Prevention of crimes and their control are two main missions of the criminal justice system. Today a lot of surveys show that the majority of American citizens believe in power of correctional rehabilitation. Moreover, they are convinced that treatment of criminals should be an inevitable and the most crucial part of the correctional system.
At present time correctional system encompasses a variety of rehabilitation approaches, including work training, education, counseling and drug treatment. All of these methods are intended to help offenders to deal with their problems, reach harmony and psychological peace. In terms of this paper we will discuss these approaches, their differences and peculiarities.
Correctional counseling as well other types of rehabilitation has two main aims. The first one is public protection and reducing recidivism. The second aim is to help offenders to overcome their inner conflicts and make them realize their mistakes. In addition, correctional counseling may help criminals to manage with anger, panic and other negative consequences of imprisonment. It is remarkable that with help of correctional counseling attempts are made to help offenders to reach inner harmony.
That is why each activity of correction counseling is designed in order to affect offenders, improve their communication with other people and eliminate recidivism. Reoffendering is considered to be a certain measure in the sphere of rehabilitation, which shows success and failures of correctional system.
Today many countries show anxiety concerning the fact that criminals use drugs while being incarcerated. Indeed, it cannot be denied that there is an obvious link between committing crimes and drug addiction. Present situation proves that there is an urgent need in such actions, which will help to break connection between drugs and crime. Nowadays, correctional institutes in various countries confirm the importance of competent drug treatment. It is expected that with the help of drug treatment it will be possible to achieve social and psychological well-being of criminals and eliminate their negative behavior. It is considered that one of the most crucial goals of drug treatment is to reduce potential harm related to drug addiction, including such infections as HIV and hepatitis.
There is a wide range of methods, which can be used in drug treatment. Among the most popular of them are opioid substitution therapy and such drug-free treatment methods as residential rehabilitation, 12 steps programs, use of therapeutic communities and psychosocial support. It is remarkable that the OST program is considered to be one of the oldest and for the first time it was used in New York City in 1960s. It is also documented that such program became popular in prisons of California, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
In accordance with to the report of the United States Department of justice “the typical offender is undereducated, unemployed and living in poverty before incarceration” (as cited in Karpowitz, Kenner). That is why there is an opinion that education in prisons can be rather effective in helping to reduce level of recidivism or might even eliminate it. Such suggestions are based on the results of various surveys and reports, which prove positive correlation between education and reducing of recidivism. A good example is Illinois Department of Correction, which managed to lower their recidivism rates to 13%. Such positive results were achieved with the help of educational programs.
Work in prisons is also considered to have positive impact on prisoners and their life opportunities. In a result of numerous studies it was found out that work programs can help prisoners with the future employment. Work helps prisoners to train their working skills and socialize. Such practice can allow prisoners to feel a sort of independence and experience emotional satisfaction. For instance, in the course of analysis of prison industry and its impact on criminals, it was found out that employed prisoners were less likely to commit crimes during the first years of their release from jail.
References
Karpowitz, D., Kenner, M. (n.d.) Education as Crime Prevention: The Case for Reinstating
Pell Grant Eligibility for the Incarcerated. Bard Prison Initiative, Bard College.
Retrieved from http://www.bard.edu/bpi/pdfs/crime_report.pdf.
Interventions to Address HIV in Prisons, Drug Dependence Treatments. (2007). World
Health Organization. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/hiv/idu/EADrugTreatment.pdf.
