Response to Daryle Ryan
I agree with Ryan when he says that the best approach to helping drug offenders to reform is not locking them up in large institutions but rather in small units. For, when in small facilities, they are more likely to get individualized attention and supervision from the prison officers. This way, their rehabilitation process will be hastened and hence they will also feel that there is concern about their reentry back into the society. Hence, as Schmalleger (2016) notes, there has to be a change in management and administration of these institutions if the inmates are to stand a chance at reform and rehabilitation. One way of achieving this as the writer has pointed out is through legislation that would ensure that non-violent drug offenders who stand a chance of successful recovery are not holed up in the same facilities as offenders with violent drug offenses.
However, what I do not agree with Daryle on is the fact that reducing inmate population will consequently result in a reduction in the rates of incarceration. This is because reducing the number of times or instances in which law enforcement officers apprehend drug offenders cannot be a solution. I think rehabilitation and reformation can still be carried out even with the large prison population as long as some form of individualized rehabilitation treatment is offered to each inmate. There is also a need for an increase in the number of officers operating the rehabilitation programs so that the ratio of offenders who require rehabilitation and the officers is as close as possible.
Response to Nathaniel Soroka
If I get him well, Nathaniel argues that since each inmate as portrayed by Adam Sandler undergoes some form of prisonization and in some way gets used to life in prison, there is no need for any reform. While what Adam Sandler did like being accustomed to prison life and even attempting to start a football team are important ways of enlivening the harsh prison environment, it does not mean that inmates should be left to get used to such life without any attempt at rehabilitation and social reform. The sole function of the justice system to which the prison system is one it to promote behavior change through rehab facilities and programs that prepare inmates for life in the community. Hence, I do not find this writer’s argument to be too convincing. Nevertheless, creating a subculture in prison and being accustomed to prison life can be a good idea if it is aimed at encouraging inmates to use their time while in incarceration to engage in activities that promote behavior change and contribute to the society’s well-being. As Schmalleger (2016) states, through probation, community corrections and parole, prisoners can become better people to fit in the society than when in prison. Soroka’s comment, however, provides a valuable insight into what inmates go through while in jail hence the need for programs that can help them reform and be better citizens.
References
Schmalleger, F.J. (2016). Criminal justice: A brief introduction. London: Pearson Education.
