My View on Prison Rehabilitation

If we were to using rehabilitation in leu of punishment in prison, we would

less likely have the issues of crowding and violence in prison. In large because I

think that the violence in prison has a lot to do with over population. There is a lot

of research out there that focus on the success of prison rehabilitation in other

countries, it also speaks that America is behind the times when it comes to

rehabilitation in prison. “Forty-four percent of released prisoners were arrested

during the first year following release” [ CITATION Bur18 \l 1033 ] that is almost half of

those who were released. While reading through some articles many reputable

organizations believe that punishment is not working to reduce recidivism, but that

rehabilitation programs are. The programs that I think would help to reduce

overcrowding and recidivism consist of rehabilitation programs such as drug

treatment programs, GED/higher education programs and on the job training.

While some believe that it’s too costly to operate these programs, I believe that

investing in more rehabilitation programs over time will save money by decreasing

the number of inmates who return to prison.

Inmates who are non-violent offenders can participate drug abuse treatment.

Offenders who “successfully complete all components of this recidivism-reducing

program are eligible for a sentence reduction of up to one year” [ CITATION USD19 \l

1033 ].The program not only help the inmates to help treat their addiction while
incarcerated but teach them the tools they will need to make it once released. It

shortens their stay in the prison system. Their recovery helps to reduce recidivism

as it will decrease the chances of them returning. This in turn can reduce the

number of inmates returning to an already crowded prison system.

In addition to the drug treatment programs some prisons provides inmates

with on-the-job training and education programs for inmates to gain an education

while incarcerated. Some educational prison programs include “literacy classes,

English as a Second Language, adult continuing education, and vocational

training.”[ CITATION USD19 \l 1033 ] This education helps them to find employment.

Accompany this with job training programs will help inmates to develop work

skills that can lead to employment once they have served their sentence. This can

also help curb recidivism as they are less likely to return to criminal activity if they

feel they have something to lose. It gives them a sense of purpose which is likely to

deter them from commit a crime that will again land them in prison.

In conclusion, keeping inmates out of prison once released should be a long-

term goal. Giving them the tools, they need to succeed and keep them out of the

prison system is important to our society as a whole. This would decrease the

prison population by reducing recidivism. Instead of releasing criminals back into

our society to reoffend, we will be releasing active members of our community that

can contribute.
Alper, Ph.D., M., Markman, J., & Durose, M. R. (2018, May 23). 2018 update on prisoner

Recidivism: A 9-Year follow-up Period (2005-2014). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from

https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=6266

FY 2019 PERFORMANCE BUDGET Congressional Submission. (2019). Retrieved March 31,

2021, from https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1034421/download