The ongoing role of prison within the UK Criminal Justice System is becoming increasingly unclear. On the one hand in the 21st century, it is considered to be a “state strategy for crime control, a deterrent for those contemplating crime and punitive response for those who have broken laws”McAvinchey (2011 pg.10). On the other hand, it is also supposed to have a rehabilitative purpose, the intended role of a prison is to rehabilitate the offender so that when they have completed their prison sentence, they can be successfully rehabilitated back into the community and live a crime free fulfilled life. Yet, when examining the vital statistics that underline an increase in prisoner population, it is clearly apparent that the system neither controls crime nor rehabilitates offenders.
Despite great efforts being made by successive governments, there has been marginal reduction in the rates of re-offending in the past ten years, with almost fifty percent of offenders reoffending within the first twelve months following release. According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice, “Two fifths of adult offenders will be re-convicted within one year of release, and three quarters will be re-convicted within 4m nine years” Ministry of Justice, (2010). As over half the crime in the UK is committed by previous offenders, this shows that the prisons are releasing offenders without fully rehabilitating them back into the community. With the UK economy still recovering from the effects of recession, it is now more important than ever to find a cost effective way to rehabilitate offenders, as the current rates of reoffending costs the tax payer an estimated “£9.5 to £13 billion per year” Johnson (2011 pg.10)
The UK is not the onl...
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...s in prisoners’ behaviour and the majority of staff recognised the benefits of arts projects in prisons “100% of staff felt there was a benefit to the prison as a whole (Unit for the Arts and Offenders, 2000)” (26)
Geese Theatre is one of the many companies who work in the Criminal Justice System. When Geese Theatre have ran workshops in Grendon they reported positive results, they found the arts to be a valuable outlet that helps offenders open up and talk about their crimes. They believe that discussions can then make them understand why they commit crime in the first place. They believe that it is important that prisoners have access to the arts in prisons. The work of Geese Theatre will be discussed in the next chapter as an example of how participation in theatre workshops in prisons can have positive effects on the rehabilitation of prisoners, Genes (1995).
Many young criminals are less likely to become career criminals if punished through public embarrassment than through prison. Prison can be a sign of manliness or a “status symbol” (Jacoby 197). He says “prison is a graduate school for criminals”, providing evidence that criminals want to be convicted and be in prison, to strengthen their status (Jacoby 197). Jacoby knows how to properly get his view across to the reader, by saying that prison is not as effective now, as it used to be.... ... middle of paper ...
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...
Since the early 20th century, the Scottish penal system has gone through numerous transformations as the society changes and grows, including the important period where Scotland struggled to create it’s own identity, separate from the rest of the UK. These developments have been pivotal in regards to the modernization of the Scottish Criminal Justice system, which is often described as being made up of a complex set of processes and involves many different bodies . Over the past decade, the main problem at hand is that Scotland, a relatively small country in the scheme of things, has a serious problem with imprisonment , meaning that we have a higher imprisonment rate than nearly anywhere else in Western Europe. Recent research has shown that it sends over twice as many people to prison than the similarly sized countries within Europe , but in a debate on penal policy in 2007, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill, stated that “the Government refuses to believe that the Scottish people are inherently bad or that there is any genetic reason why we should be locking up twice as many offenders as Ireland or Norway.” The aim of this essay will be to look at the recent changes within Scotland’s penal system, and whether this ‘imprisonment crisis’ has been the outcome of penal developments in the past.
Jessica Adams’ article, The Wildest Show in the West, focuses on the convergence of leisure and imprisonment (Adams, 95). Adams investigates the social hierarchy that is within the prison system. Adams’ puts Angola, Louisiana’s very own State Penitentiary, under the microscope as she examines social order. Through cheap entrainment and the turn of a profit, Adams’ draws attention to how the Angola penitentiary aids social order.
This type of legislation has been devised to allow for the detention of people based upon assessments of risk of re-offending, this essay will explore the concerns with these practices. This essay further aims to explore the moral and practical implications of such sentencing provisions and the impact it has on the whole Justice System. The writer will also address the conflicting goals of Corrections and the purpose and impact of indefinite sentencing while exploring the justifications against such legislation. This essay also aims to show that even though we may feel disgust for these types of offences we must remember the fundamentals of the Criminal Law system and understand that people are entitled to equality and fairness in the eyes of the law.
When a person begins this matter of addressing an issue they must always start somewhere. In this instance, it is best to start at defining the prison industrial itself. The prison indust...
