Incarceration or Rehabilitation - 1950 Words

Incarceration or Rehabilitation for Non-Violent Drug Offenders Statistics have proven that incarceration alone is a monetary pitfall and does not deter the cluster of non-violent drug related crimes in this country. We need to create an alternative habilitation pattern for these offenders including an assessment of their mental health, specialized life skills training, and occupational employment assistance: in some cases, in lieu of incarceration and in others, in conjunction with incarceration. Ask yourself these questions: What affect would this type of intense program have on the recidivism rate? Would we be saving tax-payer dollars by producing graduates from drug rehabilitation programs instead of housing repeat criminals? To†¦show more content†¦Would-be employers frown heavily on felony convictions. Family members who are law abiding citizens may ostracize felons. Punishing offenders in these ways can ultimately slow recovery. All we seem to be providing is a co ntinual revolving door for offenders. â€Å"Most drug prisoners will return to the community after a couple years away, and will then return to prison because we have not dealt with the complex set of core issues that lead to them ending up incarcerated in the first place† (McVay). We cannot simply arrest our way out of the nation’s drug problem. There must be programs developed which incorporate the structure of prison along with individualized rehabilitation. In Peele’s article, he provides very strong evidence that medically treating abusers is not particularly fruitful. He believes that people who abuse drugs as a way of escaping or dealing with life’s pressures do so because they can’t cope and that it is not a treatable medical problem. He states that approaching the War on Drugs with more treatment will not help us win the battle. These approaches only distract our attention from the real issues of addiction. Peele says that research ha s proven certain characteristics of the person are crucial to the outcome of the treatment in both alcohol and drug rehabilitation. Assuming that we treat offenders only with a medical disease instead of psychologically, we will not succeed in reducingShow MoreRelatedThe Incarceration Of Rehabilitation Programs1319 Words   |  6 Pagesinstitutions have made rehabilitation a top priority. Recidivism, defined as the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend, has become a problem in the United States. One way to correct the recidivism problem, as well as other crime related problems, is rehabilitation. Criminal rehabilitation is meant to, in some way, correct criminal behavior. There are punishment types of rehabilitation as well correctional rehabilitation. Not all programs or practices of rehabilitation are effective. TheRead MoreRehabilitation vs Incarceration1515 Words   |  7 PagesRehabilitation versus Incarceration Lee Tergeson, actor from the television show OZ said, â€Å"I know what it is like to be ignored, and I think that is the big problem about the prison system: These people are being thrown away. There is no sense of rehabilitation. In some places, they are trying to do things. But, in most cases, it is a holding cell.† (Tergeson, 2002) He speaks the truth. Those incarcerated today are not given the chance to change their behavior patterns, especially when it isRead MoreRehabilitation Programs vs. Incarceration738 Words   |  3 PagesRehabilitation Programs vs. Incarceration 5 Running Head: Rehabilitation Programs vs. Incarceration Impact of Rehabilitation Programs and Incarceration for Juvenile Offenders Discussing the Importance of Rehabilitation Program Introduction Juvenile offenders are increasing day by day regardless of the efforts to control the youth crime. It is important to understand the fact that even though the offenders fall in the young age bracket, they are still a part of human species. Human nature respondsRead MoreRehabilitation Over Incarceration : Persuasive Speech1736 Words   |  7 Pages Rehabilitation Over Incarceration Purpose: To Persuade Specific Purpose: To inform and persuade the public of the inefficiency of the justice and prison system, and to offer insight and methods to both reduce the finical burden of this institution on the state and inmate recidivism while simultaneously reviving our communities left ruined by this often racist and unfair institution. Central Idea: To rework the legal and economic infrastructure of the currently broken U.S prison system by providingRead MoreShould Incarceration Serve as Rehabilitation or Retribution Essay3510 Words   |  15 Pagesï » ¿Should Incarceration Serve as Rehabilitation or Retribution Should Incarceration Serve as Rehabilitation or Retribution 1 Introduction Incarceration refers to the state of being confined in a prison. It may also mean detention, custody or captivity. This is usually as a result of a crime committed, and serves the offender as a form of punishment. It is meant to deter others from committing crimes, andRead MoreTension between Rehabilitation and Punishment in an Incarceration Setting653 Words   |  3 PagesEssay Discussing Discuss: The tension between rehabilitation and punishment in an incarceration setting. What happens when one is emphasized over the other? Is it possible to strike a balance? 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 courseRead MoreIncarceration And Drug And Alcohol Abuse Rehabilitation Programs1947 Words   |  8 PagesPrison incarceration rates are increasing and there seems to be a pattern of specific groups of people, such as the minorities and indigenous groups who we see over and over again being imprisoned. There is also a pattern we see across different indigenous groups around different countries who are also facing similar problems because of their native’ status, such as Maori from New Zealand, Aboriginals from Canada and Indians from the USA, just to name a few. This essay will critically discussRead MoreJuvenile Rehabilitation: Adult Prison vs. Juvenile Incarceration1703 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile Rehabilitation: Adult Prisons vs. Juvenile Incarceration Maureen Fries-Labra English 122 Anna Hopson December 14, 2009 Juvenile Rehabilitation: Adult Prisons vs. Juvenile Incarceration The criminal justice system has a branch for juvenile offenders. Established in the early twentieth century; it is the responsibility of this division to decide the fates of youthful offenders. This is administered by family court with support of social workers and family. With the increased numberRead MoreDoes Incarceration Affect Recidivism?1433 Words   |  6 PagesDoes Incarceration Affect Recidivism? The United States is the world’s leader in incarceration with 2.2 million people currently in the nation’s prisons or jails. Incarceration is a widely argued topic with many understood viewpoints, and it directly deals with three main important correctional topics which are deterrence, rehabilitation, and recidivism. The definition of incarceration is the state of being confined in prison. Not only does incarceration affect people directly by taking away theirRead MorePunishment vs Rehabilitation1661 Words   |  7 PagesPunishment vs. Rehabilitation Helen Olko October 1, 2012 Abstract The expectations that our society has for the criminal justice system  is to punish and rehabilitate individuals who commit crime. Punishment and rehabilitation are also two of the four acknowledged objectives of the criminal justice system, with deterrence and incapacitation being the others. In the United States, punishment has always been the primary goal to achieve when dealing