Recidivism
“America is the land of the second chance – and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life” former President, George W. Bush says. Is that statement true? Recidivism is just another word for repeat offender in crime. After sentences, they are tossed back out into the real world. Things may have changed, they can’t get jobs and can’t take care of themselves. Some are afraid to reach out for help. So what do they do? Some are lucky and find ways to stay out of trouble, but for the unlucky ones, they tend to repeat prior actions and are imprisoned again. Government officials have decided to take a stand, and decide to help repeating offenders better themselves with recidivism programs in prisons. …show more content…
Rick Scott had taken a stance on prison sentences, and had passed a policy that forces prisoners to wait five to seven years before their rights are given to them. These rights include the right to vote, serve on a jury, and seek public office. As we all know these rights and more are taken from us once sentenced. Rick Scott felt that passing the policy would actually help prisoners. Many people see the wrong in this policy, but those people don’t see the light. Prisoners are granted basic rights while incarcerated, which is the right to college education. Research has shown that programs that follows the principles of risk, need, responsivity, and use a mental behavior approach are the most effective in the programs to reduce recidivism. Intense supervision and services are given to those who are most likely to reoffend, the programs focus on these prisoners so that can find the source of the likelihood of reoffending in the future and find ways to reduce that chance. For the non-criminogenic needs there are programs that focus on self-esteem and relationships. And then there are programs involving active participation such as language and literacy …show more content…
Specifically speaking, most teenage offenders are being registered sex offenders at a very young age. Kids will be kids, lets slap them on the wrist and send them on their way right? But how about when they are older, and are arrested again. Looking back on their records they’ve already been charged once so with the rearrest, and the recidivism rate increases. The chart shown above indicates the juvenile arrest rate for all offenses. Its reached its highest level in the last two decades in 1996, around 8,500 juveniles, but decreased by 65% in 2014. Lenore Skeanzy distinctly speaks for juveniles being registered to the sex offender registry at such a young age coming to an end. She believes that the public has been led to believe that juvenile “sex offenders” will never stop pouncing. Registereing kids as sex offenders has a huge cost on civilization , Skeanzy writes, “ Mandatory lifetime registration captures and shatters the lives of many non-dangerous children. It is a price tag we should no longer be willing to