Before I knew it, it was time for the final product of Project 3. As per usual, I was so grateful for peer reviews and instructor feedback to really help me to review my writing. I was able to notice things in my rough draft that could be revised to create a much better paper. This was my favorite paper of the year. I love that we were able to pick a topic that interested us, and I loved all of the research that went into it. It truly was fun! I have included my polished rough draft below. Hope you enjoy!
Prison Reform
Prison systems in the United States
today are in major need of reformation. As it is now, the system tends to be
focused only on the punishment of the offending individual, not rehabilitating
them. The primary goal of prisons should be reformation, implemented through
different prison programs, as opposed to violence and punishment. Reform
programs can be used during incarceration to help an individual to develop
skills that can be used upon release to help them to lead a different lifestyle
than before and help to reduce the likelihood of prison re-entry.
I would like for state government
officials to see alternatives to the way that prisons are currently being run. I
am hoping that there can be an increase of knowledge when it comes to the
different types of prospective programs. By drawing attention to the benefits
of reform program options, awareness can be raised as to why these programs are
so desperately needed and how much they can help.
The opinion that punishment is the
only answer needs to be changed. Punishment and violence breeds only an
individual that exhibits more violence. A system based on violence and
punishment may help an individual see that they have made a mistake, but not
learn how to handle their situation in a better way. For instance, if an impoverished
individual is surviving by committing crimes such as burglary as a means for
money, they could benefit from programs that teach them job skills to help them
gain employment after release. In that way, instead of only being punished and
told what they’ve done wrong, they are also taught to do what’s right. If a
change in thinking does not occur, the cycle of prison entry and re-entry after
release will continue for an individual because they do not know another way to
live.
I am fully aware that there are many
people that may disagree that the main goal of prisons should be reformation
and the implementation of reform programs for a multitude of reasons. One
reason may be that these opposing individuals believe that all incarcerated
individuals are bad and violent people. I believe that the negative outlook and
perception of prison that the media depicts is what has led many to believe this.
Society’s view of prisons can often come from places like movies and
television. These typically never depict prison or inmates very well and
usually show them as being violent criminals. I will admit that before I
expanded my knowledge, I believed some version of that as well.
Another reason that some may oppose
the idea of the implementation of reform programs in prisons may be because
they believe that offenders are unable to change their ways. They may believe
that if an individual offends once, they will only continue to offend. I do
agree with the fact that an individual can be likely to reoffend, but I also
feel like that is something that we can potentially change with the right
action. The way that I view it is that people are not simply defined by their
mistakes, they make mistakes.
There are people that may also
disagree with the implementation of reform programs because they are unable to
see that there are typically underlying issues and causes that have contributed
to an individual being incarcerated. For example, an underlying issue of
substance abuse may lead an individual to commit crimes to support a habit. An
underlying issue of mental health may cause an individual to act out and commit
crimes for gratification or attention in some cases. On the same note, if an
individual lacks employment or the job skills necessary for employment, they may
result to committing crimes as means for survival. The term “criminal” should
not be a blanket term used for anyone that offends. All causes and situations
involving the offense are different from case to case and should be handled and
treated accordingly.
Another reason that a person may
disagree that the main goal of prisons should be implementation of reform
programs may be that they believe that punishment is the only way for an
individual to learn a lesson and not repeat offend. In this case, I do not
agree. Punishment can be defined differently based on individual prisons, but
many times involves things like violence or isolation, which does not work for
every individual and can often make their situation worse.
I believe that everyone should be
entitled to their opinion. Although I can agree with certain parts and see the
point of some of the mentioned opposing views, I feel differently in many ways
as well. When it comes to the view of all prisoners being violent or bad
people, I simply don’t agree. People from all walks of life can end up
incarcerated for a number of different reasons, therefore it’s not possible to
me that all inmates are bad people, it simply varies case by case. I find the
view that people can’t change in prison to be false because I believe that by
participating in a reform program that is best suited for them, the individual
has the potential to learn and become a better version of themselves, therefore
changing for the good. On the view that punishment
is the only answer I can see both sides. I agree with the thought that
punishment is necessary. In many cases, being taken away from society and
incarcerated is a harsh punishment in itself.
