Incarceration Vs Recidivism

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What is prison? According to Merriam Webster, a prison is “a place of confinement especially for lawbreakers; specifically : an institution (as one under state jurisdiction) for confinement of persons convicted of serious crimes.” Everyone knows what prison is. Prison is where criminals go to be punished for their crimes. The question is, what purpose do prisons serve? This question has three basic answers. It is a deterrent to keep people from committing crimes, a punishment for those that have broken the law, and it is a chance to reform the law-breakers so they become functioning members of a polite society.
This leads to what makes prisons successful. Prisons are successful if less people go to prison (reducing incarceration) and recidivism, …show more content…
RW agreed to speak to me under the condition that I did not use his name or any other information that could identify him. In late 2004, RW was involved in an assault while under the influence of alcohol and fled the scene. He was later stopped and arrested for DWI and was found in possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, which was an additional charge, and was charged with second degree assault. He served a 120 day sentence in a drug and alcohol treatment program. After his release, he was unable to find work because he was ineligible to get his driver’s license back for a year. He returned to drinking and smoking marijuana, both which were violations of his probation. RW was subject to a random drug and alcohol test, which he failed and then failed to appear in court. He was then sentenced to serve seven years in the Department of Corrections, of which he served four and a half years. He was released from prison in …show more content…
This alone explains why prisons do not rehabilitate. Sentencing guidelines dictate the amount of time served but not the quality of time serve. If the goal is to prevent prisoners from returning to a life of crime, then changes must be enacted. Prisoners are told when to get up, where to go, when to eat, when to shower and when to return to their cells at the end of the day. From there first day in prison, inmates are not allowed to think for themselves. Without teaching them how to live and function on their own, they are doomed to repeat the sames mistakes of their past (Schmidt). Inmates must be taught to think for themselves while in prison so they can think for themselves outside of
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