Probation Vs Incarceration Essay

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When it comes to criminal justice there are several other options to punish someone rather than incarceration, any of these options can be used in place of incarcerating someone based on the individual needs. Does the person who drinks habitually need to go to jail for their fifth DUI, or do they need alcoholism classes? At the same time sometimes incarceration is the only option. Incarceration is a very costly process, and leaves the person who is incarcerated “institutionalized” where all they know is the system, and do not know how to survive outside of it. It is all a cost versus benefit battle.
Problem solving courts can affect the entire judicial system by weeding out cases that can go to a drug court, traffic court, or whichever …show more content…

People who go into jail or prison often get accustom to that way of life and that makes it extremely difficult to achieve recidivism. These people now have the stigma of being a convict. However probation allows that person to still keep their same job, and still lead a somewhat normal lifestyle as long as they stay out of trouble. This also keeps cost of the criminal justice system down because it cost less to have someone of probation than it does to keep someone incarcerated. Probation can be used more effectively if a probation officers caseload can be lowered to the point where they can do daily check-ups of all of their people of probation.
Intermediate sanctions are important because just like probation, because on paper they achieve the same goals as incarceration at a lower cost. They are also believed to more easily rehabilitate offenders, and conform to the norms of society more easily. On the flip side intermediate sanctions allow offenders to pay for their crimes without having to do hard time in the prison. Society wants to see a murderer rot in prison for the rest of his life not pay a fine and do

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