I think that, although according to what the offense is, simply being
incarcerated does not teach the individual. I believe that they need to be
taught other ways to live their lives by gaining education, learning job
skills, and receiving mental health and substance abuse treatment to combat
prison re-entry after release. This can also help the individual to be a more
productive member of society and contribute to the community.
In many prison systems today,
inmates are not receiving the rehabilitation and reformation needed to assist
them in leading better lives upon their release from prison. According to
Hartnett, Novek, and Wood, “Instead of focusing on the goal of rehabilitation,
prisons function as boot camps for the cultivation of the worst kinds of
immature, corrupt, and violent masculine identity” (14). In the book “Working
for Justice,” it is explained that the damaged people that enter a prison
system and experience degradation, shame, violence, and the inhumane culture in
general in prisons often lead an individual to rely on strategies of submission
and aggression upon release from prison (Hartnett et al. 14). This means that
an individual is not learning anything but how to combat violence with either
more violence or with submission.
I
believe that my claim that the main goal of prisons should be reformation is
true because after release, inmates are often released back into their previous
environment and without rehabilitation are likely to commit the same crimes and
make the same mistakes again, leading to re-entry. In an article titled “Our
Prisons Punitive or Rehabilitative?” it is suggested that “…the only reasonable
purpose for prisons is to confine those who are violent and to help them change
their behavior.
Prisons should work like hospitals where patients may be admitted for
treatment and cure” (Gul 69). How can we ever expect individuals to act
differently if we never teach them another way of life? It’s not possible. They
need knowledge and skills for how to change.
An individual’s
experience while incarcerated can have quite an impact on the upon release. An
article titled “Transitions from Prison to Community” explains that an
individual returning home from prison has been shaped partly by their prison
experience as well as the networks they have formed while in prison (Visher et
al. 91). Inmates need these positive experiences, that can be formed while in
programs with others, to lay the groundwork for their foundation after release.
There
are many different types of programs that I believe inmates could really
benefit from while in prison. One of these programs should be centered around
mental health and substance abuse. According to the article “Transitions from
Prison to Community,” an individual’s circumstances prior to prison entry can
have a great effect on the likelihood of re-entry after release (Visher et al.
95). Two of these circumstances in particular are mental health history and
substance abuse history. These two disorders are often found to be co-occurring
in incarcerated individuals (Koons-Witt and Crittenden 431). Currently, inmates
suffering from mental health issues are not receiving adequate care, due to
both not having access to treatment and jail staff not being equipped or
trained to handle these types of inmates. An article titled “The Gender Differences and
Program Participation Among Prisoners with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Disorders” explains that inmates that are mentally ill tend to
have a harder time adjusting to life in prison and are often more likely to be
charged with rule violations than inmates without mental illness. This can
cause difficulties when staff is trying to maintain an orderly environment.
Because the staff is often not properly trained, this can lead to the inmate being
put into solitary confinement as a way to control and/or punish the inmate (Koons-Witt
and Crittenden 433-434). If the prison were to employ social workers that are
certified and can offer mental health counseling sessions to inmates, this
could certainly help that issue. The article goes on to explain that many times
substance abuse is sometimes linked to pain and traumatic events and is used as
a coping mechanism to deal with those issues (Koons-Witt and Crittenden 435). Without
proper treatment, a prior mental illness and substance abuse history combined
with the depression and/or anxiety feelings that one may experience during
incarceration, can lead to the inmate being released in a worse state after
leaving prison. We need these types of programs in prisons to assist inmates
with the knowledge and resources that they will need after release.
Another
program that would be beneficial and should be used in all prison is one that is
focused on education. Many individuals that are entering prison have not had
the opportunity to receive an education. In a study completed and explained in
the article “Beyond Recidivism: Positive Outcomes from Higher Education
Programs in Prison,” the authors stated that through their research they concluded
that “The higher education programs provided students with foundational
communication skills—writing, speaking, and advocating—that fostered their
development of confidence, leadership, and positive self-image, as described by
study participants. These academic skills benefited their communication and
translated to their personal and professional lives” (Evans and Pelletier 56). To
say that development of these skills is helpful for prison release would simply
be an understatement. The learned skills and gained knowledge that an education
program could offer would have the potential to assist an individual in leading
a much more successful life after release from prison.
