The Repeat Offenders project is one that presents some concepts as pertains repeat offending. This project, as earlier defined, was created with an aim of reducing the rates of recidivism. In it, unique mechanisms of dealing with this problem have been presented through some of the mechanisms presented already been implemented either fully or partially in different nations. Despite the similarities that may exist between the concepts presented in this project with those implemented in other nations, these are presented in a manner that gives them some uniqueness since the approach in their implementation is one of its own kind. This paper serves to compile all the concepts which have been presented so far under this project, citing the …show more content…
Governments have over the years been forced to spend massive funds in arresting and detaining criminals who relapse back to the crime the moment they are released. Research according to (BJS, 2014), has proven that within a period of five years, three out of four malefactors who initially were punished for crimes relapse back to similar or different criminal activities. Many nations have already put in place mechanisms to counter this problem in vain. It is for this reason that this unique project has been presented and needs to be handled with the importance and urgency that it deserves.
The background of this project is based on an in-depth analysis of repeat offending. This entails the factors responsible or contributing to recidivism. Research has proven that most of the repeat malefactors are the kids who were exposed to violence at a very early age, those who did not attain very high levels of education, those who have got minor to serious psychological problems, the unemployed who have some low level education as well as those involved in the abuse of hard drugs. Effectively dealing with this problem thus lies in dealing with these issues. Arresting criminals and subjecting them to the greatest of punishments has not seemed to work so far because after the punishment, for as long as the underlying factors remain constant, one will always forget the consequences of crime and relapse back to it if an
Reoffending has been too high for too long, We need to reduce reoffending to reduce both the number of victims and the costs to the taxpayer. To achieve this, we need a tough but intelligent criminal justice system that punishes people properly when they break the law, but also supports them so they don’t commit crime in the
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.
Once stamped as a criminal, it is hard to integrate back into the society due to the myriad obstacles faced by these ex-inmates. As seen from the true story presented above one can agree with Western’s (2006) statement in his work which states that, “incarceration significantly reduces the life chances after release”. One of the most ruining effect is the fact that mass incarceration
Recidivism is the result of a former prisoner relapsing into criminal activity and returning to prison for a new offense. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of
Most findings indicate that punishment, deterrence, incapacitation and restitution are ineffective ways to reduce crime. It is noted that if the same resource monies could be redirected rehabilitation, the cost to the tax- payer would be reduced over time (Gertz et al, 2005). Rehabilitative programs are the most effective in reaching our ultimate goal of reducing crime and reducing future criminal behavior which is the purpose of incarceration. The problem with rehabilitation is that it is the most difficult to proof effective and even more difficult to persuade policy makers and community members to fund (Pinard, 2010). There are at
Coming up with answer to these questions will be important for better understanding recidivism, why the government has difficulty in combating it, and also how to improve aftercare programs to decrease the level of recidivism. In this vein, Maltz (1984) took to the analysis of the recidivism phenomenon, reviewing different definitions of the word and relating these definitions to the evaluation of goals programs of the criminal justice system. The researcher also discuss data on recidivism, noting there are different methods for analyzing data and different criteria for selection. Some are better than others, and the researcher gives advice on the best available methods and criteria for better understanding recidivism: “My purpose in
Crime is punishable for three reasons namely retribution, prevention and deterrence. The main purpose of incarcerating offenders is to stop them from repeating previous crimes they committed. Appraising the current American system using these standards, the deterrence category has failed miserably, insufficient in prevention and providing unsatisfactory retribution through detention. Attempts to deter released criminals who are convicted are dismissed by the recidivism’s high rate (Tish& Burbank, 2009). This is evident through the rising population of new offenders undeterred from crime. Many gangs and offenders recruit and carry out
Recidivism research, although complicated, shows that a person being released from confinement is more likely to repeat criminal behavior the more that person had prior arrests (Bohm & Haley, 2011). Recent studies showed that recidivism rates are quite steady (Bohm & Haley, 2011). The American Correctional Association revealed that recidivism rates might be declining (Bohm & Haley, 2011). “Regardless, the fact that more than three of every ten inmates are returned to prison within 4 years is nothing to celebrate” (Bohm & Haley, 2011, p. 425). Furthermore, research shows that many criminals prefer to serve prison time rather than receive probation (Bohm & Haley, 2011). Couple this with the fact most prisoners that adapt well to confinement,
