By Ella Stone
Discussions about the prison system in the US have gone on for longer than many of us can remember, discussing issues such as if minorities are more subject to being incarcerated based on how they are treated in their communities or if prisons are really helping people learn how to manage living in the real world.
Prison should be about rehabilitation and getting people back to mentally and physically being able to live with people around them. Whether they do bad things because they felt like it or because they have a mental issue they are dealing with, the system in theory should help to improve prisoners’ ability to live amongst others.
This philosophy is rooted in retributive justice, meaning that they focus on punishment instead of rehabilitation—only showing prisoners that the people “superior” to them in power, who are also allowed to do unacceptable things without punishment. The understanding and balance of these two goals is essential in finding a way to improve the quality of life while incarcerated and then after.
The prison system operates on a model of punishment because they believe that the person who did the crime deserves to deal with the consequences.
The “California Three Strike law” is set to significantly increase the punishments for repeating offenders, and generally goes along with a life sentence on a person’s third strike. Many think that because it’s known that the system is harsh, it can be used as a deterrent. However, critics have been finding numerous negative outcomes.
The U.S. has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, which is leading to overcrowded prisons. Because of the number of people to watch over, prison guards often have less patience, becoming harsher. It gives them no chance to work with the prisoners to try to combat their issues, rather leaving them with no skills to reintegrate into society.
This is a huge problem for people in poverty and addiction because they get sent right back to the streets, and become stuck in a cycle of crime.
If we were to focus less on the abuse and punishment aspect and more on rehabilitation, people in charge could spend their time trying to find the underlying issues that are contributing to criminal behavior. Haney from the American Psychological Association says, “Psychology as a discipline now has a tremendous amount of information about the origins of criminal behavior, and I think that it is important for psychologists to bring that information to bear in the debate on what kind of crime control policies we, as a society, should follow.”
If prisons were to offer education, therapy, or treatment to help with addiction and other issues, then prisoners could begin to develop the tools they will need to rebuild their lives.
If you were to look at countries like Norway, which have switched over to focusing on rehabilitation, you would find that they have some of the lowest recidivism rates (which is the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend). This is possible because they are treated like they can change, instead of only reminding them of their past actions.
It is important to find balance. For more violent offenders punishment may be required, to make sure there isn’t a threat posed to guards and the other prisoners. However, the majority of others are willing to work with you and want to get better. We need to break the cycle of crime and give them hope that they can improve their lifestyles if we really want a better and safer society.
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