Penitentiary system US - Essay Example

Sociology and culture The US has the highest rate of prison population in the world. About one in three-hundred people in the United s is currently imprisoned. The basis of modern penitentiary system is Puritan philosophy, which believes that isolation results repentance. To avoid law breaking it is necessary to:Increase the level of law education among the population;Provide adequate social work and social allowances for those who need them;Introduce alternative ways of imprisonment As for me, the topic problem is not a high level of criminality, rather the threatening increase of recidivism.

In this essay the author is doing to present an alternative reentry and reintegration model of imprisonment, which is to reduce the number of recidivists. This model is quite a new approach to reentry practice and policy to the extent of the processing of a criminal case. We consider reentry planning ideally being included into activities taking place at six points during the pendency of a criminal case: Decision making regarding pretrial release; Plea bargaining and sentence negotiations; Sentencing; Jail and prison programming; Provision of supportive services at the time of release; Parole revocation.

Traditional model of reentry is inefficient nowadays, as little attention is paid to this problem. To develop a more rational and holistic approach, reentry is proposed to be defined as a process, which begins at arrest. "Conceptualized in this way, reentry is redefined as the process and experience that begins at arrest and continues through community reintegration, including release from jail during pretrial proceedings, release at the time of sentencing, or release after service of the sentence.

Reentry encompasses the evaluation, planning, and programming conducted, and support services implemented, to prepare and assist people who are or were previously incarcerated, to return safely to the community and to reintegrate as a law-abiding citizens"1. Planning at the initial phase provides successful reentry and reintegration into community. Reintegration is one of key parts of this model. Reintegration means rehabilitation or re-socialization of individual. All traditional objectives of sentencing remain, but they are viewed within the context of reintegration, which allows applying more individualistic approach to each defendant.

The concept of reentry and reintegration is to be transformed into a real social program, which should include extending of advocate's duties during the case trial, so that all preparations to reentry would be done from the very beginning. Social work is essential at all these phases as well. Proper social work has direct function of supporting re-socialization and rehabilitation of a person for the society. Also immediately after release formerly incarcerated should receive some kind of allowance until they find suitable work.

According to the statistics, most cases viewed at the courts are non-violent ones, so it is possible also to apply duly the system of early release, when the crime is not serious. It is also useful to make case revisions more often that they are usually done, in order to find important details, which may influence the sentence. As for me, it's high time to undertake social reforms directed to preventing crimes in the society, and it becomes vital to look for alternatives. Sources1) http://www.

communityalternatives.org/articles/unlocking_potential.html2) http://www.prison.org/english/infowhat.htm#In%20the%20short%20term%20the%20following%20measures%20can%20be%20taken