Trying to Rehabilitate Offenders Is a Waste of Time and Money - Essay Example

Introduction Crime is a challenging issue in every part of the globe and it always calls for careful and thorough solutions. Through the penal system, the power of one’s country is demonstrated and its awareness as well as its attitude to punish and rehabilitate its citizens is revealed (Walsh 2010). The United Kingdom, surprisingly, holds a very disappointing penal record. For a prosperous territory that has attained huge progress and development over the years, Britain has a prison population of about 70,000 which has made it the second largest region in Europe as more than half of all British prisoners commit the same offenses just after two years of their release. These high rates of behaviour of falling back into crime have driven the prison population to rapidly increase and have caused a widespread overcrowding, slowing down a number of opportunities for rehabilitation and education, and have lowered the level of motivation for both the staff and the prisoners. To address this issue, the government of the United Kingdom has been spending on new prison places which have been merely designed for control security instead of being focused on the education and rehabilitation that their increasing number of prisoners need. Most of these British prisoners are young men under 30 who do not have proper education; therefore without the correct education and skills, only a small number of these prisoners will be capable of building meaningful lives that will turn away from crime, regardless of how long or how often they have been in prison (Ogloff 1999). Community sentences are also handled by the probation service and staff who work with the prisoners, their victims and partners who closely work with criminal justice agencies such as the police and the prisons. These three agencies are required by the law to work together in managing and supervising the community. Discussion The primary goals of the penal system as well as the individuals who facilitate it are to protect the public and implement the proper punishment for the offenders of the community. This system of punishment is also used to make sure that the offenders are aware of their crimes and its effects on their victims and communities; therefore, these individuals should undergo proper analysis and rehabilitation. Rehabilitation programmes have been created as part of the penal system to implement transformation on prisoners for them to change and become better and productive citizens. However, this will entail support from concerned agencies and more importantly, the commitment of these prisoners (Josi and Sechrest 1999). In the United Kingdom, a large number of rehabilitation programmes have become widely available to be directed to specific groups of individuals and their own specific needs for their rehabilitation. For example, educational rehabilitation programmes allow prisoners to attain academic education and receive a degree or vocation as the courses available in colleges and universities have become available for prisoners as well. With education, the prisoners are equipped and provided with the necessary skills and knowledge to create a better future for themselves and for the community outside of prison. They are even provided with recommendation letters for them to easily find work even with a criminal record. Religious prison rehabilitation programmes are also available in the United Kingdom wherein different religious beliefs are taught to inmates. These programmes usually focus on having a positive perspective about life in general and that the new chances and opportunities given to them should never be neglected or abused. On the other hand, though, offenders who have been released from imprisonment and rehabilitation facilities can still pose as a greater threat to society particularly if the proper involvement is not taken (Kane 1996). The public does consider prison as a satisfactory form of rehabilitation; however, the community is not yet completely ready to hire and give these former convicts a second chance. This negative attitude towards offenders that is shared throughout the community stresses that former criminals may still not be readily accepted in the society. Due to this fact, many previous offenders resort to even more violent crimes and the process does not bring about positive change and rehabilitation that people expect it to be. This also results to the lack of motivation of a person who was once sentenced to prison and is discouraged to reestablish a sense of belonging to his community. Therefore, this lack of understanding and acceptance from the society will generate an endless cycle of crime and violence.  In previous research, rehabilitation has been considered inappropriate in relation to the penal system and the significant changes that it has undergone (Latessa, Cullen and Gendreau 2002). In one study, the penal system of both England and Wales was highlighted and described why rehabilitation has gained benefits under a new authority. Over the past years, rehabilitation has not received much attention particularly on its power to survive the changes in the penal system. On the other hand, though, a number of individuals have decided to further explore rehabilitation practices in different parts of the world. In previous studies, it has been considered that in a contemporary penal system, punishment often goes hand in hand with development and transformation. Others have also stated that the presence of rehabilitative practices at present is merely an effect of its restoration and recovery. Robinson (2005), however, argues that rehabilitation has been kept alive in the 21st century due to its evolution and the significant changes that have been imposed on it. Robinson (2005) has also stated that contemporary rehabilitation practices can be described as ‘managerial’, ‘utilitarian’ and ‘expressive’. In a utilitarian rehabilitation, it is not a new concern that offenders undergo such rehabilitative practices not just for their own satisfaction and benefits but for the society’s as well. In the recent years, however, due to the desire to effectively reduce crime, a new set of rules and regulations were developed to address offending behaviour, by means of establishing programmes which will supervise and facilitate offenders and their behaviour. Probation services were also added to ensure that these measures were successfully put into practice. Through these, modern rehabilitative practices have been considered as a way of developing happiness and satisfaction not just for the good of the offender but for the whole community as well. Through rehabilitation, prevention of crimes in the future is being encouraged and promoted (Garland 1996).  