Along
with the previously mentioned programs that would be beneficial to inmates,
another idea is a program focused on employment. It is known from research that
many individuals have turned to a life of crime because they lack the
experience or skills needed to obtain employment. Their time spent in prison
can be a good opportunity for them to learn if they are provided access to
programs. Kerry M. Richmond wrote an article titled “Why Work While
Incarcerated? Inmate Perceptions on Prison Industries Employment” in which she
states that “research suggests that providing educational and employment
opportunities to inmates while incarcerated could play a role in reducing the
likelihood of recidivism upon release from prison. In addition to learning
vocational skills, which can prepare an inmate for sustaining quality
employment, real work experience allows inmates to interact on a regular basis
with conventional others” (232). There are some prisons in the U. S. that offer
employment opportunities for current inmates. One of these programs, used in
the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, is known as the prison industries
program. In this program, inmates have the opportunity to be involved in “the
production and sale of quality products and services” (237). The article states
that “The products that inmates make are used by the Department of Corrections,
as well as other state and local agencies, and include correctional officer’s
uniforms, license plates, office desks and seating, and clothing for inmates”
(237). I believe that these are a great model for other prisons to implement. The
article explains that, according to inmates that have been interviewed, these
kind of employment programs have taught them the self- confidence, structure,
and responsibility that is needed for employment after release, and helps them
to keep out of trouble (Richmond 233). When inmates have the opportunity to
either learn or expand their knowledge of job skills, they are more likely to
obtain employment after release. This leads to the individual being able to be
a contributing member of their community, as well as lead a more successful
life after release. The chance to teach an individual a better way of life, how
to be the best version of themselves, and providing them with the necessary
tools to accomplish these things should be goals that all people of a community
share.
I
believe that prison reformation is possible and has the potential to have great
impact on the lives of individuals leaving incarceration. If more prisons in
the U. S. could implement programs geared towards reform, it could lead to a
dramatic reduction in prison re-entry rates after release. I feel that this
would dramatically impact the lives of the participating inmates, as well as the
lives of people in the community when there are less crimes being committed.
Awareness for prison reformation needs to be raised. Change needs to be made.
If we all work together to bring the issue of prison reformation to light, we
could change the prison system for the better.
Works Cited
Gul, Rais. “Our Prisons Punitive or Rehabilitative? An Analysis of Theory and Practice.” Policy Perspectives, vol. 15, no. 3, 2018, pp. 67–83. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/polipers.15.3.0067. Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.
Hartnett, Stephen John, et al. Working for Justice : A Handbook of Prison Education and Activism. University of Illinois Press, 2013. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e900xww&AN=581522&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.
Koons-Witt,
Barbara, and Courtney Crittenden. “Gender Differences and Program Participation
among Prisoners with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders.” Journal of Offender
Rehabilitation, vol. 57, no. 7, Oct.
2018, pp. 431–458. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1080/10509674.2018.1523818. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.
Pelletier,
Emily, and Douglas Evans. “Beyond Recidivism: Positive Outcomes from Higher
Education Programs in Prisons.” Journal of Correctional Education, vol. 70, no. 2, Aug. 2019, pp. 49–68. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=142157296&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Accessed 3 Mar. 2021.
Richmond,
KerryM. “Why Work While Incarcerated? Inmate Perceptions on Prison Industries
Employment.” Journal
of Offender Rehabilitation, vol. 53, no. 4, May
2014, pp. 231–252. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1080/10509674.2014.902005. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.
Visher, Christy A., and Jeremy Travis.
“Transitions from Prison to Community: Understanding Individual
Pathways.” Annual
Review of Sociology, vol. 29, 2003, pp. 89–113. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/30036962. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021.
