Persuasive Essay On Recidivism

Imagine having 10 students fail an exam in a class of 15 people. If over half of the students don’t grasp the content than the root of the issue must be on the way they are being taught. If this was the case the teacher will probably have to take a different approach on the way he/she is teaching in order to ensure the success of all students and not just a few of them. If the educational system fails students, then hope of a better future is very unlikely. Likewise, when the system fails to guide prisoners on the right path, they are not only failing inmates individually, but they are also failing society. Recidivism rate in the United States is extremely high. According to the National institute of Justice, “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.” Those who have been in prison are more

“…reintegration requires a connection to the community through employment, education, stable housing, involvement with community- based organizations, and no additional contact with the criminal justice system” (Travis, 2005). However, reintegration becomes difficult when people are locked away from society during a long period of time and are not taught the necessary skills to succeed in a community, “...barriers to reintegration include limited educational attainment and employment opportunities; unstable housing; substance abuse; physical and mental health concerns; family difficulties; and previous criminal history (Iwamoto et al., 2012;