Corrections Trend Evaluation (Indi) - Essay Example

A new theory came up, which comprised of humane ways of dealing with law breakers. It was from 1787, that hard labor, total abstinence and solitary confinement started proving to be the most effective means in re- forming law breakers, thus the course of penal history was changed and the platform for operation of institutional and community based corrections systems born (Carlson & Garrett, 1999). However, the concept of solitary confinement in review of correctional practice reveals that the emphasis on the isolation, punishment and segregation of the offender from the community, is being outdated by emerging standards of human civilization.

The prevailing innovations in correctional facilities are based on the recognition that they have been effective in the goals of justice and penalty, but failed in performing the function of rehabilitation and offender reform. New models of imprisonment and corrections are being searched for, in order to protect the fundamental principles of justice in a democratic society. Provision for genuine implementation of society’s power over the law breakers are also being looked into (Diiulio, 1990).

The reasons for this extensive trend reversal are numerous. Philosophically, the return to the simple ways regarding disciplinary action against law breakers is politically attractive, thus gaining rapid recognition. Within and without the criminal justice system, there is a large number of people who prefer the uncomplicated processes of justice. If you look at our institutions and communities from a practical perspective, you will clearly see that the prevailing criminal justice system has yielded very poor results.

The rate which prisoners return to institutions due to new convictions is alarmingly high. It is the inability of the prevailing criminal justice system to curb crime and the failure of correctional facilities to correct, that has led to the failure of the corrections. The main inhibitor however is the way in which the criminal justice system has been perceived in its work and mission. The definition of correction in a societal view point does not state nor imply what corrections should try to achieve.

Correction institutions have many purposes, rehabilitation being only one. Although if the correctional processes were truly rehabilitative, then it should not be restricted to the convicted individual, but rather be extended to all who need them. Corrections can contribute more than it does to crime reduction, but it is sad to note the fact that in the prevailing era, the pursuit of a single purpose for corrections be it rehabilitation or punishment, is doomed to failure (Harnsberger, 2011).

It is natural for human beings to resist coercion. It is evident in our institutions and communities that correctional coercion success rate is basically none existent. We can observe the concept of total system planning, which is a process that comes up with feedback from specific service area after analyzing and defining its problems. The total system planning process describes the mode and level of interactions between activities of one system like corrections, and those of others like law enforcement or courts.

A change in any single component however small it may be, will ripple through and affect all the other components. When this concept example and consideration is applied to