Should Prisons Be Effective - 1367 Words

Most societies around the world, so far, have been picking retribution as the primary function of their prison system. If retribution is the only goal, then, prisons do work. However, if we evaluate whether prisons have been effective deterrents to crime, the evidence points to its failing. Numerous studies have shown that the threat of prison has little to no deterrent effect on first time offenders and even less of a deterrent effect on repeat offenders. So, the prison has little to no deterrent effect. (Wright, 2010) Rehabilitation has shown positive results concerning repeat offenders. When a person received rehabilitative treatment, designed for that person, the chances they will re-offend decrease. However, so few of the prisons offer the type of rehabilitation required to reduce re-incarceration rates. There aren t enough workers to develop a plan for each inmate, and generic rehabilitation plans don t always work. We use our prison system to exact justice on offenders. This creates a vicious cycle -- someone breaks the law and is sent to prison, because they do not get rehabilitative treatment, they re-offend when they get out of prison, and the cycle continues until the person gets a sentence that leaves them behind bars for a long period of time, or they commit a crime so heinous that they must spend the rest of their life in prison. According to those who maintain that prisons are there to mete out justice through incarceration, prison is the right consequenceShow MoreRelatedShould Prison Reform Be More Effective Without Incarceration?1776 Words   |  8 PagesDiana Pena Research Paper First Draft November 17, 2015 Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prison and to find other ways for a penal system to be more effective without incarceration (Leher, 2013). The effect of prison on ex-inmates has a negative influence when trying to interact with society. According to the National Institute of Justice, about 68% of prisoners go back to prison within 3 years of their release. Prisoners may not know how to integrate back into societyRead MorePrison Is Defined As A Building Whereby People Are ‘Legally1674 Words   |  7 PagesPrison is defined as a building whereby people are ‘legally held as a punishment for a crime they have committed, or whilst they are awaiting trial.’ According to the prison reform trust, the prison system has been overcrowded since 1994 and the prison population has increased, where between June 1993 and June 2012 prison population in England and Wales increased by 41,800 prisoners to over 86,000. With such increased numbers, it is q uestionable as to whether prison is effective, if it works andRead MoreThe Negative Benefits of Private Prisons618 Words   |  3 Pagesprivately-owned, or for-profit, prison opened its doors in 1983 to 350 inmates (Beiser). These establishments have continued to spring up across the nation by selling themselves as a cheap and effective alternative to their government owned predecessors; however, these establishments may cost the same or even more in comparison (Beiser) tend to cut corners in many important areas causing an uptake in profit as well as prisoner abuse and mistreatment. Privatization of prisons is unlawful and often leadsRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Righteous Essay556 Words   |  3 PagesThe Death Penalty Is Righteous Do you believe that people should get the death penalty? People should get the death penalty because Americans are just wasting our money on criminals who arent learning their lesson. People should get the death penalty because they have far too many privileges in prison that people actually want to go there. People should get the death penalty because if there is a bigger consequence for their actions there wouldnt be as many people in jail. It would beRead MoreMentally Ill Criminals : Punishment Vs. Treatment1524 Words   |  7 Pageswhether treatment or punishment would be more effective in the case. Cases may differ, some may be more deliberate and perplexing while others are straightforward, but more research is needed for cases involving the mentally ill no matter how simple they may seem. Many factors are measured when a mentally ill criminal is prosecuted, such as their illness, the severity of their illness, and what type of crime they committed. Some firmly believe th at prisons are where all criminals belong, no matter theirRead MoreThe Effectiveness of Prison Education Rehabilitation Essay example1627 Words   |  7 Pagesnot a fix all by any means, but it is the best start to solving the large literacy rates of US prisons. Of course, it will require much hard work on the part of the prisoner getting out, and there may be a large percentage who do not desire to take advantage of such programs, but Americans should encourage and give these individuals tools to help them back into society. Pont sums it up best, â€Å"Our aim should be to propel offenders into, rather than away from, successful participation in the labor force†Read More Nonviolent Offenders Essay1495 Words   |  6 Pagesthat the most effective way to turn a nonviolent person into a violent one is to send them to prison,† says Harvard University criminologist James Gilligan. The American prison system takes nonviolent offenders and makes them live side-by-side with hardened killers. The very nature of prison, no matter people view it, produces an environment that is inevitably harmful to its residents. America locks up five times more of its population than any other nation in the world. Due to prison overcrowdingRead MorePrison Sentence Length Discussion677 Words   |  3 PagesWith the development of society, prison sentences has become a hot topic among people. On one hand, as the East weekly reported that more than 200 criminals composition of a village after releasing out are still keeping the prison habit after sentence (Easy weekly, 2011). Long-term prison sentence would have a great impact on peoples physical and mental health. On the other hand, in the rencent year, the proportion of crimes committed by the short sentence increased from 5.2% to 51%, which has beenRead MorePunishment vs Rehabilitation1678 Words   |  7 Pageseffectiveness of rehabilitation of convicted offenders in prison and under community supervision. Punishment is defined as a penalty that is imposed on an individual for doing something wrong. The term rehabilitation is defined as a way to help someb ody to return to good health or a normal life by providing training or therapy (StudyMode). If an individual commits a crime serious enough to warrant incarceration, then the individual is sent to prison as a form of punishment. While incarcerated the individualRead MorePrison Overcrowding953 Words   |  4 PagesPrison Overcrowding Sherita Bowens American Intercontinental University April 24, 2010 Abstract Prison overcrowding is one of the many different problems throughout the world that law enforcement faces. Prison overcrowding not only affects those in law enforcement, it also affects the taxpayers in the community as well. The problem of overcrowded prisons is being handled in many different ways. Some of these ways have been proven to be sufficient and successful while others have not been