When a person is directly impacted by a crime, the repercussions and reverberations that it can have on their own life are overwhelming. In many cases, the aftermath of a criminal offense can be more debilitating than the crime itself. The prevailing notion that has existed in society for ages is that locking the offender away is the best way to alleviate the harm caused and achieve justice. On the surface, this seems like an ideal reaction to crime; the wrongdoer is locked away so they are no longer a threat to society, and this is should, in principle, satisfy the victim’s desire for vengeance. In reality, however, this premise neglects so many essential pieces of the puzzle. One of these forgotten pieces, and a very notable one at that, …show more content…
External factors can often contribute significantly to the devastation a victim or offender experiences in the wake of a crime, including one’s relationship with friends, family, and even the surrounding community. From the victim’s point of view, after having their safety and security violated, it becomes very difficult to trust anyone — even their closest support groups. The trauma that results from a crime can, “breach the attachments of family, friendship, love, and community, [and] shatter the construction of the self that is formed and sustained in relation to others” (Herman, p. 51). A person’s meaning in life is substantially based around the loving people they are connected to; when a victim begins closing these doors and shutting these people out in response to a crime, this sense of meaning evaporates and they are left feeling helpless and alone. Healthy reintegration into society following such a distressing event is made extremely difficult given a victim’s inability to trust the relatives and community members around them. In a time when a victimized individual is in the most need of support, they are often the least likely to accept it, given their confusion and loss of trust. Similarly, the reintegration process for offenders following a crime is extremely difficult. In many communities, people …show more content…
It promotes healthier and more complete reintegration for offenders, and it would also allow the community to feel safer and more connected than ever. There are a number of programs that use a community-based approach either as a replacement to incarceration, or as a follow up. Of course, when a person has committed a crime, it is important to take precautions to ensure that it will not happen again. However, there are much more effective ways to keep communities safe than throwing offenders behind bars, and then releasing them years later even more aggressive than they were when they went in. When the offender is given an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and grow as a person from within the community, the people around them will be more exposed to their human side and thus more inclined to forgive them for their past wrongdoing. Furthermore, offenders that take the community supervision reintegrative route are often more cooperative and obedient, which makes it much easier for the probation officer to, “do some serious supervision and offer some intensive, high-quality treatment and other services” (Kleiman, p. 1627), for these individuals. Preventing Parolee Crime Program, or PPCP, is a program that emphasizes effective reintegration into the community for offenders. They do this by offering education, employment skills, and housing assistance for thousands of parolees every year. These are all
Rehabilitation also involves programs in prisons that have the goal of helping offenders return back to society (Goff, 2014, p.20). Prisons have also put in place programs to assist inmates, “the goal of these release programs are to ease the transition of offenders from the institution into the community while simultaneously promoting stable employment after release” (Cullen & Jonson, 2011, p.309). If a person has been in an institution for a long period of time it is often hard to adjust to life outside, which is why these programs are important in the justice
Every civilization in history has had rules, and citizens who break them. To this day governments struggle to figure out the best way to deal with their criminals in ways that help both society and those that commit the crimes. Imprisonment has historically been the popular solution. However, there are many instances in which people are sent to prison that would be better served for community service, rehab, or some other form of punishment. Prison affects more than just the prisoner; the families, friends, employers, and communities of the incarcerated also pay a price. Prison as a punishment has its pros and cons; although it may be necessary for some, it can be harmful for those who would be better suited for alternative means of punishment.
Many changes are made inside the justice system, but very few have damaged the integrity of the system and the futures of citizens and prisoners. Although the story seems to focus more on lockdown, Hopkins clearly identifies the damaging change from rehabilitation in prisons to a strategy of locking up and containing the prisoners. To the writer, and furthermore the reader, the adjustment represented a failure to value lives. “More than 600,000- about 3 times what it was when I entered prison, sixteen years ago. In the resulting expansion of the nation’s prison systems, authorities have tended to dispense with much of the rehabilitative programming once prevalent in America’s penal institutions” (Hopkins 157). The new blueprint to lock every offender in prison for extended sentencing leads to an influx in incarcerated people. With each new person
Throughout his novel, Texas Tough: The Rise of America’s Prison Empire, author and professor Robert Perkinson outlines the three current dominant purposes of prison. The first, punishment, is the act of disciplining offenders in an effort to prevent them from recommitting a particular crime. Harsh punishment encourages prisoners to behave because many will not want to face the consequences of further incarceration. While the purpose of punishment is often denounced, many do agree that prison should continue to be used as a means of protecting law-abiding citizens from violent offenders. The isolation of inmates, prison’s second purpose, exists to protect the public. Rehabilitation is currently the third purpose of prison. Rehabilitation is considered successful when a prisoner does n...