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
Dodd, Vikram. "Why Prison Education?." . Prison Studies Project, Teaching Research Outreach, 16 Jan. 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. .
As the current prison structures and sentencing process continues to neglect the issues that current offenders have no change will accrue to prevent recidivism. The issue with the current structure of the prison sentencing process is it does not deal with the “why” the individual is an social deviant but only looks at the punishment process to remove the deviant from society. This method does not allow an offender to return back to society without continuing where they left off. As an offender is punished they are sentenced (removal from society) they continue in an isolated environment (prison) after their punishment time is completed and are released back to society they are now an outsider to the rapidly changing social environment. These individuals are returned to society without any coping skills, job training, or transitional training which will prevent them from continuing down th...
On Thursday last week, we got the pleasure of hearing a presentation by Lesley Becher, Leigh Lynch’s right hand woman for running the Arts in Prisons program. In reference specifically to this program, something new I learned about the development of collaborations with community is just how accepting a community can be. One of the programs run by Arts in Prisons is a choir concert put on by the men of the minimum-security level facility. Not only are the men allowed to exit the prison for their concert, but also, they collaborate with a men’s choir from outside the prison. Additionally, there is quite a crowd that attends the event. I can only imagine how this experience makes the men of this facility feel. For a few hours, I can picture them feeling normal again. Like they are part of a community outside of the prison, and they aren’t being judged for their crimes. Furthermore, there is another program in one of the medium security prisons. As a result of this, the men are
...apabilities to deal with this which is not the case so much nowadays as Tony Marshall (1999) argues. There are criticisms over procedures, loss of rights such as an independent and impartial forum as well as the principle of proportionality in sentencing. There is also an unrealistic expectation that restorative justice can produce major changes in deviant behaviour, as there is not enough evidence to support this claim (Cunneen, 2007). Levrant et al (1999) on the other hand suggests that restorative justice still remains unproven in its’ effectiveness to stop reoffending and argues that its appeal lies in its apparent morality and humanistic sentiments rather than its empirical effectiveness. He continues to argue that it allows people to feel better within themselves through having the moral high ground rather than focusing on providing justice to the offender.
The United States prison system is devoted to justice by hammering out retribution to those who violate the rules of the law. Though this is indeed the just and correct thing to do, crime should be and is followed by punishment, but what then? After serving their time, inmates are returned to the streets knowing only the torment of life. It seems the Scandinavian prison system has tried to change that, and has succeeded with the rehabilitation of inmates by putting rehabilitation over retribution, in order to directly address recidivism. By supporting the philosophy of ‘gentle justice’, the United States may not be able to remove crime entirely but it can definitely cut down on recidivism, and inmates who return to a life of crime. This investigation of the facets of prison life in the United States and Scandinavia is to show how the United States can give social stability by cutting down on crime rates, save money in the long run, and morally and ethically make a difference in the lives of troubled men and...
In final analysis, this research project looks to provide a new way of understanding the current prison situation and its various manifestations. A comprehensive report of how things might be for those closely involved in the punishment and rehabilitation process might enable policy-makers and the public alike to change their ideas and help them perceive what it might mean to be in the position of officers or prisoners. The higher objective of this project will be to bring, through new knowledge, the necessary reforms that could leave both the taxpayer and those in the prison system more satisfied.
The origin of the word prison comes from the Latin word to seize. It is fair to say that the traditionally use of prison correspond well with the origin of the word; as traditionally prison was a place for holding people whilst they were awaiting trail. Now, centuries on and prisons today is used as a very popular, and severe form of punishment offered to those that have been convicted. With the exception however, of the death penalty and corporal punishment that still takes place in some countries. Being that Prison is a very popular form of punishment used in today's society to tackle crime and punish offenders, this essay will then be examining whether prison works, by drawing on relevant sociological factors. Furthermore, it will be looking at whether punishment could be re-imagined, and if so, what would it entail?
... overcome the obstacles that once held them back and had led them to prison in the first place The experiences of prison are enough to make a former inmate “do whatever it takes to avoid a second term” (“Rehabilitative Effects”) This being said, the many religious, therapeutic, and educational proceedings have also given prisoners an initiative to stay out of prison The religious aspect gives inmates hope and courage The therapeutic provides inmates with a safe environment to share their issues and to receive positive encouragement And finally, the educational offers a way to acquire a GED and or occupational skills that will enable the previously incarcerated with skills that will give them an advantage to obtaining a job. The negative side of prisons has become the face of prisons, blinding the public to all of the good that incarceration offers the incarcerated.