Introduction
America has an elaborate correction system that has existed for many years. It has not been established when the first correction facility (prison/jail) came into existence in America, but historians and other scholars have suggested that it was established in 1700s. Since its establishment, the American’s correction system has undergone tremendous transformation and changes in terms of reforms to enhance its operations, efficiency, and functions with the intention to curb crime, punish criminal offenders, and maintain status quo, and social order. Before the establishment of prisons and modern correction facilities, the criminal justice system employed punitive and cruel measures to punish criminal offenders (Schamalleger, 2011). Some of the methods, which were employed to punish and correct criminal offenders, were inclined to lex talionis doctrine that articulated for “an eye for an eye.” Exile, public humiliation, branding, flogging, and mutilation were the methods, which were used to restore order, maintain status quo and social order, and sanction criminal offenders.
America remains the leading country in the world with the highest incarceration rate (745 per 100000 people) in the world. It is followed closely with Russia and Rwanda, which have an incarceration rate of 577 per 100,000 and 500 per 100,000 people, respectively. According to a recent report released by U.S Bureau of Statistics (2009) indicates that more than 2.3 million adult criminal offenders were incarcerated in states, federal prisons, and county jails (Andrews & Bonta, 2010).. The report further indicates that approximately more than seventy-percent of incarcerated adult criminals were subjected to American resident population. Furthermore, it was affirmed that about 4.8 million incarcerated criminal offenders were subjected to parole and probation programs. In essence, the report confirmed that approximately 6.9 adults’ criminals were in correction facilities (parole program, probation program, prisons, or jail). According to study done by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2010) affirms that more than seventy thousands juveniles were placed in juvenile detention facilities in the country (Andrews & Bonta, 2010).
Like any other criminal justice system, America has an elaborate, reformed, and modern correction system that performs two important roles. First, the system is mandated with the obligation of punishing individuals who violate laws of the land by engaging in criminal activities. Second, the system provides rehabilitation services so that to transform criminals into law-abiding citizen thus turning them into responsible members of the society. Although U.S correction system plays an integral role in deterring crime, the question that needs to be addressed is the ways in which, the system punish offenders.
Question One: How U.S correction system punishes offenders
Over the years, the American correction system has strived to deter crime, restore peace and harmony, and maintain status quo and social order by punishing criminals. It has employed various measures and methods to sanctions criminals, but the type of punishment imposed on the offender vary depending on age, offense or felony committed, and individuals’ competency and sanity levels (state of the mind). Despite the variance in sanction measures, the American correction system employs the following methods to punish criminal offenders:
Incarceration: For many years, the criminal justice system coupled with U.S correction system has employed incarceration to punish criminal offenders. Although incarceration is used to punish criminals, it can also be used as rehabilitation strategy in confinement facilities. In most countries, criminal laws articulate that a criminal or an individual charged and convicted for committing a crime should be accorded fair hearing and trial in the court. The jury listens to evidence and facts presented before the court by the prosecutor/complainant; against the defender, prior pronouncing the ruling. In case, the accused is found quality of the offense, the jury pronounces his/her sentence based on the information, evidence, and fast presented before the court. In most nations, the law stipulates that a criminal or an individual convicted for committing certain offense should be incarcerated in confinement facilities to serve a prison term. In most countries, criminal laws allows a jury to set the sentencing length to a given period, but other countries have formulated and implement laws, which deprive the jury power to set the sentencing length (Pratt, 2009). Offenders sentenced for less than one year are supposed to serve a jail term whereas criminal offenders sentenced for more than one year are supposed to serve a prison term. Criminal offenders are subjected to harsh, unfavorable, and inhumane working and living conditions when serving their prison and jail term. Criminals permitted in state and federal prison systems are placed in different correction and confinement facilities depending on the magnitude of the offense committed. For instance, criminal offenders who pose serious threat to the public are placed in maximum and close security levels whereas offenders charged for minor offenses are placed in minimum-security level facilities. Based on this assertion, incarceration remains an effective method to punish criminal offenders in America.
Fines: In certain instances, the jury may not sentence the accused person or the offender to serve a jail or prison term, but rather punish the offender through fine. This means that the court accords the offender liberty and freedom, but after settling the fine. In most cases, criminals charged for minor offenses are fined as a way to punish them. However, the American criminal justice system has enacted laws, which determine the amount of money the offender ought to pay as fine.
