Recidivism In Prisons

Recidivism is the tendency to relapse into criminal behavior no matter if the inmate committed the same or different crime. According by the federal government’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, within five years of being released, 76.6% prisoners were rearrested. Released convicts face many struggles that are difficult to overcome due to the obstacles that inmates encounter to become active members of society. By extension, the released offenders tend to fall back into the criminal behavior because of the lack of involvement in society as they see no purpose to be part of a normal life and become pessimistic and criminals. Since released prisoners are constantly discriminated from opportunities the recidivism rate goes higher. Another cause of

high recidivism is the structure and the control of prisons often bound to fail, which causes predicaments in prisons, moreover, it becomes a setback for inmates.
Prisons have four motives for detaining criminals which are retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation. Retribution is punishment to the inmate for committing a crime, incapacitation is the removal of offenders from society in order to protect innocent people, deterrence is the prevention of anyone committing a future crime, and rehabilitation is reinstating criminals into normal behavior by psychological help. These four purposes are meant to construct a better criminal system in order to make the environment and society safe. Consequently, these four purposes are not distributed equally. As a result, many prisons’ protocols are dissimilar and manage the the staff differently as well as their operations. Prisoners serve their time and are allowed to leave prison, furthermore, returning to the world more heinous having atrocity committed with malice and treachery. The prisons are now flawed due to the high rate of recidivism. When prisoners are released of their sentencing, they have no aid and have no parole restrictions. For example, in the state of Wisconsin the program “Windows to Work” allows inmates from the Oshkosh Correctional Institution with education to better themselves as well as other services. “For a minimum of one year after release, Windows to Work case managers work with the client and their community corrections agent to help participants find and keep employment, locate suitable housing and transportation options, and provide connections for education, skills training, and supplies needed to successfully transition back into the community” (Family Services). The ‘Windows to Work’ allows prisoners to have a more fundamental system for their success outside of prison. If other states or prisons contributed on adapting into the same program as the ‘Windows to Work’ then changes could be made into the prisoner’s behavior and more would be released from prison with an enhancement in their thoughts and conduct. Rehabilitation is also a roadblock when it comes to effectively changing an inmates behavior. In other words, many are offended for a crime that could be treated with rehabilitation. For example, a drug dealer is convicted of a crime and is put through retribution, when in fact, they should be provided with the help of drug rehabilitation because they are mentally ill due to all the intake of drugs. Nonetheless, many of the prisoners that are drug dealers are not given any rehabilitation, which derails their improvement with the lack of assistance they are offered with and no support to stay away from the addiction of drugs. Because of the lack of education in most prisons, many are thrown out with no education making it harder for them to find jobs.
In the United States, the prison population has expanded through the years. Prisons have experienced a massive growth from 1925-2015. In 1925, the prison population was less 200,000 people, whereas in 2015, the prison population was 1,476,847. In the 2000s, the prison population reached its peak. Because of the overpopulation, prisons have confronted issues even though crime rates have decreased over the years. The major fundamental factor of the expansion of prison population is recidivism. Offenders who return to prison sum up the a great part of the overall population in prisons. The aspects of criminals returning to prison varies mainly because of the lack of effectiveness prisons purposes to change a prisoners actions. Nevertheless, when offenders are released from prison, many face difficulties trying to conform into society. Once thrown out of prison, the judicial system anticipates for these convicts to have a changed behavior and not commit anymore crimes. After incarceration, these individuals may be eligible and could receive a small number of benefits. For example, Social Security retirement or disability benefits. Most of these individuals are not given the opportunities that they hope to endorse. Due to the criminal records, these individuals are denied access to go back to their former job or any job that could help them provide for themselves and for their families. A small amount of them are fortunate enough to get a job, but it is mostly a low-skill job. They are also not eligible for owning a house since they do lose everything after being detained, they are obligated to live with someone else. They are not entitled to vote for their country and attempt to make a difference. Society refuse to accept these offenders back into the world because they are labeled as untrustworthy and violent. A minority of people enter prison illiterate and are fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to get an education within the prison in order to be granted jobs once released from prisons, but since many refuse to accept former prisoners, the education fails for their success and have to be resilient to be able to do what any innocent person could do in the world as they only want to be accepted. Additionally, people believe that after prison, offenders become incompetent and cannot be granted any chances. Because of the problems they face, many recommit the same or different crime that ends up worse. Due to all the refusal, these individuals become hopeless in society and become distraught to the point the leads to crime in order to escape the demands that society throws at them. In essence, society fails to accept back prisoners out in the world and forbids them to do the same thing innocent people do because of their crime records. It impedes them to enhance themselves and be able to have the power to provide for themselves and their families. Prisoners rely greatly on their families for shelter and support. It is a protective factor for prisoners to return to their home, especially if they have children as it creates a sense of vulnerability to the child since they are moved at the fact that their parent was incarcerated for a crime, which makes the child grow in resentment. In essence, these children lose financial support because of the parent being incarcerated and can not recuperate the financial loss even after the release since these prisoners are labeled as deceitful and dishonest.
In order to decrease recidivism, opportunities should be granted to the prisoners to be able to start all over again to better themselves and not find motives to commit a crime.

Forbidding the prisoners from housing opportunities, voting rights, and job acceptance creates worry and trouble for the prisoners to focus on improving and be able to strive for a better future. Denying access to changed individuals fails the work the prisons have proposed to secure society. Even though a minority of prisons grant educations and programs for prisoners, many do not come effective as prisoners are not given opportunities. Furthermore, more prisons should provide an education for inmates as a few of them enter illiterate. Allowing education to be in the prison system gives hope to the inmates to surpass and have a better job that could benefit them and impede for any financial issues to be places, moreover, giving them job opportunities like any other person who has gone through education and has a skilled job. Prisons should also focus more on the rehabilitation program; give this program to those with mental issues. For example, those who commit a crime due to behavioral issues or those who are drug abusers are in need of psychological help. Giving prisoners the help they need makes the system work more efficiently and realize what the main problem of the prisoner is. If prisoners are released from prison without any skill and do not have adequate mental help support from rehabilitation, the prison population will keep increasing. Many prisoners do not benefit from programs that are being offered in the prison due to it being

underfunded.
In order for recidivism to lower in United States prisons, looking into the overcrowding in prisons should be the priority because of all the prisoners returning to prison. An alternative program for rehabilitation could potentially help the prisoners and the overcrowding in prisons. Allowing multiple programs with education creates a future for prisoners that will be released from prison to satisfy their needs. Society should also accept the prisoners back into the world with their families and their community along with financial support. Prisons should reassure that inmates are given the job opportunities that have worked for during their serving time in order for their skill to be empowered and create independence. Once prisoners feel that they have support and help, they would have no interest nor worry about falling back and returning to prison.