...How Inevitable is Criminal Recidivism Once a criminal always a criminal, at least that’s what our society likes to believe. We tend to label most people with who they are or what they do, whether that is negative or positive is a critical point to a person’s reputation. Recidivism by definition is a tendency to relapse into previous condition or mode of behavior; especially: relapse into criminal behavior. Criminal Recidivism rates are so high that we seem to get stuck in our ways of thinking it is just in their nature and we tend to have little hope for them to be rehabilitated to comply with the law and standards of society. Prisons are entended to have four major purposes retribution (punishment), incapacitation (removal from society), deterrence (prevention), and rehabilitation (change). Although prison is a form of punishment and rehabilitation we put very little effort to encourage the criminals to stop their behavior and get on a better path....
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...Recidivism Introduction Recidivism is defined by USlegal.com is a tendency to lapse into a previous pattern of behavior, especially a pattern of criminal habits. This research it will focus on the pattern of criminal behavior/habits. The topic of recidivism will be focused on the re-arrest, reconviction, or re-incarceration of former inmates. Recidivism is recognized as a serious variable outcome in corrections and a very complicated measurement problem. Recidivism occurs because of a new conviction or a violation of post-prison supervision on probation or parole. Statistical research studies have shown that recidivism occurs normally within a three year period from a prisoners release date and his/her return to prison or jail. Juveniles have the highest recidivism rate and it has been suggested from research to be caused due lower education and alcohol and or drug use. A current trend with court systems throughout the country is to use drug and alcohol treatment programs to reduce recidivism rates of offenders who commit drug and or alcohol related crimes. Higher education is strongly emphasized as well as programs to help prisoners to deal with and cope with the issues of being released back into regular society (Infoplease.com, 2007). The questions is does this work? The realistic and proven answer is that it does for some and for others it does not. Recidivism is an important issue with those concerned with public safety and the cost effectiveness of putting convicted...
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...The subject of recidivism in the Criminal Justice System has been long studied. It has also been argued over as to the extent of its effectiveness. Recidivism is defined as the repeating of a negative action after experiencing negative consequences from that action or receiving treatment for that action. In regards to the criminal justice system, recidivism occurs when one is rearrested after serving a sentence. With this in mind, recidivism is only discovered when an arrest and or conviction has occurred. Therefore the true number of recidivism cases only covers reported cases. The question develops of just how does incarcerating criminals affect the rates of recidivism? As of mid 2008 there was approximately a population of 2,310,984 held in federal or state prisons or jails in the United States. Of these 1,540,805 were serving out sentences under federal or state jurisdiction. There was an increase of 509 from 506 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 United States residents from yearend 2007. This was an overall increase of 0.8% from the previous yearend. This was however less than the average increase of 2.4% annually for the years 2000 to 2007. (1) These numbers show the growth of the United States inmate population which leads to problems with overcrowding. Within the next year the Federal Bureau of Prisons will open three federal correctional institutions which can hold an approximate 10,500 federal inmates at maximum capacity. (2) According to a national study in 2003 showed...
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...Do Prisons Work? Can Individuals be Reformed or Rehabilitated through Incarceration and Treatment Programs. Critically examine the Current Treatment Programs offered and Subsequent Impact on Recidivism upon Individuals being released globally and WA specifically. This study will examine the effectiveness of current prison treatment programs in Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, United States of America in rehabilitating or reforming an individual and coinciding recidivism rates upon a prisoners release. Prison based treatment programs for sex offenders in Western Australia, New South Wales and New Zealand are examined and recidivism rates compared. Treatment programs for offenders with drug and alcohol issues and the various strategies within the criminal justice system such as diversion, education and drug court programs are examined and differences explained. Rehabilitation programs such as education, life skills, employment and cognitive behavioural treatment are explained and research discussed. Conclusions will be drawn outlining programs with the highest level of recidivism both in Western Australia and globally. The “nothing works” mantra (Martinson) 1974, is seen to be refuted and treatment is seen to be successful when it is matched to the criminogenic needs of the offender (MacKenzie, 2006). Future recommendations are made in regards to the need for correctional staff to assess each offender as an individual with different needs, and to therefore...