Additionally, at present, rehabilitation has become a means of not just improving the public’s security and driving down the dangers that are posed by offenders; rehabilitation is now a way of controlling and managing risks,  that is why it has been considered as managerial rehabilitation. If rehabilitative practices are successfully applied, it will lead to a more efficient management of risks. This also suggests that those offenders who have a higher risk of posing danger to the community must receive and be treated with more intense services. The evaluation of risks has become a large contributor the making of decisions concerning rehabilitative measures. Expressive rehabilitation, on the other hand, does not merely focus on cutting down crime rates, improving public security or transform offenders into better individuals. It concentrates more on conveying the message to offenders that their actions and behaviours are morally wrong and unsuitable. This kind of rehabilitation also expresses and demonstrates concern towards offenders as well as their future particularly their safety and security as expressive rehabilitation do not necessarily focus on punishments that instill doubts and fears over a majority of the public. It has also been argued that expressive rehabilitation has significantly contributed to the survival and transformation of rehabilitation over many years. In England and Wales, the penal system was fully encouraged in the 1980s wherein severe and challenging options were laid out for the foundation of the present penal system. During the 1990s, however, the probation services were criticized to have becomes somewhat negligent and lax towards the implementation of punishments for the offenders. Significantly, the combination of rehabilitation and punishment practices was able to promote changes in individuals using carefully planned schemes and strategies. Examples of this would be the combination of drug testing and drug treatment which has been normally included in community penalties. On the contrary, there have been suggestions that making use of such disciplinary tactics to change the behaviour of offenders will not produce the most superior results. These measures can change the attitude and behaviour of a person, however, superficially. It only made ‘technical’ changes in the person, and lacked morals and values. For example, an individual who has undergone rehabilitative practices became responsible with social and financial duties; however, he has no idea about what is there to come in the future and how he can reach further. To simply put it, he was technically efficient and nothing else. For rehabilitation practices to be effectively implemented the offender must not only receive and agree to treatment; rather he should be very much involved and committed for him to benefit from such practices. New programmes have therefore been developed to ensure that the offender is fully aware of his wrong actions and behaviour and that he should be able to think morally to create an understanding towards victims and therefore prevent future crimes and wrongdoings. In England and Wales as well as in most countries of the world, rehabilitation can only be successfully implemented when morals and ethics are put into view. To encourage these ethical values will lead to the control of attitudes and behaviours so individuals can act accordingly with the law through the particularly when these values are shared by these individuals. Over the past decade, it has also been evident that there is an increase in female prison population and studies have shown that there are a number of factors that significantly contribute to such occurrence. Due to the headlines that have always been flashed before us along with the constant attention that the media has given to the imprisonment of women, it has left us wondering about the increasing rate of female prisoners. It has been stated that imprisonment in England has become one of their most commonly used methods in the penal system; it has largely contributed to the rising fear of crime and allowed the government to achieve their goals on protecting the public and depriving offenders with their power to commit wrong actions and behaviours. Between the period of 1979 and 1997, crime rate was constantly on the rise in England and Wales and because of this, the government was very much in need of more severe punishments and restrictions. Therefore, the number of prisoners escalated and prison conditions got worse. Surprisingly the number of immediate imprisonments for the female population was higher than that of the males. Generally, though, only a small number of women has carried out crimes and wrongdoings as men still have higher criminal convictions. Compared to male offenders, females have fewer sentences that were charged in the past.  Furthermore, most female offenders are convicted and sentenced only once compared to males. While a number of women offenders have been charged for prostitution, drug dealing and usage as well as cruelty for children, a majority of them commit minor and less severe offenses. These include education-related offenses wherein most of them have failed to continually send their children to school and stealing in small shops. All in all, out of the evidence and statistics that has been gathered, it has been shown that majority of women continually commit crimes of less seriousness and significance. However, due to the belief that men and women must both be treated fairly and equally, an equal sentencing and punishment has also resulted to the increasing female prison population. In the past years, women received a rather less severe punishment compared to men not because they had to endure a merciful treatment, but because they only committed minor crimes and offenses. Women commit such crimes due to their difficult financial situations along with the pressures of being responsible for their children and families. Furthermore, in this study of Gelsthorpe and Morris (1992), although men and women do have the same needs, the needs of women were mostly inclined toward the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol, lack of employment opportunities, financial difficulties and abuse-related experiences. It has been, therefore, suggested that the penal system and other practices for criminal justice should not just focus on the series of events that have led women to commit crimes; rather they