Efficacy of Rehabilitative Programs

2169 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in prisons

Criminal justice programs around the world face various challenges especially in rehabilitating the behavior of inmates within correctional facilities. The purpose of this research paper will be to assess the various issues that exist in rehabilitative programs within prison systems. Basically, rehabilitation programs are used to correct and rehabilitate criminal offenders so that they can emerge as useful members of society once they complete their prison sentences. Some of the rehabilitation programs that are commonly used to reform inmates include counseling, health and fitness programs, transcendental meditation, academic programs and religious programs. These rehabilitative programs are usually based on the assumption that criminal behavior in most suspects is caused by some contributing factor such as a history of violence, psychological or mental disorders (Barkan & Bryjak, 2009). Such an assumption does not refute that some criminals make their own personal choices to break the law but rather it argues that these personal choices are usually caused by certain factors which contribute to criminal behavior. Rehabilitation programs are therefore based on such perspectives where the various correctional programs are designed to deal with criminal enforcing behavior. For example counseling programs could focus on the behavior that led to the criminal offender committing the offense while educational programs could focus on how to change negative behavior to positive behavior. Correctional programs in prison facilities are therefore important in reducing the recurrence of criminal behavior as well as reducing recidivism among probationers and parolees (Barkan & Bryjak, 2009). In general, rehabilitation programs have been effe... ... middle of paper ... ...on are usually focused on keeping the prisoners mentally happy. Religious programs provide inmates with coping mechanisms and spiritual guidance which enable them to deal with prison life. These programs also provide forums for prisoners where they can be able to forgive motivate and reconcile with their fellow inmates within the prison (O’Conner & Pallone, 2003). The efficacy of these programs has also not been determined by criminologists given that most prisoners who practice religion in prison fail to do so once they are released. Religious programs are therefore seen as temporary measures that enable prisoners to find spiritual solace in either Christian religious programs or Qaran readings. The overall effectiveness of these programs will however be determined by the number of prisoners who have not recorded any repeat offenses on being released from prison.

Show More
Related

  • The Rise of America’s Prison Empire

    1930 Words  | 4 Pages

    When envisioning a prison, one often conceptualizes a grisly scene of hardened rapists and murderers wandering aimlessly down the darkened halls of Alcatraz, as opposed to a pleasant facility catering to the needs of troubled souls. Prisons have long been a source of punishment for inmates in America and the debate continues as to whether or not an overhaul of the US prison system should occur. Such an overhaul would readjust the focuses of prison to rehabilitation and incarceration of inmates instead of the current focuses of punishment and incarceration. Altering the goal of the entire state and federal prison system for the purpose of rehabilitation is an unrealistic objective, however. Rehabilitation should not be the main purpose of prison because there are outlying factors that negatively affect the success of rehabilitation programs and such programs would be too costly for prisons currently struggling to accommodate additional inmate needs.

    Read More

  • Canada Should Focus More on Rehabilitation and Less on Retribution

    3232 Words  | 7 Pages

    Wormith, J. S., Althouse, R., Simpson, M., Reitzel, L. R., Fagan, T. J., & Morgan, R. D. (2007). The rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders: The current landscape and some future directions for correctional psychology. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34(7), 879-892.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Rehabilitation

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    “More than 640,000 individuals were released from state and federal prisons across the country in 2015, and another
10.9 million cycle through the nation’s jails each year. Chances of successful reentry [into the community] are low. Nearly 68% of people released from state prison in 2005 were rearrested within 3 years of release, and more than 75% were rearrested within 5 years of release” (Lindquist, 3). Recidivism continues to be an ongoing issue in the criminal justice system. Convicted offenders are constantly released into society and reoffending. The Correctional system is using more restraint than rehabilitation when offenders are imprisoned for an offence. Correctional officers should be trained to properly help inmates through their

    Read More

  • Post-Secondary Education Effects on Recidivism

    1493 Words  | 3 Pages

    Education has been proven to reduce recidivism rates and increase the success of an offender’s re-integration into society. In a study conducted in 1994 by the American Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly half of the 302,309 released offenders surveyed in fifteen different states were convicted of a new crime within three years of their release. This data shows that prison fails to properly rehabilitate offenders, since after prison ex-convicts continue to live in a way th...

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Rehabilitation

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    Along with research on the positive affirmations of rehabilitation in prisons, there are studies that expand upon whether or not imprisonment reduces recidivism. During a time of mass incarceration, the goal is to reconstruct a prisoner’s actions so that they do not pose as a threat to society after they are released. However, some cases show that imprisonment may not be the best way to transition an offender toward a more pro-social lifestyle. Cullen, Jonson, & Nagin (2011) depict prisons as places to keep offenders away from the community to prevent crime and less about reconciliation. Prisons are a place for offenders to go so that they cannot commit any more crimes. The offenders spend a wasteful period of life secluded from society in

    Read More

  • Evaluation of Correctional Education

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many correctional education programs focus on prisoner’s way of thinking and ability to make decisions. One of the many reasons criminals keep returning to prison is because they are often times released after many years of being incarcerated and have no assistance while returning to society. Correctional education programs are designed to eliminate such way of thinking so prison re-entry rate will drop. Programs such as Preparing Inmates for Re-Entry through Assistance, Training, and Employment Skills (PIRATES) are developed to reduce offenders’ negative career thoughts and teach essential skills in order to return back to society (Musgrove, Derzis, Shippen, & Brigman, 2012). Additionally, such programs are not only beneficial to offender’s mental health, but can also essentially reduce recidivism rate, lower cost associated with offender’s re-entry, support former incarcerated individuals while returning to society, educate inmates so they can get employed after being released, and potentially reduce crime.

