Introduction

Despite being defeated time and time again, Lord Voldemort always seems to come back. Though he is metaphorically imprisoned many times throughout the series, he always returns.

Our current prison systems tend to follow this trend. They are ineffective in reforming the prisoners. 60% of criminals released in 2005 returned to prison and most of those that returned were previously incarcerate for minor charges such as vagrancy, drunkenness, prostitution and disturbing the peace. These seem like they should be easy to cure. Why then is the recidivism rate(the rate at which ex-convicts return to prison) among such individuals so high?

Not only are state prisons ineffective, but they are also expensive. In 2006, the total cost of U.S. prisons reached almost $40 billion. A large portion of this money comes from taxpayers. The money spent on each inmate is 400% more than is spent on the average student.

The purpose of imprisonment is for the protection of society. Many believe that this is best done through punishment. However, we would argue that rehabilitation is far more beneficial to society. Punishment does not foster change, rehabilitation does.

Another issue is that 50% of inmates do not have a high school diploma. In our society, this makes it very difficult for ex-convicts to get jobs. Aside from that, their status as an ex-convict bars them from employment opportunities. They are then driven back to crime because they have little chance of success.

Prisons need to be altered to help the convicts, so that when they are released, they can become a benefit rather than a hindrance to society. Prisons should be teaching the inmates how to become better citizens. This can be done through educational and work opportunities.

In this blog, we hope to address these issues by further discussing the remedies listed above, and therefore encourage you to take action.

Effectiveness of Prison Systems

Prisons are a necessary part of any modern society. They serve as a correctional system for those who have made wrong decisions, and stand as a reminder of the consequences associated with certain actions. At least that is what they should be doing.  According to a study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the United States has the highest recidivism rate in the world, nearly 51.8 percent.  This high of a percentage of released criminals returning to prison makes it seem as though the current prison system is a failure.
            
The question, then, is what can be done to make prisons more effective in rehabilitating inmates?  It is obvious that simply locking up criminals and having them serve out a sentence is not effective in changing them, as over half eventually return to prison. There must be a better, more successful way to rehabilitate inmates while in prison, and it is in the United States best interest to figure out a better system, as the current failing one is costing 74 billion dollars a year, and rising (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics).

            
Programs need to be instituted in the current correctional system in the U.S. that focus more on rehabilitating inmates rather than punishing them for past actions.  Programs need to be put in place that focus on preparing inmates for life after prison, rather than setting them up for a quick return to their old jail cells. 

Inmate sunbathing in Bastoey Prison, Norway.

            
A great deal can be learned simply by analyzing the different correctional systems around the world.  Norway, for example, has a recidivism rate right around 20 percent.  Contrast that with the 50 to 60 percent here in the U.S., and it is quite obvious that Norway’s correctional system is more effective than the one in the U.S.  What do they do differently?

Inmates live in houses made of bricks, in this way avoiding the feeling of an institution. They have jogging trails, work for the upkeep of the prison, and can even play tennis. These simple, everyday aspects of life are all kept when one goes to prison with the end goal in mind of rehabilitating prisoners, rather than punishing them.         
            
Just as Norway has learned, the U.S. must learn that repressive prisons do not work.  These serve to breed better criminals, not change them. It is only through programs that resemble what life will be like after prison that allows for prisoners to change from their old ways, and become contributing members of society.   

A Chance to Change

We have all heard about the horrors of prison life: the violence, sexual abuse, the verbal and even sometimes physical abuse by prison guards. And often when we think of the kind of people who would be in a prison, we conclude that they deserve it. For some great wrong they have done, they have earned the hardships of prison life. But what about what Christ said, about loving all of his children? About visiting those who are sick and in prison? The truth of the matter is, everybody can change, but often those who need it most are never given the chance.

The environment of federal prisons are simply not conducive to change or growth.  They are more focused on punishing rather than helping. In Living in Prison: the Economy of Survival, Hans Toch explains his experiment and interviews with prisoners and staff in New York correctional institutions. One prisoner states, “It’s the general atmosphere in here. It’s like an explosive atmosphere…It seems like everybody is at everybody else’s throat, and it’s not easy to live with. You walk up and down the hall, and everybody’s shooting daggers at everybody.” How could anyone grow or change in that environment? In many prisons there are therapists, but their rate for success is very slim.