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...are creating disparity of minority inmate population primarily due to non-violent drug crimes and the unjust mandatory minimum sentencing laws. America’s prisons are the most populated in the world, and they are disproportionately populated by minorities due to the set of mandatory imprisonment policies set in place. Over the past five decades, the disparity between races has widened dramatically according to the National Center on Institutions. In the 1950’s, blacks and Hispanics were the minorities in the prison system, whereas today whites are. Is this due to poverty? I’m sure poverty plays a big role in most cases. Robert Woodson Jr., president of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise said the reason young men engage in criminal activity is not just for money, it is to make a name for themselves, to have some expression of worth, even if the expression is self-destructive. Crack cocaine hit the streets in the early 1980’s, infesting the lower income areas. It’s a cheap drug compared to cocaine and easier to come by than some of the higher priced drugs. Is this considered racial disparity? The Sentencing Project in 2007 states that two-thirds of the regular crack users are white and Latino, 82 percent of defendants sentenced in federal court for crack offences are African-American. Criminologist William Chambliss suggest that blacks are more frequently viewed as suspects, pulled over and targeted by raids. I think racial profiling involving law enforcement plays...
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...Rehabilitation Kiera Bendolph The University of Alabama Abstract Rehabilitation is one of the key ways to helping prisoners/criminals that are released or still incarcerated. For a successful rehabilitation three components has to come into play: Healing, Treatment, and Education. To successfully rehabilitate someone it takes a process. You have to first take into account their childhood, and how/if they were victims before criminals. Then one has to decided which treatment(s) best fits to rehabilitate that specific individual, because what treatment works for one may not work for another. Lastly, educate them, give them a sense that there is more to life than the life they are living or the one they have experienced as a child. Rehabilitation What is Rehabilitation? To a prisoner it is hope for a better life. The goal of many rehabilitation programs is to reform the prisoners from committing crimes and assisting them in normal lives without any criminal activity. So many criminals return to prison, because they were not able to settle into a normal life outside those walls. That is why rehabilitation is important for criminals. It reduces that number of repeat offenders. Rehabilitation comes with a three component process: Healing, Treatment, and Education. Healing Offenders who were abused, neglected and/or addicted to drugs as children or adults must begin a meaningful healing process either through spirituality, addiction recovery or any other programs available...
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...3/4/13 Juvenile Reentry System "I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act", Bill Gates. Recidivism is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as the tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior. It is a term that is predominantly used when referring to criminal behavior. According to a study done by the Connecticut Department of Corrections in 2012, Out of 14,398 male inmates released from prison in 2005, 79% were re-arrested. These numbers begin to describe the continuing issue that the United States faces in regards to repeat offenders. In the article "Stopping The Madness: A New Reentry System For Juvenile Corrections." Author's Scott Sells, Irene Sullivan and Donald DeVore focus on some of the reasons that contribute to youth recidivism and programs that can help minimize this issue. Without first determining the causes of the issue we can not begin to address resolutions. This article focuses on an interview as well as studies and evidence based theories tto combat this issue that we are faced with. The artilce discusses issues that contribute to failing reentry programs which ultimately result in high recidivism in young offenders. Although they provide a strong logical argument, and sufficient evidence the authors do not go into detail the effects of implementing such facilities will have on those who do not have family....
