Synthesis

Criminal behavior has become an epidemic in the United States. In more recent years, the issue of overcrowding in jails and prisons has only increased. The amount of people going to jail because of drug related crimes has been one of the main reasons for the overcrowding issues in jails, and even prisons. Due to laws, such as the Three Strikes Law, after more than two offenses criminals are sent to serve longer sentences in prison even if the crimes are less serious. This begs the question of, what are the options for decreasing the number of offenders going in and out of prison or jail? There are a few different forms of punishments and the one that proves to be the most effective is rehabilitative justice. Rehabilitative justice is the most beneficial for decreasing the amount of recidivism, and in helping offender learn how to become contributing members of society. 

          Rehabilitative justice is proven to be the best form of punishment, even though a lot of people believe it lets the offender off too easy. Both rehabilitative and treatment programs are crucial in potentially improving the life styles of inmates upon their release. It is important to understand most jails and prisons provide a variety of programs to help inmates resist criminal activity once out of corrections (Rehabilitation, 1). However, a number of people feel that spending money on these programs is a huge waste of it, and that enough money is already being spent on criminals (Meyer, 3).  The daily cost of each inmates is $79. 49 per day, per inmate (Cost of Corrections, 1). This number does not take into account what type of security it is; for instance, if the inmate is in maximum security the cost rises. Therefore, rather than making sure criminal are incarcerated, the court should be making sure they are getting help to stay out of corrections. Most jails and prisons do have programs available in helping the inmates with day to day life outside of confinement.

          All of the programs that jails and prisons offer can be very beneficial to the inmate, when they take the program seriously. Almost all jails and prison have programs that allow inmates to get their GED’s or even a high school diploma (Rehabilitation, 1). The importance of this is because corrections believe doing this will help them make better decisions upon release and continue to want to better themselves. The inmates who participate in the program typically do not pursue higher education, but they do look and aim to maintain a job, (Rehabilitation, 1). Another program they offer is teaching them how not only to maintain a job but also relationships. They teach them certain skills to build healthy relationship in either work, romantic, familial, and or amicable. Having better relationships with people will lead to less recidivism because they will be less motivated to partake in criminal behavior out of fear of losing the relationships they have built. That, of course, only applies to those who have truly taken the teachings to heart and care to make their lives’ better. Jails and prisons also offer psychological treatment.

          For many inmates, receiving psychological help is imperative in their willingness to get better. Especially for those who are in there because of drug charges, they need the opportunity to get better and many times these programs give it to them. However, most of them do not have the financial means necessary to do this on their own, even if they do want to, and most rehabilitative programs outside of a correctional facility are extremely expensive, (Rehabilitation, 1). Most people who find themselves in jail or prison because of drugs do not have the money to get psychological help for their addiction. That is terrible because a meta- analysis, which is a form of measuring statistics, concluded that rehabilitative programs reduce recidivism by 10 percent, (Davis, 1). The reasons these programs are crucial is because the intent behind them is to alter the inmates’ way of thinking and behaving, (Rehabilitative,1). In achieving this, they help the inmate learn other forms of expressing themselves, when they would have originally done some form of criminal act.

          Another way Jails and prisons try and help inmates learn work ethic, is by assigning them tasks around the facility. The tasks are usually maintenance on the facility, working on the prison farm, and working in a prison industry, (Rehabilitation, 1). Many people feel that rather than trying to teach them skills, the facilities do this to keep the inmates from just standing around all day. Jails and prisons also provide something called work programs. Work programs teach the inmates to basic things like how to make a resume, interview, and how to apply for a job. Learning these basic things really help with them and being able to get ahead in life upon release, (Rehabilitation and Reentry for Former Prisoners, 1).

          In summation, there are a plethora of evidence proving that rehabilitation and treatment programs are prevalent in helping inmates. The number of re-offenses is still high and without attempting to change each individual nothing will change that. In creating more programs more inmates will get a chance at reestablishing a healthy life with healthy relationships, and day to day activities. Ensuring their psychological help is essential and more people need to make it a focus to help inmates.