoners because it gives them a set of skills they can use to apply for a job once they leave prison. It also gives them a sense of hope for the future and it allows them to focus on something besides being behind bars. I believe it gives the offenders ambition that they can carry on with them has they continue life outside of the penitentiary. Vocational programs are great at decreasing crime rates because it decreases the chance of that current prisoner coming back to prison once they are released.The goal once they finish the program an are set free, is that they can find a job and can leave behind their life of crime. I think that these programs are completely appropriate for the offenders. As long as

By rehabilitating prisoners we are expanding their knowledge, and giving them the opportunity to receive an education they might not have had the

With the highest incarcerated rate in the world, does the United States prison systems offer quality rehabilitation or just punishment? According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there was approximately 706 prisoners per 100,000 residents, or about 2.2 million prisoners in 2012 and within 3 years, almost 6 out of 10 released inmates will be rearrested and half will be back in prison. According to data from www.gpo.gov , the vast majority of prisoners are not rehabilitated. Two-thirds of released prisoners are re-arrested and one-half are re-incarcerated within three years of release from prison. Rates of recidivism rise to approximately 75%-85% of released prisoners are likely to be re-arrested within a decade of release. Successful rehabilitation is vital when releasing an inmate into the community as it produces a significant reduction in criminal recidivism. The purpose of incarceration is to protect the public and punish as well as rehabilitate the criminal. It is designed to change an inmate's view of life and alter their future behavior when re-entering society. Prisons offer education, labor, and other rehabilitation sources to inmates, so why is the recidivism rate so high with these programs in place?

Rehabilitation programmes of prison work and education, for example, are basically directed at instilling a sense of conformity within the inmate. It has often been established that prison work or training experiences all too often fail to impart skills that can be usefully applied once the prisoner is released. Work programmes in this regard are extremely inadequate and will remain so, due largely to the structure of the prison process. At best they achieve a lessening of

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.