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)
Most societies around the world, so far, have been picking retribution as the primary function of their prison system. If retribution is the only goal, then, prisons do work. However, if we evaluate whether prisons have been effective deterrents to crime, the evidence points to its failing. Numerous studies have shown that the threat of prison has little to no deterrent effect on first time offenders and even less of a deterrent effect on repeat offenders. So, the prison has little to no deterrent effect. (Wright, 2010)
According to the NIJ, National Institute of Justice, recidivism is defined as: “A person’s relapse into Criminal Behavior, often after the person receives sanctions or undergoes intervention for previous crimes. A study of 30 states shows that 67.8% of approximately 404,638 state prisoners that were released in 2005 were re-arrested within five-years.” (NIJ,2014 June) Prevention of relapse into criminal behaviors should be a top priority for Correctional facilities. There are programs that when implemented correctly, have
In some countries, recidivism is under consideration only if someone faces re-arrest, re-offending, or re-imprisonment, in other countries it is a combination of some or all of the factors. Furthermore, different nations still fail to include certain crimes such as misdemeanors, traffic offences, fines, and a myriad of other crimes (Fazel & Wolf, 2015, p.54). Some countries also fail to have a clear organization to their work hence their samples contain offenders, prisoners and others from open or closed institutions. Varying follow up periods are the final challenge the studies faced. Countries vary their follow-up period from between 6 months to 5 years. Fazel & Wolf (2015, p.56) reiterate that the rate of recidivism differs between different nations and is subject to many varying factors. This should be the subject of research, mainly if more comparable recidivism statistics becomes accessible. Potential justifications are the quality of post-release supervision, imprisonment threshold, varying intra-prison programs, and different prison medical amenity investment, especially for those prisons that target alcohol and drug issues as well as psychiatric
Over 60% of those who entered prison with an alcohol problem reported that they were supposed to leave with a persistent alcohol problem (HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2010). As a result, the high levels of reoffending by drug-addicted prisoners are caused by the seriousness of the overcrowding problem in prisons. 48.5% of ex-prisoners are reconvicted of a further offence within a year of release (Ministry of Justice, 2013). It brings excess burdens on prison capacity and costs in the long run. Moreover, people serving short prison sentences of less than 12 months are the most likely group to reoffend; they often do not have access to offender management programmes and are not supervised and supported on release (Comptroller and Auditor General, 2010). In summary, persistent offenders demonstrate the failure of prison-based rehabilitation. When prisons are overcrowded, offenders are more likely to commit crimes in future. Prison overcrowding is such a pressing problem that it affected the spirit of prison rehabilitation and limited the effectiveness of prison sentences in tackling the causes of offending
As Americans, we are very proud of our freedom. Ironically, the “land of the free” has more people imprisoned in proportion to its population than any other developed country in the world. There are over 2 million prisoners throughout the United States, and approximately 750,000 of them will be released within the year. With the current methods in place in the prison system, most offenders will likely fall back into the same way of life that originally landed them in jail. In fact, roughly two-thirds of prisoners being released today will end up back in prison within the next three years (Petersilia). This not only affects the families and lives of those serving behind bars, but it also directly affects the lives of everyone in society. In addition to the obvious public safety concerns that arise from having repeat offenders amongst the general population, there is also an economic burden placed on society by these individuals. Clearly, we are in dire need of an effective method to rectify the habits and mentalities of these inmates. Rehabilitation programs should be implemented for prisoners being released back into the community. In addition to providing a more cost-effective alternative to incarceration, these programs could potentially transform offenders into responsible, productive members of society.
Criminal punishment focuses on four different purposes, which are “incapacitation, deterrence, retribution and rehabilitation” (Rome, 2013, p. 269). The concept of incapacitation is the idea that criminal offenders are kept from further committing criminal acts while securely kept in jail/prison. Deterrence is based off of the idea that by others in society seeing criminals punished and put in prison for committing crimes, the chances of others committing crimes are decreased. Retribution is the idea that society will be satisfied by the fact criminals are punished by being locked in prison. Finally, rehabilitation focuses on re socializing criminals to become productive members of society. Though criticisms have been made towards the use of rehabilitation, evidence based research suggests that new rehabilitative strategies can reduce recidivism. New rehabilitative strategies include intensive therapeutic interventions that “provide rewards for pro-social behavior, and match the abilities and learning styles of the offender” (Rome, 2013, p. 269).