Correctional Goals And Deprisonment In The Criminal Justice System

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Recommended: The role of the criminal justice system

Unfortunately, the criminal justice system is a vital piece of today’s society. Without it, the public would be free to do whatever they choose with no real consequence to negative actions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 3 million workers were employed in the criminal justice field in 2015 (Occupational Employment, 2016). This is made up of countless different agencies, including law enforcement, corrections, homeland security, and many more. Corrections is a key element in the criminal justice system, which has its own unique functional philosophy, administrative structure and functions, theoretical assumptions that govern its existence, organizational mission, goals and objectives, and division of responsibilities. As …show more content…

Although people are sent to correctional institutions as punishment, he/she must not suffer pains beyond the deprivation of liberty no matter what the reason is for incarceration. Prisoners must always be treated humanely and in accordance with his/her behavior (Peak, 2007). Although punishment, by definition, involves the infliction of pain, the incapacitation itself is the punishment. Inmates are deprived of their liberty, and therefore incarceration is painful to those who value their liberty. Imprisonment may also lead to psychological punishment, which occasionally leads to mental and moral deterioration. The benefits of imprisonment include deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation or …show more content…

In my interview with Mrs. Prescott, she stressed how important rehabilitation programs are in correctional institutions, and especially FMC Rochester. Without it, correctional facilities are taking in prisoners and then sending that same flawed prisoner back into the world once they are released. An immense portion of people sent to jail are released at some point. With rehabilitation programs in correctional institutions, deficits that were made or never developed during life can be corrected or made up for. There is no way that prisoners will become better people if they don’t have rehabilitation programs to help them; Mrs. Prescott stressed that there is hope for everyone. At FMC Rochester, they take in a lot of white collar criminals. After they spend some time in prison, these white collar criminals pick up on traits from other inmates. From time to time inmates leave prison more likely to commit a violent crime than when they arrived there. Often, rehabilitation programs are poorly funded, and large numbers of people believe that people are sent to jail or prison only to be punished. The benefits of corrections include deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation or reform. Mrs. Prescott explained to me that she would “like to think there’s a link” between crime rates and the effectiveness of prisons. As part of the rehabilitation process, prisons like

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