should also consider personal and social issues associated with the offenders that may have driven them to commit such wrong actions and behaviours. In a recent research on the corrective services of England, it has been suggested that their systems to implement corrective services have failed to fulfill its main function of correction (Ellis and Marshall 2000). Their laws and procedures may have act accordingly with the best practices; however, there seemed to be a gap between their policies and practices. If this is the case, then the safety of the community will not be ensured. England may have some of the best international practices on prison rehabilitation but their rehabilitation programmes have not sufficiently prepared inmates for their release from high security facilities into their community in which these individuals have a great difficulty blending in. Most of the prisoners come from various deprived backgrounds normally characterized by extreme disadvantages. Many of these are poor, homeless, illiterate and unemployed. Majority of these also experience poor physical and mental health, and are often addicted to alcohol or drugs (Petersilia 2001). When these offenders are admitted to prison, they always have needs that have to be highly addressed and treated, and this is where rehabilitation practices come in. Prisoners have high treatment needs upon their admission to prison as prison generally takes their power and influence away (Larivee 2001). However, the only way to release these individuals back to their community while ensuring public safety can be achieved through the proper correction that should be implemented on the prisoners once they enter the prison system. In other words, rehabilitation is necessary to successfully reintegrate the prisoners back into their community. Normally, this process requires thorough care during and after their stay in the facilities as well as the focus on their needs both as individuals and as groups. However, a number of faults and deficiencies have been identified in the corrective services of England; therefore there is the need to address such issues immediately. Prisoners must be considered as individuals who have considerable skill and expertise and can be interested and involved in a positive activity. They are not public nuisances that have to be avoided. It has been suggested that essential reforms are needed to prepare these offenders for their successful release and face all significant aspects of their lives. High expenses on physical security infrastructure as well as the achievement of low rates concerning assaults and crimes do not completely address the main issue in corrections. Unless prisoners are entirely corrected, they will go back to their community without being able to work and function as the law abiding citizens that they should be. Furthermore, the full participation from both the management of the corrective facilities and the offenders themselves is extremely necessary in allowing a positive and evident transformation in these individuals. Conclusion The United Kingdom and its people do not look at prison as a social problem; rather it is a convenient solution to prevent crime and violence. The general public, along with the a number of studies, have assumed that imprisonment is actually a rehabilitative practice as inmates and prisoners are expected to turn away from their previous life of crime once they have been released from jail. The correctional and probationary services of the United Kingdom do believe that they can provide public security and protection without the sacrificing the wellbeing of inmates. Therefore, they have offered several opportunities for these offenders to improve their potentials and ability to act and work as non criminals, one of which is rehabilitation. Rehabilitative practices may have changed and transformed offenders as well as their levels of productivity and efficiency; however, prison rehabilitation is not always as effective and successful as what has been depicted particularly in the media. Offenders must always be willing and committed to put their time and efforts in their treatment and transformation process. Furthermore, the punishment should always be appropriate to a particular individual and his or her offense in order to allow the rehabilitation process to attain success. As part of the penal system of the United Kingdom, imprisonment has become an ineffective from of rehabilitation as it cannot meet the specific needs of each and every individual inside the prison. Still, the rest of the United Kingdom perceives prison systems as rehabilitation facilities as useful and effective. A considerable amount of time, money and energy has been spent on creating facilities which do not entirely help in combating crime and violence.                             References Garland, D 1996, ‘The limits of the sovereign state: Strategies of crime control in contemporary society’, British Journal of Criminology, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 445–471.  Gelsthorpe, L & Morris, A 2002, ‘Womens imprisonment in England and Wales: A penal paradox’, Criminology and Criminal Justice, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 277-301. Josi, D & Sechrest, DK 1999, ‘A pragmatic approach to parole aftercare: Evaluation of a community reintegration program for high-risk youthful offenders’, Justice Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 51-80. Kane, TR 1996, ‘The validity of prison classification: An introduction to practical considerations and research issues’, Crime and Delinquency, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 367-390. Larivee, JJ 2001, ‘Returning inmates: Closing the public safety gap’, Corrections Compendium, vol. 26, no. 6, p. 1. Latessa, EJ, Cullen, FT, & Gendreau, P 2002, ‘Beyond correctional quackery: Professionalism and the possibility of effective treatment’, Federal Probation, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 43-49. Ogloff, JRP, Tien, G, Roesch, R, & Eaves, D 1999, ‘A model for the provision of jail mental health services: An integrative, community-based approach’, The Journal of Mental Health Administration, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 209-222. Petersilia, J 2001, ‘Prisoner reentry: Public safety and reintegration challenges’, The Prison Journal, vol. 81, no. 3, pp. 360-375. Robinson, G 2005, ‘What works in offender management?’, Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 307–318.  Walmsley, R, Howard, L and White, S 1992, The National Prison Survey 1990. Home Office Research Study 128, HMSO, London.   Read More