Do we need a better plan for inmates with regards to rehabilitation?

2015-08-21T10:19:35-04:00

The way I see it there are two extremes and a whole lot of middle ground. We can lock people up and throw away the key (or execute them), or we can slap them on the wrist and release them into society.

There is some "right" balance though, but what? It has to vary by crime, and crime, unfortunately, is a HUGE spectrum.

The question is, do we do enough to try to "fix" the people we can, or do we put them in a system that destiny dictates will cause them to continue to fail?

One altruistic woman has been helping inmates to become better people for decades. Her story is linked here.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/20/us/cnn-heroes-carroll/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool&iref=obnetwork

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Aug 21 at 2015 10:46 AM

2015-08-21T10:46:42-04:00

If it'll help these men become productive members of society, I support it. America's known for second chances.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Aug 21 at 2015 12:17 PM

2015-08-21T12:17:19-04:00

Great article.

But to answer your headline question, and the gist of your post. Yes.

We refer to it as a "Debt to Society." That implies that it can be paid off. That implies that the slate can be wiped clean at some point. As it stands now, I'm not sure that is truly possible. We're missing a key piece of the equation, and that piece is creating a "repetition loop," even after we account for the underlying causes.

Response by CDR Terry Boles made Aug 21 at 2015 1:21 PM

2015-08-21T13:21:33-04:00

LCDR Nicholas Mulcahey
I wonder what the real success rate is over time. I think there is a need for meaningful rehab, and I am also sure not everyone is a candidate for rehab as there bad people there and should be there.

I have had many an interesting conversation with PHS officers assigned to US Bureau of Prisons (BOP) regarding federal prisoners, their ingenuity of working the system, how hard they try to play each BOP person for personal gains etc. For one, i am thankful we have people who choose to work in these environments, a place I would not to choose to serve during my career.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 11:52 AM

2015-08-24T11:52:28-04:00

We need a plan that reintegrates inmates that served time into society. Currently, those who have served time face an uphill battle upon release. These individuals must return to situations and people in their lives who may have contributed to the bad decisions that put them in prison in the first place. They must also face employers who do not want to hire them. We need rehabilitation programs that prepare them for the realities they face upon release and provide tools for dealing with the emotions and temptations they will face.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Aug 24 at 2015 12:38 PM

2015-08-24T12:38:08-04:00

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member . There was a time where prison was a place people did not want to go back to, period. They would self correct to avoid going back to prison. Now we have prisons that are almost like an alternative lifestyle. People live in these "small towns", they have hierarchies inside of them, privileges, access to drugs and alcohol, the "respect" some of them crave, some even conjugal visits to put the icing on the cake.

Most of us would find that lifestyle unacceptable. Others have found out how to live within so if they go back, no big deal. A few stats on recidivism to back that up from the Bureau of Justice

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Among state prisoners released in 30 states in 2005—

- About two-thirds (67.8%) of released prisoners were arrested for a new crime within 3 years, and three-quarters (76.6%) were arrested within 5 years.
- Within 5 years of release, 82.1% of property offenders were arrested for a new crime, compared to 76.9% of drug offenders, 73.6% of public order offenders, and 71.3% of violent offenders.
- More than a third (36.8%) of all prisoners who were arrested within 5 years of release were arrested within the first 6 months after release, with more than half (56.7%) arrested by the end of the first year.
- Two in five (42.3%) released prisoners were either not arrested or arrested once in the 5 years after their release.
- A sixth (16.1%) of released prisoners were responsible for almost half (48.4%) of the nearly 1.2 million arrests that occurred in the 5-year follow-up period.
- An estimated 10.9% of released prisoners were arrested in a state other than the one that released them during the 5-year follow-up period
- Within 5 years of release, 84.1% of inmates who were age 24 or younger at release were arrested, compared to 78.6% of inmates ages 25 to 39 and 69.2% of those age 40 or older.
_______________________________________________________________________________

For most of the folks in the big house, it is not their first rodeo. Many have arrest records you can't run and jump and more than one conviction. Very few on their first arrest (unless a violent felony) end up in prison.

There are people that can be rehabilitated. I am afraid it is a much smaller number than we like to think.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 24 at 2015 1:00 PM

2015-08-24T13:00:03-04:00

She definitely is a Hero. I can imagine many inmates with PTSD and depression because of what transpires in prison.