I think I got a bit carried away by jumping into rehabilitation programs such as La Programa de Segunda Oportunidad. I should begin by giving some basic information about the prison system today.
Conventional punishment for law-breaking is being sent to prison. There, inmates are isolated from society, confined to cells, restricted of certain freedoms, watched closely, and follow strict rules of behavior. This is often seen as retribution for the crimes they committed.
Once in prison there are means by which we attempt to rehabilitate inmates. Many prisons provide resources such as vocational and educational programs, psychological counselors, programs in which inmates can improve their skills and self-concept, programs to help reintegrate prisoners into the community and society at large, and work-release/study-release programs. These programs are all designed to prepare prisoners to re-enter society.
All of these programs seem just fine and dandy - so why aren't they working?
There are many reasons; the social structure of prisons being a major one. By isolating inmates together it breeds attitudes and knowledge that can strengthen a person's desire and ability to commit crime. Prison environments are also very different from normal society. They are void of the rights and responsibilities of society making it harder for a person to readjust to societal norms once given the opportunity. In this isolated institution, prisoners also establish rules amongst themselves that are often more important to the inmates than the institutional rules. If this prison subculture does not have the same goals as the prison institution (which it rarely does) than inmates are much less likely to accept these goals, such as rehabilitation, on an individual basis.
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4 comments:
I completely agree with your points. Our prisons need reform and the high instances of recidivism prove it. The sad truth however is that even with statistics that prove rehabilitation programs are more effective our prison systems will likely never change. People are too reluctant to spend money on prisons even if spending more would mean a safer society with less criminals.
I think the Second Chance Program and the programs that you talk about which can help prisoners to have an easier transition in society are very important. It also goes along with the topic of the War on Drugs in that many prisoners confined for drug related reasons are likely to return to their ways once released. This is simply because they have known nothing else and prison isolates them from the real world. It is really comforting to know that these programs exist, however, I am asking your same question..."Why aren't they working?" I believe the government needs to strive to find a cure to this ineffectiveness.
American blogger:
Hopefully you are wrong and the prison system will change. But first we have to change our mindset to see the long-term benefits. As I said in my second post, focusing on rehabilitation is fiscally responsible. It may cost more money upfront, but it will save much more in the long run by reducing the amount of returning prisoners. I think one reason the government is reluctant to changing the prison system is because of an assumed desire by the general public to punish those who break societal rules, whether for vengeance or for a need reach supposed "justice." But public opinions are changing.
I have seen so many documentaries about prisons and their inmates. I agree with you on how all these rehabilitative methods aren't working-these guys are isolated with one thing on their mind-the reason why they are in there in the first place. One would think if they are frequently thinking about what they did in then they should be able to change themselves-and sometimes that works-but I believe that most people who are already in jail don't have that kind of mindset to truly change their ways. They made a decision, which was a wrong one, and now they pay for it by solitary confinement. I don't think that would change many minds other than give them more time to plot something else-revenge or a way to get back on top...
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