Introduction
Prisoner re-entry and reintegration back to the community has proved to be a hectic process that has challenged experts. The released inmates often return to behaviors that led to incarceration, thus exposing them negatively and consequently causing a societal disconnect. Many confinement institutions have populations growing with time (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000). Moreover, the number of offenders released from custody into the community also increased, indicating the need to resolve the issue of offender rehabilitation quickly. Scholars have proposed different rehabilitation and reintegration methods that are suitable for use in the current setting. Some of the proposed plans that could guarantee successful re-entry include canine therapy, motivational and cognitive methods, and farming on lands within the community.
The need for prisoner rehabilitation and re-entry is vital because incarcerated persons have a hard time adjusting and repositioning themselves as diligent citizens. Most of them are prejudiced against thus have slim chances for societal participation like employment. A more significant part of society rejects them and disassociates from them due to fear or distrust. However, the offenders are humans, and they need rehabilitation and close association for their successful reintegration. It is the responsibility of every individual to play a decisive part in ensuring the successful reintegration of released inmates.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Background of the problem
The rate of incarceration is continually rising due to offenses associated with drug abuse, unemployment, family disintegration, age as well as personality and type of friends. Once an individual is confined for a crime, they paint a negative image to society, and as a consequence, most of them will have trouble participating in social activities due to societal prejudice. Moreover, the ex-convicts could suffer stigma due to imprisonment and may fear or shy from participating actively within society. The negative image the ex-convicts portray and the overall under participation in social matters cause the need for a revisit of the reintegration and rehabilitation mechanism.
Besides, individual's vulnerabilities, as well as system barries, have further soared the problem of rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Also, the institutions offering the services are underutilized and inaccessible to those who need them most and therefore further propelling the problem. The community, therefore, rejects the ex-convicts, exposing them to the dangers they had faced initially. The ex-prisoners, therefore, have high chances of returning to their past behavior that caused incarceration. If that is the case, it would mean double trouble for society.
Methodology.
The study has concentrated on qualitative research and has used literature review as the primary means for data acquisition and analysis. A total of seven pieces of literature have been selected for analysis for the study. The seven resources stood out amongst others because they contained information central to the research. The seven sources have been assessed to delineate the appropriate rehabilitation methods and the evaluation of treatment service innovations. Each piece of literature was resourceful and therefore facilitated the research by providing useful insight. The sources visited for this study had diverse views and opinions concerning prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration, yet each had a relevant contribution to the inmate rehabilitation and reintegration problem.
The next step in the research process involved reporting the findings after the analysis of the chosen literature. The results reflected the current situation of the rehabilitation process. The next section that would follow would be a discussion of the results. The section will identify the possible remedies that experts can apply to mitigate the problem of inmate rehabilitation and reintegration. The last stage of the research will offer a conclusion of the entire work. Here the question that prompted the study will be revisited and the proposed remedies discussed along. The section will provide an overall summary of the work.
Literature review
The literature consulted for this study reveal worrying trends concerning inmate population that continues to swell with time. The consequence of the growing number of incarceration is the growth in the number of people released to the free world after serving their terms. Jeremy Trevis identified that the ever-increasing number of inmates released as free citizens has risen since the population of inmates is on a continued constant rise (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000). He determined that more than a million people are in federal and state prisons a figure which has risen thrice since 1980. Also, the researcher revealed that the number of ex-inmates released into the community is currently more than 170,000, yet the figure was much lower in 1980.
Elizabeth and her associates disclosed that the rate of rising adult incarceration had become a societal and public health concern. In Australia, the number of adult confinement capped a ten year high in 2014 with 3791 detainees during a prison census. The number has risen to 43, 000 in 2018. The fraction of male inmates comprised 92 % of the entire population. Women, on the other hand, included the lesser population, yet their numbers rose by 85% from 2008 to 2018 (Sullivan et al., 2019).
Meanwhile, Karen, Rich, and Andrew reported that the Australian prison population grows at a rate four times higher than the general population (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011). As the inmate population continues on the rise; however, the traditional mechanisms for managing ex-convict re-entry into society have been significantly weakened (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000). Also, the available protocols, systems as well as institutions for managing ex-convict re-entry have not been adequately exploited. Besides, the inmates who require the services most have little or no access to the system ( Esthappan, 2018) . This leaves a gap in the rehabilitation process that must concern stakeholders.
The continued increase of inmates stepping out of prison doors to community doorsteps raises a societal concern that needs attention. As the prisons institutions let more released inmates into the public, little has been done of the release programs. A lack of discharge planning has led to poor community re-entry. Luther et al. identified that the individuals let into the community usually lack the ability to meet basic requirements such as employment and stable housing. As a result, they have difficulty accessing services that could help meet basic requirements. The re-entry period is a time when the ex-prisoners need most the basic needs as well as be in a position to meet the requirements of parole or probation. However, the research identified that that is the period such individuals are most vulnerable and are prone to physical and psychosocial abuse (Luther, Reichert, Holloway, Roth & Aalsma, 2011).
