Problems of Recidivism within the United States Correctional System
The correctional system in the United States is indeed failing the American public. Our system is used for crime control and punishment of offenders. One of the biggest if not the greatest problems we face is recidivism. This is the one thing that keeps jails and prisons running. The American prison system is a 200 billion dollar industry.
Today with the increase need of prisons due to overcrowding you might find yourself living right next door to a prison in a residential area. Many factors contribute to recidivism such as: employment opportunity, family support, peer group influence, institutional programs, rehabilitation, housing authority, women issues, drug treatment, mental health, medical staffing along with finances it takes to run a facility.
If we can tremendously decrease recidivism, then our jails and prisons …show more content…
Many offenders burn bridges with their families in which they become a burden on them. Whether they have lied or stole from them in order to support whatever their needs were. In turn, this makes the family not want to support them mainly because they’ve been through it too many times. So when they get released they have nowhere to go. The other factor is peer pressure. Whether the offender is a gang member or alcoholic or drug user. When they get released if they continue to have relationships with the people who are involved in these activities then they will definitely fall back into old habits and recidivate. The final factor would be employers. So many offenders who gets released from incarceration with a felony has a difficult if not impossible time finding a job. If business owners won’t give these offenders an opportunity of a job. Then they will most certainly resort back to what got them incarcerated to begin with because they have no other means of supporting
The correctional system in the United States is indeed failing the American public. Our system is used for crime control and punishment of offenders. One of the biggest if not the greatest problems we face is recidivism. This is the one thing that keeps jails and prisons running. The American prison system is a 200 billion dollar industry.
Today with the increase need of prisons due to overcrowding you might find yourself living right next door to a prison in a residential area. Many factors contribute to recidivism such as: employment opportunity, family support, peer group influence, institutional programs, rehabilitation, housing authority, women issues, drug treatment, mental health, medical staffing along with finances it takes to run a facility.
If we can tremendously decrease recidivism, then our jails and prisons …show more content…
Many offenders burn bridges with their families in which they become a burden on them. Whether they have lied or stole from them in order to support whatever their needs were. In turn, this makes the family not want to support them mainly because they’ve been through it too many times. So when they get released they have nowhere to go. The other factor is peer pressure. Whether the offender is a gang member or alcoholic or drug user. When they get released if they continue to have relationships with the people who are involved in these activities then they will definitely fall back into old habits and recidivate. The final factor would be employers. So many offenders who gets released from incarceration with a felony has a difficult if not impossible time finding a job. If business owners won’t give these offenders an opportunity of a job. Then they will most certainly resort back to what got them incarcerated to begin with because they have no other means of supporting