Exonerated victims are often suddenly released, which creates problems with adjustment. Their functioning of practical tasks, such as using ATM’s or crossing busy roads, mandated humiliating struggles with coping. Adaptation to new physical surroundings creates tension because of the change in predictable and ordered prison cell environment. Friends and family report confusion about the victim’s withdrawal and avoidance of social contact. These individuals have often lost their sense of purpose.
There are better ways to punish criminals and protect society than mass incarceration. The state and local governments should be tough on crime, but “in ways that emphasize personal responsibility, promote rehabilitation and treatment, and allow for the provision of victim restitution where applicable” (Alec, 2014). The government also succeeds in overseeing punishment but fails to “…take into account the needs of offenders, victims, and their communities.” (Morris, 2002: Pg. 1 and 2). Alternatives to incarceration, such as sentencing circles, victim offender mediation, and family conferences, can successfully hold criminals responsible while allowing them a chance to get “back on their feet”. Research has proven that rehabilitation has lowered the rate of re-offenders, reducing the crime rate, protecting communities and also saves a lot of
wards of the hospitals-- all this with her money! Kill her, take her money, dedicate
In Western cultures imprisonment is the universal method of punishing criminals (Chapman 571). According to criminologists locking up criminals may not even be an effective form of punishment. First, the prison sentences do not serve as an example to deter future criminals, which is indicated, in the increased rates of criminal behavior over the years. Secondly, prisons may protect the average citizen from crimes but the violence is then diverted to prison workers and other inmates. Finally, inmates are locked together which impedes their rehabilitation and exposes them too more criminal
This model of corrections main purpose was to reintroducing the offenders in to the community. This Program was invented to help offenders in the transition from jail to the community, aid in the processes of finding jobs and stay connected to their families and the community. The needs of these individuals are difficult: the frequency of substance abuse, mental illness, unemployment, and homelessness is elevated among the jail population.
It is a sad fact of life that crime is everywhere – in cities, in suburbs, in country towns; committed by the poor, the desperate, the greedy, and, yes, by the rich, too. We must accept that the level of crime in the society is inversely proportional to the vigilance with which we fight it. Policing the streets and chasing criminals is just part of the settlement. The police can only do so much to impede crime. It is up to every individual to make the difference, and there is plenty that you and I can do.
All over America, crime is on the rise. Every day, every minute, and even every second someone will commit a crime. Now, I invite you to consider that a crime is taking place as you read this paper. "The fraction of the population in the State and Federal prison has increased in every single year for the last 34 years and the rate for imprisonment today is now five times higher than in 1972"(Russell, 2009). Considering that rate along crime is a serious act. These crimes range from robbery, rape, kidnapping, identity theft, abuse, trafficking, assault, and murder. Crime is a major social problem in the United States. While the correctional system was designed to protect society from offenders it also serves two specific functions. First it can serve as a tool for punishing the offender. This involves making the offender pay for his/her crime while serving time in a correctional facility. On the other hand it can serve as a place to rehabilitate the offender as preparation to be successful as they renter society. The U.S correctional system is a quite controversial subject that leads to questions such as how does our correctional system punish offenders? How does our correctional system rehabilitate offenders? Which method is more effective in reducing crime punishment or rehabilitation? Our correctional system has several ways to punish and rehabilitate offenders.
Johnstone, G. and Ness, D. (2007) Handbook of Restorative Justice. USA: Willan Publishing. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/the-big-question-what-are-the-alternatives-to-prison-and-do-they-work-419388.html [Accessed 01 January 2014].
As the purpose of restorative justice is to mend the very relationship between the victim, offender, and society, communities that embrace restorative justice foster an awareness on how the act has harmed others. Braithwaite (1989) notes that by rejecting only the criminal act and not the offender, restorative justice allows for a closer empathetic relationship between the offender, victims, and community. By acknowledging the intrinsic worth of the offender and their ability to contribute back to the community, restorative justice shows how all individuals are capable of being useful despite criminal acts previous. This encourages offenders to safely reintegrate into society, as they are encouraged to rejoin and find rapport with the community through their emotions and
In the American society criminal activity has become a part of the everyday activity. At any given time an individual can turn on the news and there has been some type of criminal activity that is headlining the news. More often then not it is a violent crime. Thanks to the media and exposure to crime on a regular basis as well as the entertainment industry, and other outlets projecting a certain stereotype of crime, and also criminals, society has developed their own definition of each. Society has also developed many myths or misconceptions about crime itself, and has distorted the realities to fit their mythical beliefs.
Punishing and blaming an individual for committing a crime has always been a part of society and its moral entrepreneurs. Whether the delinquent is able to reintegrate back to a normal functioning society or not; he will always carry the tag of being neglectful, troublesome and even in some cases stupidity with himself. In this essay we will examine how much of a strain this tag puts on individual’s life by evaluating the observations made by sociologists and psychologists throughout the years in order to test labeling theory. Moreover, we will analyse the effect that the community leaves on a former delinquent and if they would receive help and rehabilitation.