Just curious as to what you all might think about things that can be done within the prison system to make it so that offenders would think twice about going back. Of course we wouldn't want it too be too harsh considering our loved ones are there, but we wouldn't want it to be too much of a pleasant experience either. This was a question on a recent test I had and I was just curious as to what others might say.

What could be done within the prison system that might make offenders think twice about going back? While rehabilitation is always a good thing, what about hard labor and education?

Any other ideas???

I see that there are many other replies to this question elsewhere:) So I'm just going to go ahead and say why I think work and education would make a difference.

I say hard labor only because there are so many offenders who don't work. Instead they retort to other ways of making their money. These ways don't build self-esteem or discipline...You know...make them work for the things that they want whether that be little extra luxuries or privileges. If they know that prison is going to be all about work they might be more motivated to work within their community.

I also believe that education should not be a choice. I think that there should be multiple levels of education programs for each and every individual within the prison system. Through learning, I believe that self-concepts will change and self-esteem will also rise. As preconceptions are removed they will replace them with healtheir thought processes.

Anyways, I just thought that I would come back in and explain my position. If anyone else can think of any other ways in which offenders can be served better so that chances of recidivism might be reduced feel free to respond.

Well, I didn't reply to your thread intitially, because my take on the responsibility for recidivism is a little different than yours.

But I'll "get this party started" by posting my opinion.

I think that the responsibility for not having recidivism lies on the shoulders of the offender. If you can't figure out how to stay out of jail, I don't really know what to tell you.

Now, this is a little contradictory, but I am sure that there must be inmates that are stealing because they truly have zero job skills or education. So I agree with you that education and jobs skills are a good idea, because if it will help only one prisoner to get straight, I am all for it.

I think as far as hard labor, that might be an idea for punishment. But if a person is lazy and wants to earn fast money, they are probably not going to like the hard labor and go for the fast money again when they get out.

Education, I think would also be a good idea for some inmates. I say some because it is not hard at all to go to school with loans. Trust me on that one. Anybody can get the money to go. And they could have went to school while they were out. But then again, some inmates might take advantage of the education programs offered in prison and actually like learning, and maybe that person will change their life when they get out because of it.

I know since CA has axed all the trade classes, recedivism has shot thru the roof here. We have 170,000 in a system designed for 1/3 that many.
Bringing back trade school, increasing spending on education, and putting the focus on rehabilitaion instead of strictly punishment would give a lot of guys the skills they need not to come back.

i totally agree with each of your points. I am taking an Intro to Criminal Justice class in college and there is this statistic called "ageing out". It basically means that recedivism is more likely to occur when the offender is of a young age and the thought of going back bares less "burden" so to speak. The older the individual gets the more he/she realizes the consequence or the results of their actions and the less likely it becomes they'll end up back in. I'm sure its not case in every situation but in most cases its how it works.
Now for my own personal experience, my boyfriend has had his third encounter with the system and this time it seems to have had a different affect on him.. The fact that he states "I'm too old for this" and "I can't do this anymore" or "I don't have another one of these bids in me" tells me the efffects of the system are working on him and hes seeing a light at the end of that tunnel. I have total faith in the fact that he will not be back and I hope for anyone else worried about this that thats the case for you as well.....

My boyfriend is part of a Theraputic Community Program where he is out. Men in that program have been proven to have low percentages in returning to prison. They focus on the "Inmate thinking" that our loved ones have been surrounded by and influenced by. They show them in a very strict and in your face way how to handle stress and confrontation. It's an awesome program. Can last 9 months to a year.

You say prison shouldn't be that pleasant. Personally I don't see why it shouldn't. I think prisons should treat people with respect, even if it seems like they don't deserve it. Sometimes just that validation is enough to increase someone's self esteem and they start to think that they deserve better than a life of crime.

Many of these guys are stuck in a rut and need to mature to get out of it. Prisons should have more classes and group therapies. Things like putting on Shakespeare plays or helping to train guide dogs. If you throw a guy in a cage and treat him like an animal, you shouldn't be surprised if he is right back in there within a year.

I think that along with education and hard labor which I am all in favor of, I think they should have therapy/counseling. Find out what is going on in their heads, help them sort through the problems of their lives. Teach them how to make better decisions. The system has some good plans in place but no one to see them through. They have to be on a waiting list so long and sometimes they are released before they can get the help they need.

my husband was definately helped by a rehab program. also i think learning a trade and education would help tremendously.

I think that that there are many ways to reduce recidivism. Support is crucial, family as well as substance abuse help and job training. If prisons were actually attempting to rehabilitate instead of making people worse that might make an impact.

You say prison shouldn't be that pleasant. Personally I don't see why it shouldn't. I think prisons should treat people with respect, even if it seems like they don't deserve it. Sometimes just that validation is enough to increase someone's self esteem and they start to think that they deserve better than a life of crime.

Many of these guys are stuck in a rut and need to mature to get out of it. Prisons should have more classes and group therapies. Things like putting on Shakespeare plays or helping to train guide dogs. If you throw a guy in a cage and treat him like an animal, you shouldn't be surprised if he is right back in there within a year.

:thumbsup: What we do now is, we wound the already bleeding, then wonder why they're worse

I agree with Impervius, they are treated like animals and then all they are used to is cages. I see alot of punishment but not alot of ways for them to better themselves. Plus when they get out you have trouble finding a job, finding a decent place to live, just the general society opinion and the jokes. I feel like once you are in the system (or make one mistake) they never treat you like a real decent person again. Especially in Texas, ya'll know what its like here....

The worst part is that after people like me get out of the cages that they were in, they go to a world that is a slightly bigger cage because of all of the background searches prevent me from getting my foot in the door. I was offered an excellent position is a thriving state and one day before I started they revoked the offer due to a background search which I had told them about ahead of time. I have a great idea to start a business but I cannot get a loan to start it even with a college degree and a good business plan. One time mistake of passion (aggravated assault) has landed me permanent punishment. Frustration with my mental illness, my hearing impairment, my below poverty level job just caused me to snap. Go ahead to those who say I am wallowing in self-pity just kick me while I'm down. Its not self-pity when I know it is happening systematically to others especially those with mental illnesses.

I'm intrigued by what I read on the LASO forum about the extensive treatment program that involves confronting the offense, learning empathy for the victim, and having to make a plan for avoiding future episodes.
Why wouldn't that work on a robber too?

I worked in a TC on a cell block with felons and, in the right hands, these programs are effective and do the trick. Unfortunately, the system rejects them because they arent punitive enough, and on the other side, inmates run from prison and dont look back, leaving each other stranded for support just at a time when they need it most. There is an expectation that society wont accept ex-cons, but their own lack of community, towards each other, especially from those who have done well, is pretty sad. I work in a vocational program with many guys I knew in prison, and wish to God I was able to do post incarceration counseling, but there's just no cry from the streets for it. Politicians drive these programs and they only respond to what people want. If people cannot organize to get help, then it won't happen. Families and friends could be supportive, but no one seems to want to touch it, and this leaves those few of us out here with expertise with no money to operate and the men and women who need us with no place to go. I just dont know where to begin, but I tell those I know to come by- support and encouragement is key.

Aren't ex-cons largely forbidden to create a sense of community with each other (i.e., "fraternize")? That seems bad to me in itself. We know from the twelve step programs that those who've been there can be the best guides. And the rare programs like Phoenix House that use this principle seem to be the best ones...Skellerton, DON'T GIVE UP!!!