Make a Difference and Reduce the Violent Behaviors of Inmates
There are some things that Dan Pacholke identifies as probable ways of making a difference to reduce instances of violent behavior among the inmates. First is to provide officers training in the form of teams rather than having each one of them train independently. This training would be a 10-week program (Pacholke, 2014). Another practice that the speaker identifies is the use of verbal de-escalation skills as a means of eliminating the use of force. Prison officers have been taught to use force to fight force which resulted in more chaos and violence. In the same way, the same skills of communicating thoughts and ideas were taught to the inmates and significantly putting an end to the violence taking place in the prison and not just reacting to it (Pacholke, 2014).
U.S. Justice System as Collectively Violent
Collective violence is described as the instrumental use of force or violence by individuals who form a group against another. In this practice, it is evident that the main aim is to achieve social, political or economic objectives. Therefore, the US justice system can, in fact, be defined as collective violence as seen by its treatment of criminals (Pacholke, 2014). The US is the only country in the world with the highest number of per capita incarceration. This practice gets worse when eight inmates are forced to live in a small cell with one toilet. The response of correctional officers to cases of chaos including IMU and bean bag guns is too violent a measure for creating social order (Pacholke, 2014).
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Less Violence by Justice System
The justice system can be less violent if administrators and political leaders set into place some factors in changing the prisons. The first is improving the prison environment. According to the experience of the speaker when correctional officers and the inmates interacted there were fewer cases of violence (Pacholke, 2014). There is also less tension between the two groups as they both treat each other as human beings. Another factor is making the lives of inmates more meaningful. In this case, Pacholke as the superintendent of a small prison would engage in projects in corporation with a rainforest ecologist. Inmates would participate in repopulating endangered frogs among other animals, insects, and plants (Pacholke, 2014). This practice was to show that a change in practice in the prison setting could influence a change in behavior. The staff, officers and inmates alike are excited to participate in such activity that they believe to be meaningful.
U.S. Society as Collectively Violent
The US society, on its practices and attitudes towards criminals, could be defined as collectively violent. The belief is that prison should be a form of punishment rather than a place for change (Pacholke, 2014). The most violent criminals are believed to be deserving of the isolation treatment even though it only results in more chaos in the prison system. The society does not believe in the forgiveness of the criminals. This notion is evident where more than three million children are left without a parent because they could not be forgiven for their unlawful actions (Pacholke, 2014). The cycle of crime continues as the child is more exposed to the risk of engaging in criminal acts as never before.
Improving Living Conditions for all
As Pacholke highlights, reducing cases of recidivism is the ultimate goal for the correctional department. However, this is not the final goal as it is more important to prevent crime from taking place altogether. The society as a whole can play a significant role in providing meaningful and valuable work to the prisons. In this case, the members of the community can offer their services to help inmates develop skills and mastery of particular work (Pacholke, 2014). Through this practice, they can effectively lead a prosperous life. Through meaningful learning, the inmates also change their behavior such that it does not cause further social disruption in the prison or when they are back into society. Reducing recidivism is a task that takes the effort of many people and institutions, not just the prisons.
References
Pacholke, D. (2014, March) How prisons can help inmates live meaningful lives? TED.com, Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pacholke_how_prisons_can_help_inmates_live_meaningful_lives
