Lana Lopez Lopez 01
Ms. Williams
English 1A
03 November, 2013
Punishment vs. rehabilitation
The article, “Punishment vs. rehabilitation: A proposal for revising sentencing practices” discusses the difference in outcome when prisoners are given the chance to change and go through rehabilitation vs. only serving time and being sent back to an unhealthy environment after no help has been provided. Many prisons fixate on only serving time for punishment instead of rehabilitating the troubled prisoner. The system we have in place has a horrible recidivism rate which is proof that only making prisoners serve time for their punishment is not enough to help them return to society and live a normal life. Part of the time a prisoner is sentenced to should be focused on how to deal with issues that lead the criminal to the current punishment he/she is serving for. Also by creating a tie by checking up on prisoners after they are released keeps a person on parole in check because they know they are expected to be somewhere and keep a good record or else face the consequences and return to prison. Without rehabilitation inmates will continue a vicious cycle of continued crime because they don't know anything different. I believe that if prisoners had programs to focus on job skills and mental rehabilitation then the recidivism rate would surely decrease. I believe that prison is not the best solution for gang members because now they have no choice but to
Lopez 02
be loyal to their gang due to being surrounded by even more criminals who are gang affiliated. Rival gang members should be forced to work and live together instead of being grouped with fellow members for “safety” reasons. Currently fellow gang members are grouped together which creates a stronger bond between gang members instead of forcing them to break ties and leave the gang life behind. Unfortunately even those few who want to break away from the gang life are not given a chance because they are watched by “sharks” who pray on weakness without protection. I learned that rehabilitating current inmates will create a better society for all because they feel comfortable and educated enough to deal with day to day issues instead of acting out. What confuses me is why we continue to lock away someone for years because of a crime, which then puts them in an enviroment where they deal with even harsher circumstances and are released and expected to be “normal”. How is someone suppose to conform to a whole different lifestyle without they help they need to change?
