Pros And Cons To Reduce Recidivism

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Recommended: Benefits of reducing recidivism

Derek Kelly
CRIJ 5304 Corrections
Lamar University
Graduate Student

Aggravated assault has been treated in the state of Texas much like other crimes. Jail or prison terms and re-entry back into society then a markedly high amount of recidivism. Aggravated assault has harsher penalties then “simple” assault but the underlying method of treatment is the outdated prison “catch, punish and release” program that does not promote rehabilitation. Another crime where the culprits are not properly rehabilitated is grand theft auto. In the case of Texas grand theft auto the crime has been downgraded from felony to misdemeanor but the idea is the same, time in jail or prison and monetary fines. To both dissuade citizens from committing these crimes and reduce recidivism it is important to understand alternative ways the criminal justice system can handle punishment. …show more content…

Community service is something that has recently been awarded to criminals as an alternative method of punishment. Community service does not put criminals into the jail or prison system and does not create harsh fines; both of these issues seem to be steps in the correct direction. The problem lies in the fact that that forcing criminals to serve the community makes community service seem like a bad thing which is the opposite of what communities should be broadcasting. Community service does not get to the core of why criminals are partaking in the crimes; therefor community service does not reduce recidivism and is more a form of public embarrassment and a cheap way to save on the cost of investing in the

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