Prison life and strategies to decrease recidivism upon an inmates Essay

Prison life and strategies to decrease recidivism upon an inmates passing game from prison - Essay ExampleIn the US, the rate of recidivism is estimated to be approximately two-thirds of all released inmates (Andrews & Bonta, 1994). This means that at least two-thirds of prisoners released will ultimately be re-imprisoned deep down a period of three years. High recidivism judge impose immense prices with regard to public safety, as well as tax dollars apply in arresting, prosecuting and imprisoning re-offenders. Due to these high costs, programs for inmates, as well as released prisoners, which reduce recidivism, can prove cost effective, even in the event of modest success (Perkinson, 2010). This paper will consider the US prison system, describing its aspects such as prison life, the existence and effectiveness of programs that reduce recidivism and programs aimed at reintroducing released prisoners into society. Purpose for Prisons in the US As an institution, the prison pla ys a critical role in the society. The US justice system bestows on prisons various roles. The first essential role is rehabilitation prisons offer convicts with second chances to appreciate and l procure from their misconducts and change. In essence, prisons help inmates reflect on their lives and search for ways through which they can coexist peacefully within the society. In addition, prisons offer inmates with learning environments in which they acquire new skills essential in enabling them earn decent livelihoods after their release (Armitage, 2002). Another critical role of prisons is deterrence and punishment aimed at reject inmates and others within the society from committing similar crimes. Forms of punishment vary contingent on the crimes committed, ranging from hard labor to the oddment penalty. Such punishment deters others in the society from committing crimes, thus ensuring peace and harmony within the society (Andrews & Bonta, 1994). Moreover, prisons provide just ice to victims of crimes. Because law centers on justice and equity, victims of crimes receive justice through the incarceration of those that harmed them. The incarceration of a wrongdoer provides closure to the victim of the crime. Lastly, prisons in the US protect the public from threats to security and safety as incarceration deters criminals such as serial killers and rapists from committing crimes within the society. Current fleshs in US prisons The present condition of US prisons is less than ideal. Prisoners presently live in deplorable conditions characterized by extreme overcrowding. The situation in US prisons provides a viable environment for crime to thrive within prison boundaries. Perkinson (2010) poises that the California and Texas prisons, which argon the biggest in the US, have, in the last thirty years, experienced an eight fold increase in the cast of prisoners incarcerated. Despite the growing number of inmates, funding for prisons has barely increased, makin g it difficult to meet the needs of prisoners (Armitage, 2002). short(p) funding makes it difficult for prisons to teach prisoners effective skills to enhance their re-introduction into society. Although the US encompasses 5% of the global population, its prisons encompass 25% of the global prisoner population this indicates the enormity of the issue. Increased congestion in US prisons is also credited(predicate) to increased levels of crime and recidivism in the US. This congestion diminishes the rehabilitative role of prisons as congestion makes it difficult