Self Control In Prison

and Gottfredson compiled common characteristics of crime, which are immediate gratification, easy or simple gratification, thrill, risky, pain for the victim, no skill required or very little planning, and long-term benefits (Williams & McShane 2014). Gottfredson and Hirschi also point out that people by nature are self-interested and that crime is a problem of individuals having low self-control. Criminal justice policy makers can use this theories perspective on criminality in order to implement rehabilitation programs in prison that tackle the issues of self-interest and self-control.
Self-control theory provides an interesting perspective in rehabilitation policies when addressing self-control of prison inmates. For example a way to address self-control amongst prison inmates, a Transcendental Meditation program that has been used in prisons and has been seen to be successful in …show more content…
A study conducted by Maxwell V. Rainforth, Charles N. Alexander, and Kenneth L. Cavanaugh, called “Effects of the Transcendental Program on Recidivism Among Former Inmates of Folsom Prison”, has shown that inmates can benefit from such treatment programs. This study has found a correlation with inmates participating in transcendental meditation programs and the reduced recidivism rates the data shows on inmates. The Prison inmates that participated in the Transcendental Meditation program had recidivism rates of 46.7% (Rainforth, Alexander, Cavanaugh 2008). When the researchers compared these rates of recidivism to the control group, there was a 20% difference in recidivism with the control group having 67.7% recidivism rates (Rainforth et al 2008). The follow up period of the effects of Transcendental Meditation on prison inmates was stretched over a long time period as compared to other studies. The 12 year follow up period in this study, indicated that the Transcendental Meditation program had a long lasting effect on the inmates that participated in