Probation as a social service approach is more effective in helping to reduce recidivism in a number of ways. First, a social service approach of probation will keep accused criminals from access to other criminals locked up or are in the free society. Notably, this approach keeps the offenders under probation busy taking on social service works and responsibilities. As these offenders are engaged in providing social services to the community, it reduces their touch with other criminals in jail or in the free society (Gunnison, 2017). Through reducing the touch between the offender on probation and the criminals, there is also a higher chance that the offenders under probation programs would not have the negative influence of the criminal gangs. Through minimal contact, it becomes possible to minimize the spread of criminal behaviors, which ultimately leads to lower levels of recidivism.
Secondly, the social service approach to probation is one that offers stability to the offender thus reducing recidivism. One of the core causes of recidivism is lack of acceptance when prisoners are released back into the society, as well as, the lack of jobs/incomes to persons released from prison (Alan, 2011). When these two conditions exist, they become motivating factors for an ex-convict to reoffend leading to recidivism. A social service approach would tackle these conditions by ensuring that the convict under probation plan maintains their employment and play an active role in contributing to their immediate society. A social service approach would entail the convict maintaining their job if they are working and committing to the probation program where they would do chores that adds value to the society (Cole, 2012). This means that the offender will not struggle to fit back into the society since they have been in it. Secondly, the offenders will not go back to crime in a bid to make income, since they managed to keep their employment.
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In addition, the social service approach to probation normally is accompanied rehabilitation programs. In this regard, the accompanying rehabilitation plans would depend on the nature of crimes that they were found guilty as well as their health condition. For instance, probation programs that employ social service approach for drug abusers normally are accompanied by rehabilitation (Alan, 2011). In this case, the convicted criminal takes on the social work responsibilities while meeting the rehabilitation program thresholds. This approach reduces recidivism on account that it allows the convict to learn on new values that would work best while they get to be helped to overcome the addition (Committee on Law and Justice, 2014). The consequence would be the persons will be able to learn about being a responsible citizen and get the freedom from drug abuse.
Conclusively, the probation social service approach works well in reducing recidivism but would require probation officer to receive additional trainings in order to be more effective using a social service approach. First, they would need additional trainings on ways to communicate and understand the language of convicts. They would need additional training in managing the experiences and challenges of the convicts such as mentally disturbed convicts, personality disorder convicts, and challenged persons. They would also need additional training on ways to handle convicts on probation who decline to respond to the orders of the court in terms of their probation punishment.
References
Alan, S. (2011). The role of the Probation Service. Chicago: The Stationery Office.
Cole, F. (2012). American Corrections. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Committee on Law and Justice (2014). The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring Causes and Consequences. New York, NY: National Academies Press.
Gunnison, E. (2017). Community Corrections. Los Angeles: Carolina Academic Press.