Furthermore, the re-entry process impacts mostly the impoverished minority communities. Such communities cannot provide support means and services to enable the returning inmates to reintegrate successfully back to the productive society. The returning prisoners are therefore seriously challenged since they cannot help themselves to find immediate help from their communities. The returning prisoners are, therefore, dangerously exposed, and they are prone to vulnerabilities such as substance abuse, mental illness, and chronic health conditions. The harmful exposure can impact negatively on them and propagate a risk behavior that can lead to further serious consequences.
Moreover, many returning prisoners face a challenge of the absence of the needed care. Many ex-convicts have chronic illnesses or health-related conditions. Once discharged the prisoners have no access to mental and health services from the correctional facilities, lack of health insurance and referrals, as well as insufficient discharge planning put the prisoners at a risk of more chronic illnesses or other health-related complications.
In response to the escalating rehabilitation and re-entry problem, experts have identified the possible rehabilitation methods that can be applied to facilitate the successful prisoner re-entry into society. Jeremy Trevis determined that one way of ascertaining rehabilitation is through prevention of the reoccurrence of antisocial behavior. The criminal justice system, as well as the offender, must input a great deal of effort to acknowledge the conditions that lead to ex-prisoners’ relapse and consequently develop a roadmap for mitigating the problem. Each offender has a different situation from the other, and therefore, the process must happen for each offender. Also, the process should commence at sentencing and proceed throughout the release (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000).
Research has shown that rehabilitation administrators have progressed in custodian based offender rehabilitation. The administrators have endeavored to develop and deliver programs and associated models of service delivery aimed at the successful restoration of inmates. Karen Rick and Andrew identified four possible programs which included motivational, cognitive skills, sexual offender, and violent offender programs. Motivational programs aim to improve the awareness of a problem or a condition and increase the motivation to change behavior. Motivational programs provide an introduction to group-based therapy. Cognitive skills are a foundation program that targets the core skills for development.
The theoretical perspective of the program assumes that undesirable behavior is linked to inadequate thinking skills like moral reasoning. The program aims to strengthen the following skills: Problem solving, self-control, victim awareness, critical reasoning, and moral decision. Sexual offender programs seek to reduce the likelihood of sexual offending, especially for moderate to high-risk offenders — the program insights the offender to understand the offending behavior and consequently develop individual needs-based management plans. Violent offenders program targets to remedy offenses associated with violent acts. The program is founded on cognitive-behavioral strategies and targets a wide range of criminogenic needs. The program additionally uses structured clinical and psychometric assessments (Davis, Bahr & Ward, 2012).
Other rehabilitation methods that have been studied and tested include the use of therapeutic programs that involve animals like dogs. The animal-assisted interventions have proved worthwhile since inmates have the opportunity to benefit from such training exercises and subsequently gather vocational and social skills. Contalbriga and her associates found that inmates face a series of problems while in lockup, including stress, infightings, and heavy emotional entailments. Besides, the inmates need to get accustomed to the culture of the correctional facilities. As such, they must effectively adapt to the uncertain environment; otherwise, they would be dysfunction due to their addictive conditions. Dog assisted therapies have proved to be an efficient method that puts inmates in line from the time of sentencing to the point of release from custody (Contalbrigo et al., 2017). Human-Animal interaction contributes to human health and well-being.
On the other hand, farming is another program that promises success for the rehabilitation of inmates. The method applies to offenders and violence victims who have the opportunity to mend their wrongdoings by participating in an active societal matter that gears towards development. When offenders work in places like farms, they show a positive societal image and therefore win back the hearts of family and neighbors who would otherwise doubt and neglect them. Also, participating in activities like farming consumes much of the time of the offenders, thus denying them the idle time that would cause a relapse or repeat of undesirable behavior. The rehabilitation method brings together offenders and victims who work and share ideas. The victims benefit from the program since the process of healing is propagated as they associate with those who are not part of their trauma. The farm products that the offenders produce can be sold to the farmers’ market or given freely to families of homicide victims as a way to show support and concern for them (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011).
Results
This study has assessed some methods that are applicable in the current setting to help mitigate the problem of inmate rehabilitation and re-entry back to society. Many programs are suitable in many contexts, and different jurisdictions employ the use of different methods and techniques as they deem it fit for them. Additionally, not all the programs will be applicable in a particular setting, and therefore, the correctional experts have to choose the appropriate application and employ it accordingly to help in inmate rehabilitation. The paper has identified several methods, including puppy therapy, farming, prevention of behavior recurrence, motivational techniques, cognitive skills methods, sexual offenders, and violent offender’s methods.
