Pros And Cons Of Alternative Incarceration

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The recent push for alternative incarceration mechanisms has been in response to soaring prison populations in United States. America has the highest incarceration rates in western democracies. The number of people currently in prison, parole, or probation is in excess of 7 million people. Legislators have passed a number of laws, such as sentencing guidelines, aimed at stabilizing the number of a prison population. One method adopted is sentencing guidelines. Community-based corrections offer a viable alternative to imprisonment. As an alternative, a community-based correction save on cost, reduces prison populations, is an effective form of rehabilitation, is humane, and supported by public opinion. However, despite the potential for community-based correction for reducing prison population, this has not been the case. Judges are reluctant to hand community sanctions, and sentencing philosophy does not support it as an alternative mechanism for punishing offenders (Mackenzie, 2001). In 1970s, there were general moves towards “acting tough” on crime. The result has been increased in the number of people serving time in jail. This did not substantially reduce crime. In addition, the justice system has itself become unjust because minorities are overrepresented in the prison population. This is because police who do not enforce drug laws equally. They target mostly blacks and Latinos and rarely arrest white drug users. Increased incarceration of black and Latino men has had a devastating effect on black and Latino communities. Starting as far back as the first millennium CE, community-based corrections has a long history. American experience since 1970s shows that the community-based correction should be adopted more aggressi... ... middle of paper ... ...hrough a long and complicated process of development. The goal of community service has not always been clear. However, due to increasing in the prison population, community-based corrections is now seen as a good alternative to incarceration due to its rehabilitative nature and cost savings. Communities also support non-incarceration measures for offenders who commit minor offenses. Community-based sanctions are more humane and even more effective in reducing the problem of recidivism. The biggest problem to reforming the system is the perception that offenders are inherently bad, and they cannot be reformed. Evidence from research suggests that rehabilitative programs aimed at restorative justice as opposed to retributive justice are good for all the parties. Importantly, it addresses the criminal tendencies that led to the commission of crime in the first place.

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