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...Introduction: In Canada, for many years there has been growing concern and controversy about the over-representation of Aboriginals within the Criminal Justice System, a considerable problem that has been found to be more even extreme with Aboriginals female offenders. For Aboriginal women the rates of incarceration are particularly disturbing. Aboriginal women are over-represented in the federal prison system. They represent only 4% of the women in Canada yet account for 32% of the women in federal prisons. The number of Aboriginal women federally incarcerated has increased by 151% between 1997 and 2006 (Elizabeth Fry Society, 4). Aboriginal women are not only disproportionately over-represented but also the fastest growing population sentenced to federal prisons. The over-representation is even more pronounced in terms of Aboriginal women incarceration rates: As of April 2010, Aboriginal women accounted for 32.6% of the total female offender population (SOURCE 5). This means that one out of every three women federally incarcerated is of Aboriginal descent (Correctional Service Canada, 2009/2010, at 18). Furthermore they are over-represented in the maximum security prison population, making up 45% of the maximum security federally sentenced women, 44% of the medium security population and 18% of minimum security women in 2006 (Elizabeth Fry Society, 4). The justice system has played a major role in the creation of poor social conditions in Aboriginal communities today...
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...Nations Survey, 2002). In 2012, it was reported by the U.S. Justice Department that seven (7) million people or one in every thirty-two (32) adults were behind bars; on probation; or on parole. Of the total, 2.2 million were in jail or in prison. According to the International Center for Prison Studies at King’s College in London, the United States has more people behind bars than any other county. The U.S. incarceration rate is 737 per 100,000 people (Vicini, 2012). Why so many incarcerated? It is my belief that it is due to recidivism. What is recidivism? Recidivism is a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior, especially relapsing into criminal behavior. In the prison system, recidivism refers to released inmates who are re-convicted and re-incarcerated. The rates of recidivism have been known to be as high as fifty-percent (50%) (Reducing Recidivism Through Education, 2012). Those who contribute to recidivism have something in common. Most are male prisoners at 89.6%. The ages of 89.6% male prisoners are from 18-34 (Characteristics of Inmates, 2002). Thirty-nine (39%) of prisoners come from single-family homes (The Fatherless Generation, 2012). But, what is most troubling is this: Of the 89.2% incarcerated, 32.7% have...
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...ENG 105 Why Rehabilitation Works and Imprisonment Does Not The drug epidemic is something that has affected many families all over the world. Drug abuse puts a lot of stress on parents, brothers, sisters, and grandparents – anyone who is part of the home (“Alcohol”). Along with the drug epidemic comes the criminal activity to obtain the drugs. Our nation’s prison population has exploded beyond capacity and most inmates are in prison, in large part, because of substance abuse: 80% of offenders abuse drugs or alcohol; nearly 50% of jail and prison inmates are clinically addicted; approximately 60% of individuals are arrested for most types of crimes test positive for illegal drugs at arrest (“Alcohol”). Although the current system emphasizes putting addicts in jail, it would be more beneficial for them and society to enter into inpatient rehabilitation. The relationship between drugs and crime is very complex. At the most intense levels of drug use, drugs and crimes are directly and highly connected. Serious drug use can amplify and prolong preexisting criminal activity. There are essentially three types of crimes related to drugs: Use-Related crime: These are crimes that result from or involve individuals who ingest drugs, and who commit crimes as a result of the effect the drug has on their processes and behavior. Economic-Related crime: These are crimes where an individual commits a crime in order to fund a drug habit. These include theft and prostitution. System-Related...
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...placing them for long period of time with other disobedient and unruly kids make juvenile facilities an incubator for adult criminals, and a laboratory for future criminal activity. If we wish to help juvenile offenders, perhaps there should be less emphasis on...
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...that can change the very essence of a person. It provides a way for a person to break whatever bonds are holding them captive. Education is an empowering force that can break through stereotypes by making a person become dangerous and not allowing themselves to be defined by expectations, even if they are physically or socially imprisoned. What would it feel like to be completely stripped of all rights, like a prisoner? To live with the expectation that you were never going to be anyone special and that there was no point in even trying? Would you still have hope? Would you still want to try to better yourself, or would you let opinions of others mold you into their idea of what is expected? People deal with this in everyday life. The recidivism rate in this country is absurd due in large part to the idea that once you own the moniker “prisoner” that is all you will ever be. There are families that foster the idea of educating oneself as an unnecessary endeavor and perhaps even a lofty aspiration. There are people that fold to such expectations, and then there are those who defy them. Malcom X is an amazing example of a person who breaks the chains of expectations by transforming into a prisoner who pursues his “homemade education.” In “Learning to Read”, Malcom X advances himself in education and becomes an entirely different person. In the “Bard Prison Initiative”, on 60 seconds we find prisoners challenging preconceived notions by engaging in a rigorous academic program inside...