Each of the methods aims at ensuring successful rehabilitation and re-entry while at the same time, prevention of relapse and a repeat of undesirable behavior. The criminal justice system must partner with rehabilitation experts and facilities to devise strategies of keeping inmates ware of their conditions and thereby forge the relevant means to stay away from occurrences that could lead to relapse or repeat offense. Motivational methods aim to motivate the offender to be an individual of benefit to society by continually alerting them of their behavior and prompting them to quit such actions. Cognitive skills method aims to sharpen the cognitive and vocational skills of inmates, and it is a useful method since it involves clinical and psychometric assessments. The sexual offenses program aims to insight the offender to understand the offending behavior and consequently develop individual needs-based management plans. Violent offenders program targets to remedy offenses associated with violent acts. The program is founded on cognitive-behavioral strategies and targets a wide range of criminogenic needs.
Discussion
Prisoner rehabilitation has become a global concern since prisoners are incarcerated daily, and the prisoners serve their time and come back to the communities they once lived. On return, there is no guarantee that the correctional facility impacted positively on the inmate, and reports indicate that a majority of inmates’ relapse immediately they experience freedom. A released prisoner from custody is an immediate burden to society. The ex-prisoners have to be cared for to reduce the chances of harmful exposure that could lead back to the behavior that caused incarceration in the first case.
Moreover, their existence within the community is not readily accepted by most people since the thought is that the inmates are yet to assimilate fully as rational human beings. The challenge with that type of thinking is that it denies the inmates an opportunity to heal and connect back with the community. The patient care programs and training programs do not extend out of the prison walls and once released, the ex-prisoner has a hard time coping with the societal demands. They are exposed to unhealthy conditions and may lack the fundamental requirements for survival. The bottom line is the inmates need assistance when they come back from prison to adapt to the community entirely. The different methods discussed in this study have shown a positive indication of mitigating the rehabilitation problem since each program advocate for a reduction in the undesirable behavior and avoidance f repeat offense. The programs have been implemented in different scenarios to a successful end, and that gives confidence in the ability to solve inmate rehabilitation and re-entry problem. Humans need to care and help those in need because it is morally upright to do so and is the right way of showing love.
Conclusion
Prisoner re-entry and rehabilitation is a challenge that hampers societal progress and wellbeing. In light of the growing number of prisoners and that released from custody, the society has a burden to reshape each individual to return successfully to the community and offer useful service to the community. This paper has evaluated several pieces of literature concerning the matter and has reported results concerning the problem. The research has shown that there are different methods that the rehabilitation experts can employ to help reintegrate ex-convicts to the community. Included in this study are the motivational approaches, cognitive skills methods, canine therapy, as well as active societal participation like farming. Each of the methods is applicable in different contexts and scenarios, and therefore, it is the burden of the correctional personnel to identify the appropriate manner. The methods listed have proved to be a success in one setting or another, and therefore, this study proposes that any of the methods are applicable to help ex-prisoner re-entry to society. Prisoner relapse and repeat offense is a real threat that must be resolved soonest and therefore, this study advocates for the appropriate use of the methods to help individuals stay safe and healthy after serving a prison sentence.
References
Australian Institute of Criminology. (2011). Prison-based correctional rehabilitation: An overview of intensive interventions for moderate to high-risk offenders . Criminology Research Council.
Contalbrigo, L., De Santis, M., Toson, M., Montanaro, M., Farina, L., Costa, A., & Nava, F. (2017). The Efficacy of Dog Assisted Therapy in Detained Drug Users: A Pilot Study in an Italian Attenuated Custody Institute. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health , 14 (7), 683. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14070683
Davis, C., Bahr, S., & Ward, C. (2012). The process of offender reintegration: Perceptions of what helps prisoners reenter society. Criminology & Criminal Justice , 13 (4), 446-469. doi: 10.1177/1748895812454748
Esthappan, S. (2018). Art Beyond Bars A Case Study of the People’s Paper Co-op in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [Ebook]. Urban Institute.
Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). NIV.
Luther, J., Reichert, E., Holloway, E., Roth, A., & Aalsma, M. (2011). An Exploration of Community Re-entry Needs and Services for Prisoners: A Focus on Care to Limit Return to High-Risk Behavior. AIDS Patient Care And Stds , 25 (8), 475-481. doi: 10.1089/apc.2010.0372
Sullivan, E., Ward, S., Zeki, R., Wayland, S., Sherwood, J., & Wang, A. et al. (2019). Recidivism, health, and social functioning following release to the community of NSW prisoners with problematic drug use: study protocol of the population-based retrospective cohort study on the evaluation of the Connections Program. BMJ Open , 9 (7), e030546. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030546
U.S. Department of Justice. (2000). But They All Come Back: Rethinking Prisoner Reentry . Office of Justice Programs.