The problems they had before they went to jail do not simply disappear while they are incarcerated. In fact, most inmates are psychologically damaged after living in prison. Eve Tahmincioglu on nbcnews.com explained how unable to get jobs, freed inmates often return to jail after committing another crime. This is because their experiences in jail do not teach them anything. They are simply punished for their behavior and expected to do better, even though they may have never learned better.


Joe Arpaio, the sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona, however, has come up with a brilliant plan. He has altered the jail systems so that inmates are now allowed opportunities to work for small wages, and also to work towards a high school diploma. Instead of sitting around all day, prisoners are allowed the opportunity to better themselves. He has given them the chance to change their own lives. The chance to get a high school diploma is revolutionary because it would allow freed inmates more job opportunities.

I’m not saying all of Arpaio’s changes should be applied immediately, I am simply asking what difference would it make if inmates could work? They could better the community, and even more importantly, they could better themselves. 

Life After Prison

As an ex-convict is released from prison and put on parole, the idea of freedom is exciting, but leaving prison soon brings fear.

The world they find themselves in is a different place since they first were incarcerated, and a lot of it is because of who they have become since prison. Employers are discriminatory, and people around them are judgmental.

These men and women hope for the resources to survive in their new world, to make a change, to start anew, but are prevented from doing so because they are not easily accepted by others.

Ex-convicts should be given the chance to change. They need to be given opportunities to transition from their past life through employment and overall more social acceptance. Only then will recidivism rates go down, removing the expensive costs of keeping someone in prison, and overall creating a safer world.

People leaving incarceration often try their best to get a job. However, the road block they always meet contains six troubling words:

"Have you ever committed a Felony?"

And so they must check "Yes" and give a further explanation to their past. Employers who view this naturally discriminate against those with felonies, even if in some cases they are better qualified than other applicants.

Data from study at Princeton University

In a study done by Professor Devah Pager at Princeton University, groups of young men posed as job applicants all over New York City applying for 250 different low-wage, entry-level job openings. The applicants had equal resumes, except some had a minor drug possession conviction. Results revealed that job applicants with the conviction were on average about 50% less likely to be called back or receive a job offer.

Employers are doing their best to hire employees that will create a safe and effective working environment. However, they often judge applicants too soon in the hiring process, and those with criminal pasts lose the opportunity to change their lives because they can't gain employment.  Employers, and business must be more accepting of ex-convicts applying for jobs that are just as qualified as other applicants.

However, not only do employers need to be accepting, but ex-convicts need to be better trained on skills that they can use for becoming employed.  50% of those incarcerated don't have a High School diploma.  They lack the schooling they need to get by. Thus programs, like the one in this video, need to be instituted in order to help ex-convicts obtain employment.

Overall, employment is an extremely effective way to reduce recidivism. All that needs to be done is ex-criminals need to be given the training they need to obtain a job, and they need to be less stereotyped in the labor market. Then, as ex-criminals begin to receive jobs, the community becomes a better place and the costs of prison go down.

Thesis Statement

The psychology of prison life not only creates better criminals, but it does the opposite of what prisons should do. Making changes to current U.S. prisons would benefit society greatly, rehabilitating criminals and helping them truly change. These changes would best be enabled by making prisons resemble rehabilitation centers, with more focus on psychology and therapy than punishment.

Thesis Statement

Although it may sometimes put the general public at risk, ex-convicts should be given the chance to change.  They need to be given opportunities to transition from their past life through employment, education, and overall more social acceptance.

Thesis Statement

Although the current prison system is focused on simply punishing inmates for past wrongs, that is not the best approach to take to reform prisoners.  Programs need to be instituted in the correctional system that focus on helping inmates relearn how to be productive members of a society, rather than the current programs in place that just punish them for mistakes made earlier in their lives.