Position:
The use of prisons for incarceration purposes has increased over the last decade thus increasing recidivism and delinquency among juvenile and adult offenders due to the development of mental health disorders and substance abuse.
Viewpoints:
The frequency of the use of prison has increased in the last decade thus increasing the number of first-time offenders.
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First-time offenders are prone to mental health disorders due to the ineffective psychological preparation.
Introduction to prisons thus leads to drug abuse which leads to high levels of recidivism for first-time offenders.
In other cases, substance abuse and the development of mental disorders leads to high risks of death for first-time offenders.
Viewpoints that will be addressed with counterarguments:
Jailing too many people leads to increased costs to the government.
This also leads to high levels of recidivism among juvenile and adult first-time offenders.
First-time offenders are highly prone to negative learning effects which increases the level of recidivism across all ages.
Counter-Argument:
While first-time offenders are prone to recidivism, prisons are identifying mechanisms through which such negative effects can be negated through the development of prison community programs thus reducing recidivism.
Sources
Ryan, J. P., Abrams, L. S., & Huang, H. (2014). First-Time Violent Juvenile Offenders: Probation, Placement, and Recidivism. Social Work Research, 38(1), 7-18. doi:10.1093/swr/svu004
de Figueiredo, M. P. (2015). THROW AWAY THE KEY OR THROW AWAY THE JAIL? The Effect of Punishment on Recidivism and Social Cost. Arizona State Law Journal, 47(4), 1017-1097.
Sodhi-Berry, N., Knuiman, M., Alan, J., Morgan, V., & Preen, D. (2015). Pre-sentence mental health service use predicts post-sentence mortality in a population cohort of first-time adult offenders. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 50(1), 109-124. doi:10.1007/s00127-014-0919-8
Burke, J., Mulvey, E., & Schubert, C. (2015). Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Service Use Among First-Time Juvenile Offenders. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 24(12), 3774-3781. doi:10.1007/s10826-015-0185-8
Sodhi ‐ Berry, N., Knuiman, M., Preen, D. B., Alan, J., & Morgan, V. A. (2015). Predictors of post-sentence mental health service use in a population cohort of first-time adult offenders in Western Australia. Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health, 25(5), 355-374. doi:10.1002/cbm.1927
Dillon, L., & Colling, K. (2010). Effectiveness of Written Materials in a Rehabilitative Program for Female Offenders: A Case Study at the Montana Women's Prison. Journal of Correctional Education, 61(4), 335-347.
