Prison Term Policy Recommendation

Some consider the American prison system to be a means of punishment that serves no positive purpose and places the economy in financial hardship. Others believe the prison system is justified as it guarantees society protection from those who pose a serious threat to individuals who abide by the laws that govern. No matter what one may believe, our prison systems population is continuing to grow at such a high rate many professionals have debated on what future steps need to be taking in order to alleviate such a problem. An in-depth discussion regarding the concerns legislation has with doubling the prison sentence for those who commit armed robbery, the rapid population growth the correctional facilities throughout the United States are encountering, the negative effects caused by long-term incarceration, alternative means for punishments, such as the use of intermediate sanctions and community-based corrections, my personal recommendations, and reasoning for the recommendations.

Numerous methods exist in contemporary American that can be used in the criminal justice system, and can be agreed upon for punishing an individual. Sentencing an individual to incarceration can be considered an excellent means for crime prevention and deterrence, as it reminds all individuals of the consequences one will face for a criminal act committed. On the opposing side to incarceration doubling the prison sentence for armed robbery while excluding other serious criminal acts of violence, is not going to solve the issue nor is it, going to create a safer society.

As of 2001 state prison systems were operating between one and 16% above capacity. This increase is a result of former president Ronald Reagan's War on Drugs policy that went into effect on October 27, 1996 or the war on crime that took place in 1968 when Congress passed the Safe Streets and Crime Control Act. The policy permitted 1.7 million dollars to be spent each year to fight drugs on the streets, and in the school systems. The prison system during the 1980's and 1990's tripled as a result of drug charges. Overcrowding rapidly grew from one man cells into two and three man cells. After 2000 other methods for punishment were used, such as probation, parole, electronic monitoring systems, retribution, and community based programs, all drastically slowing down the state prisons growth rate but not eliminating-reversing it (U.S. Department of Justice, 2008) (Vorenberg, 1972).

In addition, the federal prison systems in 2001 were operating at 31% above their rated capacity. As of 2003 statistics displayed there was more than 161,673 individuals serving federal time, this is an 81% increase since 1995. Statistics further displayed more than 55% of these inmates are drug offenders, and only 13% are serious offenders (The Sentencing Project, 2004).

Legislation and a vast majority of society would agree retribution by means of incarceration is a key component in the sentencing process and it allows a punishment to be determined based on the severity and circumstances of the crime. Incarceration further reassures society and the victims that a criminal will receive a fair punishment. Moreover, incapacitation or incarceration protects society from career criminals, and criminals who pose a serious threat to members of the community, but the fact of the matter is by doubling the prison term for armed robbery is not going to correct or solve the underlying issues that force one to commit the act of robbery and in return, the prison systems will continue to grow.

Let us not forget when an individual is sentenced to an extremely long prison term, the risk becomes extremely high for becoming institutionalized and victimized by the hardened criminals. Even though these individuals are incarcerated for serious matters, the fact of the matter is these individuals will eventually be released back in society. With this being said establishing negative behaviors and characteristics for the means of surviving the prison lifestyle, such as to avoid any form of victimization that occurs on a daily basis while in prison will only increase the recidivism rates; therefore, costing society, the state, and the court system additional time and money. Let us not forget that it cost approximately $65 per day per inmate to provide food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and much more. Furthermore, the outcome for any rehabilitation treatment for an individual who has served long-periods in prison is almost never prominent and society, the individual, and the individual's family will see the negative effects.

My proposition is to implement the use of community-based corrections and intermediate sanctions for rehabilitative purposes to the non-career repeated offender who commits armed robbery. The purpose of rehabilitation is to evaluate an inmate in order to identify negative behaviors, than replace these negative behaviors with positive characteristics. Moreover, by instilling positive qualities in the inmate, he, or she, will be better capable of functioning in a productive manner once released back into society without the possibility of recidivism.

This transformation can be conducted through the use of professionals, programs and treatment centers, such as educational assistance-skills trades, counseling for substance abuse, victimization, and other psychological problems. A lack of education, skills trade, substance abuse, and psychological issues may have been the underlying cause for why the individual committed armed robbery in the first place so rehabilitation could be a means to help the individual with future vendettas.

Rehabilitation in my opinion is extremely important for the betterment of the vast majority of prison inmates and correctional officers. Rehabilitation alleviates prison idleness, which in return can prevent and alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and prison violence. Furthermore, rehabilitation offers certain inmates an opportunity for self improvement, something most of these individuals could not have been capable of receiving while in society. Rehabilitation has proven to change many individual's lives; therefore, if the method has worked for some, and has changed even a select few for the better, then the method is well worth the money.

The length of a sentence an inmate receives can in fact have a tremendous impact on the implementation and effectiveness of any rehabilitation program in prison. There are many factors though that weigh heavy on the overall outcome. First, the achievement and completion of any program depends on the individual; second, will the individual be released at a young age, or an age that allows for opportunity; and third, was the individual a habitual offender before, during, and after a rehabilitation program was offered, and completed? These are only a few of the important things I believe will determine the outcome of an individual but should carefully be evaluated and taking into consideration before passing a law that would double the sentence for armed robbery.

An intermediate sanction that is used on a wide-scale basis is probation, parole, and house arrest. According the U.S. Department of Justice Statistics Website, from the years 1990 to 2001, there has been a 47% success rate for individuals released on parole and probation. Statistics showed 57% of individuals released by a parole board were successful in comparison to 33% that were released as a result of mandatory legal requirements. Each year the recidivism rates for minorities decrease while minority percentages of parole and probationary success increase (U.S. Department of Justice, 2003).

Statistics further show at least 95% of all state prisons release inmates with 80% on parole. The majority of inmates released were drug offenders, 25% violent offenders, and 31% property offenders. House arrest on the other hand, also known as a GPS tracking device or ankle bracelet, allows the individual under certain court stipulations to remain productive within society or remain in the family environment at home. The benefits of probation, parole, and house-arrest, are: the individual pays weekly or monthly fees to the local or state governments and any rehabilitative programs that are court ordered. This is a small financial contribution paid back to society (U.S. Department of Justice, 2003).

The concerns that involve legislation passing a bill that would double the already long prison sentence for the crime of armed robbery, the overcrowded correctional facilities the United States is left to deal with on a regular basis, the negative effects society, the correctional facilities, and the individual will encounter as a result of long prison sentences, alternative means of punishments through the use of intermediate sanctions and community-based corrections, and my personal recommendations and reasoning for these recommendations I have given for why we should not increase the prison sentence is enough in my opinion to focus on other problematic areas that exist. I believe by implementing and passing a bill that would incapacitate an individual by sentencing one to 20 plus years is going to take away any possibility for one to change and alter their lifestyle for the greater good. Rehabilitation is worth the efforts if done correctly.

References

The Sentencing Project. (2004). The Federal Prison Population: A Statistical Analysis. Retrieved October 30, 2009, from http://www.sentencingproject.org/Admin/Documents/publications/inc_federalprisonpop.pdf

U.S. Department of Justice. (2008). Prison Statistics. Retrieved October 30, 2009, from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm

U.S. Department of Justice. (2003). Reentry Trends in the United States. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/reentry/reentry.htm

Vorenberg, J. (1972). The Atlantic Online: The War On Crime The First Five Years. Retrieved October 31, 2009, from http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/crime/crimewar.htm