The chart above shows the rates of recidivism in 1994. Unfortunately rates have not changed much since then. "Two-Thirds of prisoners reoffend within three years of leaving prison, often with a more serious and violent offense".(Gilligan,1). After reading Mr. Gilligans article on the New York Times I found his article very informative. First, he points out the failure of our system. Second, he provides us with the solution. This article also reaffirms the point I have been trying to make-- the correct rehabilitation will work-- I believe we all should be aware of what we are paying for as tax payers. Mr. Gilligan believes that the right education with the right environment will reduce these rates immensely. He bases this on the fact that he used his system of "intensive re-education" in the San Francisco jails. Based on his studies reduced violence in jail and more importantly reduced the frequency of violent reoffending by 83%. His educational program is also less expensive than the conventional programs being offered at the correctional facilities. It saves around $30,000 a year per person.
The right education is the key to low recidivism rates.
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/18/prison-could-be-productive/punishment-fails-rehabilitation-works
Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI agree that education can lead to a smaller recidivism rate. The more educated a person is, there is less of a chance of that person committing a crime in which all the education would go to waste. I think an implication of the system would be the advantage offenders would have to getting education behind bars. For example, I have to provide my own healthcare and I do this by working. If I couldn't afford healthcare, I could essentially commit petty crimes to get put in jail for free health care. There is a man in Colorado that commits petty crime to get help (See Link Below). My question then would be, what is the incentive for working and paying for school when a person who commits a crime can have access to the same type of education for free?
I agree that education for everyone is important and contributes to an overall better society. I think that we just have to be careful of the way we implement policies in order to encourage good behavior and education versus how to behave through education. Giving an offender an advantage that a non-offender doesn't have could send the wrong message. Of course, I think current programs of GED completion in jails is perfectly reasonable and my argument is more for the next step of a college career being offered in jails and prisons.
Link:
http://kdvr.com/2014/07/07/expensive-trend-people-committing-crimes-to-get-free-jail-health-care/
Tyler,
DeleteThanks for the response. I completely agree with you. But I do have to add that an an individual that has an education outside of jail positions him in better jobs than one who is getting a degree in a correctional facility. What it does is it gives them hope of getting an average job when getting out because it is very hard to get a job with a criminal background. It facilitates the process. The idea of it is to give hope and open up possibilities. Not only that but by educating these individuals they are expanding their views of the world not just their own world which is what they see. They go from narrow minded individuals with individuals with a broader picture. But I agree with you. It is an excellent point you make. It is not fair but again they also suffer consequences. Being in jail is not fun.
Sandra,
DeleteThank you for expanding a little bit on the fairness.I think there are some points that you and I agree on and some points that we have a slightly different view. And this is perfectly OK! I liked how you focused on the result of the education making life more successful for inmates once they are released whereas I focused on fairness in the beginning process. Having differences in viewpoints is how to get the creative process moving to create change. Good post!
Tyler,
ReplyDeleteI believe our rehabilitation programs should be individualized, we are all different. This article focuses on the educational program. This program might now work for everyone, but will work for some (maybe individuals with a low skill set). Now for other individuals with more problems and in need of one-on-one attention we have the Cognitive Behavioral Programs. Again, everyone is different.
Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI always forget about the importance of education when it comes to rehabilitating men in prison. Many success stories for men that are released involves them receiving an education, so I'm surprised that I didn't think about it. You even went further by saying we should improve the education in area's where hangs are formed. This way we can cut down the increase in gang members in the future. This strategy reminds me of the movie "Lean On Me" where Morgan Freeman becomes the principle of a school for low income families. By the end of the year he turned the whole school around and improved the education level and number of graduates. It's a great movie, and it supports this strategy perfectly. Great post!