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects Of Solitary Prisonation In Prisons

    1427 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although, some prisons do have some rehabilitation programs for the inmates that need it, the therapy sometimes does not help. More than half of prisoners reoffend within at least three years of leaving prisons. Those who reoffend tend to have more severe and more aggressive offenses than previously. A man by the name of Brandy Lee has shown that by having a very strict program in prisons with violent offenders in San Francisco jails reduced the amount of violence in jails. The program also helped to reduce the rate of violent re-offences after leaving the jail by over 50

    Read More

  • faith based programs

    1376 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the increase in prison population, and less money to work with, the correctional system is in dire need of a revolution. Since the prison system was established religious groups have always been willing to help inmates. In today’s society faith based programs have taken the lead in establishing prison rehabilitation and re-entry into society. Faith based programs provide economic benefits, reduce recidivism, and reduce crime. This work looks at several faith based programs in the prison system but focuses specifically on a study done by The Life Learning Program.

    Read More

  • Risk-Needs-Responsivitiy Model

    2728 Words  | 6 Pages

    This essay begins with the introduction of the Risk-Needs-Responsivitiy Model which was developed to assess offending and offer effective rehabilitation and treatment (Andrews & Bonta, 2007). The R-N-R model “remains the only empirically validated guide for criminal justice interventions that aim to help offenders” (Polashek, 2012, p.1) consisting of three principles which are associated with reductions in recidivism of up to 35% (Andrew & Bonta, 2010); risk, need and responsivity. Firstly, the risk principle predicts the offenders risk level of reoffending based on static and dynamic factors, and then matched to the degree of intervention needed. Secondly, the R-N-R targets individual’s criminogenic needs, in relation to dynamic factors. Lastly, the responsivity principle responds to specific responsivity e.g. individual needs and general responsivity; rehabilitation provided on evidence-based programming (Vitopoulous et al, 2012).

    Read More

  • The -What Works- Movement of Criminal Justice

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s society, many people commit crimes and illegal behavior is nothing new. Society knows that there are criminals and they have criminal intentions. The question today is not if people are going to commit crimes, it is finding the most effective method to help those criminals reenter society as productive citizens, and preventing new people from becoming criminals. Department of corrections around the nation have implemented a program that identifies the most effective method. The “what works” movement outlines four general principles that are implemented in the rehabilitation of criminals; and, these principles are risk principle, criminogenic need principle, treatment principle, and fidelity principle.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Rehabilitation Programs for Reducing Recidivism

    2497 Words  | 5 Pages

    Different programs have diverse impact in reducing the rates of recidivism. Effective programs that help in reducing the rates of recidivism concentrate on three main problems that affect offenders in prison and after their release. They include substance abuse, employment and education services. There emerges a need for most programs to address these issues as they are the most rampant and likely to push the offenders to perpetrating the offence once again.

    Read More

  • The Application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Within a Prison Setting

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    The current prison and criminal justice system has not proven to be helpful in rehabilitating offenders and preventing recidivism. To successfully alter this situation it is important to understand what steps and measures are available to assist those who find themselves imprisoned. The techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy have proven to be effective in treating depression, anxiety and drug addictions among other things. Analyzing the techniques developed in cognitive behavioral theory and applying them to psychotherapy in prison environments can assist in making improvements in the prevention of criminal activity, rates of incarceration and safety and security of the general population. The literature shows that the use of cognitive behavioral therapy has been effective in the treatment of a variety of criminal offenders.

    Read More

  • The Problem Of Overcrowded Prisons

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although it may not seem like a major problem to most people in the United States, prisons are becoming overcrowded, expensive to maintain and have little to no effect on the moral discipline of inmates. The current prison system is extremely inefficient and the purpose of prisons has been completely forgotten. According to Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, the primary purpose of prisons is to punish, to protect, and to rehabilitate. Not only is there an increase in prisoners, but there is a rise in the number of repeat offenders. Alternatives such as counseling, drug rehabilitation, education, job training and victim restitution must be better enforced and organized. People do not understand the severity of the problem mainly because

    Read More

  • Issues in Corrections

    851 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prison was designed to house and isolate criminals away from the society in order for our society and the people within it to function without the fears of the outlaws. The purpose of prison is to deter and prevent people from committing a crime using the ideas of incarceration by taking away freedom and liberty from those individuals committed of crimes. Prisons in America are run either by the federal, states or even private contractors. There are many challenges and issues that our correctional system is facing today due to the nature of prisons being the place to house various types of criminals. In this paper, I will address and identify three major issues that I believe our correctional system is facing today using my own ideas along with the researches from three reputable outside academic sources.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Reform Vs. Punishment

    1601 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many people idealized the relevancy of living in a civilized world, where those who break the law are reprimanded in a less traditional sense of punishment in today’s standard. Instead of just doing hard time, programs and services could and should be provided to reform and rehabilitate prisoner. Despite standard beliefs, many individuals in prison are not harden criminals and violent offenders, many of these people suffer mental illness and substance abuse Hoke

    Read More

More about Efficacy of Rehabilitative Programs

Open Document