The United States leads all industrialized nations in prisoner populations. However, the United States violent crime rate is relatively high incomparision to industrialized countries where inmate populations are generally low.
Corrections has become a multibillion dollar industry. Federal and State authorities have profited from the incarceration of criminals. Private corporations are now becoming contracted "watch dogs." These corporations receive grants and tax exemptions for housing convicted criminals. This boldly explains why our nations imprisonment rate continues to increase while our crime continues to fall.
Research and statistics show, the penal division of our nations justice system to be failing miserably. Imprisonment and striping the freedom of an individual who has been condemed by society as a criminal has always been seen as the proper way to rehabilitate.
Society assumes by imprisioning offenders the crime rate will drop. If this is our penal systems main objective then we are being saldly let down and are in dire need for prision reform.
Our current penal and justice system is heavily misguided by old fashion ideology. We must implement revolutionary and modern techniques of rehabilitation. States were prisoners have easy access to educational opportunities and job training have lower recidivism rates. Work release programs have shown to stimulate and help promote an inmates view of society and more importantly a healthier view of themselves.
Nonviolent offenders do not belong amongst violent offenders. Arizona has made great strides in the evolution in the rehabilitation of drug offenders. First time drug offenders receive mandatory treatment and attend support groups were they can focus on recovery. Programs like this have high rates of success.
California is also a leader in prison reform with similar success rates.
Our penal systems failure to rehabilitate inmates is a serious issue. I believe societies view of criminals is demeaning. Many people in our nation view criminals as being animal like. Criminals are still human and should receive productive and fair treatment. Due to our nations lack of apathy for criminals, convicts are let back into society, many with emotional and mental illneses without the necessary skills and knowledge to become productive citizens. Many are released into society institutionalized by inprisionment.
Societies need for rehabilitation and redemption far exceeds our nations desire for punishment.
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