Restitution: In certain instances, the jury may find the accused guilty for the offense, but, instead of sentencing the offender to serve a jail or prison term, the court may order the offender pay compensation to the victim. The offender can be imprisoned and jailed for failing to honor the court’s verdict; an idea that is considered a felony in criminal justice system.
Question Two: How U.S correction system rehabilitates offenders
In the last few years, the public, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders in criminal justice system have raised a concern that U.S correction system has abandoned rehabilitation programs, but empirical studies have revealed that the system provides quality, reliable, and relevant rehabilitation services and programs to criminal offenders. It provides various rehabilitation services including education and work programs, counseling programs, treatment programs to criminal offenders.
Education and work programs: The U.S correction system understands that education plays an integral in facilitating economic development and personal advancement. It has established education programs, which aim to equip criminals with knowledge and skills, which would enable them acquire jobs and become responsible members of the society. Studies reveal that about one third of inmates have enrolled in adult basic education program that entails mastery of skills and knowledge in core subjects such as language and literacy, sciences, social studies, and mathematics.
Criminal offenders are provided with another form of education known as life -training skill that enables them become responsible and resourceful member of the society. They are trained on how to write application letters, attend job interviews, live a healthy and desirable life, invest, and execute parental roles (Wormer & Bartollas, 2011). These skills help criminal offenders interact with other members of the community effectively.
Correction facilities provide criminal offenders with vocational training in masonry, carpentry, tailoring, and plumbing; an idea that helps the offenders become self-employed when they complete their jail term. They employed the learned skills to nurture their talents, expertise, competences, and skills in various professions thus enhancing their dignity and respect in the community.
Counseling programs: Mainly address the underlying psychological and mental problems, which compel offender to indulge in criminal activities. Most of the offenders have psychological disorders and mental problems, which influence their social behavior. However, providing offenders with life training skills and education would be useless unless the offenders are provided with counseling services to help them resolve their inner conflicts. The system has established therapeutic communities, which counsel offenders that are suffering from drug and substance abuse and other psychological disorders.
Community-based treatment program provides effective rehabilitation services to the offenders. In this case, offenders are subjected to probation, parole, and community-based programs so that to help them adapt the normal lifestyle and predispose desirable behavior. In this case, the system has employed probation and parole officers who monitor the offender’s movement, behavior and provide counseling services. This move help the offenders refrain from engaging in criminal activities and transform into a respectable and responsible citizen. Based on this assertion, the U.S correction system rehabilitates criminal offenders through education and work programs, counseling programs, and community-based treatment programs.
Question 3: Which method is more effective in reducing crime? Punishment or rehabilitation? Explain your choice.
Rehabilitation is an effective method to reduce crime than punishment. Rehabilitation is more elaborate and exhaustive method because it strives to understand psychological, social, and biological factors, which influences the offender to engage in criminal activities. In essence, rehabilitation helps the offender resolve his or her inner conflicts and adapt normal way of life; a move that deters and reduce criminal activities. It provides criminal offenders with knowledge, life-training skills, and vocational skills in various disciplines thus helping them acquire a job or become self-employed. This means that person (offender) cannot engage in criminal activity because he/she has a job that generates money and provides for the family. On the other hand, punishment does not reduce crime because it does not inculcate the aspect of transformation and empowerment. It is true that criminal offenders learn desirable behaviors and characters while serving their jail term, but they do not uphold same values, principles, and character when they go back into the community thus increasing crime rate. Based on this assertion, rehabilitation is effective in reducing crime because it embraces transformation and empowerment.
References
Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2010). The psychology of criminal conduct (5th ed.). Albany, N.Y.: Lexis Nexis/Anderson Publishers.
Pratt, T. C. (2009). Addicted to incarceration: corrections policy and the politics of misinformation in the United States. Los Angeles: SAGE
Wormer, K. S., & Bartollas, C. (2011). Women and the criminal justice system (3rd ed.). Boston, Mass.: Prentice Hall.
Schamalleger, F. (2011). Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Test to 21st Century. New York: Pearson Education Incorporation.