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...Rehabilitating criminals can create a great deal of discussion. On one side people may say ‘why should we give them programs after they have harmed the community.’ On the other said those inmates are released back into the society. According to Office of Program Policy and Analysis & Government Accountability (OPPAGA), ‘90% of the inmates are sooner or later released from prison.’ Another reason for the rehabilitant programs and other treatment is because, “The department screens inmates entering the system, and has determined that over two- thirds (68%) have less than ninth grade literacy proficiency and most were unemployed before incarceration; over 60% of the inmates also have a history of substance abuse, and 16% have been diagnosed with some form of mental illness” (Corrections Rehabilitative Programs Effective, But Serve Only a Portion of the Eligible Population at a glance). These rehabilitating programs are meant to prepare the inmates before they are released back into the society. These programs are being set up and operating at different prison across the nation. One must unquestionably ask how much money is being spent on these programs. According to OPPAGA’s report, “In Fiscal Year 2006-07, the Legislature appropriated over $2.1 billion to the Department of Corrections; of this, $36.4 million or 1.7% of the agency budget, was allocated to correctional education and substance abuse programs. The department was unable to identify the level of funds allocated to...
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...Microsoft | What Are the Options? | A Study of Recidivism among our Youth | | | December 4, 2012 | | Abstract In this paper I will be going over the study of our neighborhoods impact on criminals primarily focusing on the reentry rate. Also known as Recidivism When exploring such, there are key issues we must pay close attention to, and that’s the group that’s impacted the most- young black males. Secondly we must review the recidivism rate and how they play a role on the neighborhoods where prisoners return. Third we will determine whether race plays a role in certain areas where the recidivism rates are increasing. Lastly we will discuss several implications that could possibly reduce these rates. Introduction: A criminal career is a sequence of offenses during a period of an individual’s life. This repetitive criminal behavior is called recidivism, and indicates the proportion that becomes involved in criminal behavior, at what age criminal behaviors begins, how long the criminal career lasts and the number of offenses typically committed during the course of the career (Farrington, 1992) Also defined as an estimate of the percentage of released prisoner who commit another offense. There are three different measures of recidivism according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. These are rearrests, reconviction, and reincarceration. Rearrests is described as any arrest that was reported to state identification bureau after release from a correctional...
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...Measuring Crime Paper Eric Benet CJA/204 April 12, 2013 Measuring Crime Paper Recidivism is where an individual has a habit of committing the same crime time and time again. According to (www.pewtrusts.org), “Recidivism is the act of reengaging in criminal offending despite having been punished. The prison recidivism rate—the subject of this report—is the proportion of persons released from prison that are rearrested, reconvicted or returned to custody within a specific time period. Typically, recidivism studies follow released offenders for three years following their release from prison or placement on probation.” Most of ex-prisoners often have a problem adapting to society after being incarcerated for a long period of time and often find themselves back in prison once again. In the United States of America, more than half of incarcerated men and women are re-incarcerated. This rise in re-incarceration has been increasing dramatically over the past couple of years which has the prisons too crowded. This leads to an unhealthy environment for prisoners with the gang activity and crime that goes on inside of the prison walls. With the way crime rates and recidivism rates are raising it is clear to see that America is getting worse as time goes on. If more prisons aren’t built, then we either have to start releasing prisoners or find another way to deal with this issue. According to (www.csmonitor.com), “In the past 20 years, for instance, the murder rate in the United...
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