The Importance of Prison Reform Essay - 954 Words

In this world we live in many feel that prisons exist to punish, not counsel, offenders. That may be true that Prisons exist for punishment, but they also have an important contribution to make to reducing re-offending by engaging prisoners in rehabilitation programs and purposeful work. Society is flawed in its thinking that by putting criminals in a place away from society we would be better off. To make it worse I am sure that more that 60 percent of Americans are against social reform because they have made up their mind that once a crook, always a crook. This is flawed mainly because it seems to assume that showing people that what theyve done is wrong will always accomplish something, that punishing those who commit crimes†¦show more content†¦Prison life can be harsh, and time spent in a isolation is even worse. A majority of those in prison spend countless hours in idleness. It would be much better if they used that time to reeducate themselves for a productive life on the outside. Some of the prisoners have serious emotional and mental problems that are never addressed and it is illogical to not attempt to correct these problems before they are released. There are even worse scenarios that exist in todays prisons. The prison guards have little control and prison can be a violent place because again it is not a place that specializes in rehab. On television shows you see inmates stabbing each other and are quick to assume that it is a dramatization, but it really an occurrence that happens often, in prisons all over the world for that matter. In an article by Raphael Rowe he writes about how a part of him died in prison, and he had to be on his guard constantly, Once, I was sitting in the television room watching football when someone I knew came in and told me to leave the room. I didnt ask questions: I just left and stood outside. A few seconds later, three other guys came running past me, pillow-cases with eye-holes cut out over their heads, carrying a huge cooking pot full of hot oil. I heard the screams long before some young black guy - a sex offender - came running out, his skin dripping from his face. Such horrid tales should let the general public know that we need to reevaluateShow MoreRelatedThe Religious Impact Of The Second Great Awakening1403 Words   |  6 Pagesmore well known. This idea stressed the importance of the common individual. It focused on the ordinary people and what they thought about government. Jacksonian democracy also clarified that slavery is an issue. 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U.S. prisons are a breeding ground for violence. We’ve seen what people look like and act like after they’re released from prison. Most inmates get tattoos and maintain a prison mentality. That mentality is having respect, including violent acts when disrespected, and being tough. How is someone supposed to change for good when they’re held in isolation, segregation, or population? When a harmless person is admitted into a prison, especially a high security one, theyRead MorePrison Was A Serious Punishment For Crime1598 Words   |  7 PagesPrisons were virtually non-existent before the 1700’s because prison was not considered a serious punishment for crime. Instead, the government imprisoned those who were awaiting trial where they would receive a more appropriate punishment. Many punishments at the time included branding, extreme fines, whipping, and the death penalty or capital punishment. Most offenders when caught, received their punishment in publi c. This was done to try and discourage criminal activity and falls under the theoryRead MoreMandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws Should Be Legal1150 Words   |  5 Pagesone area that seems to continuously fall behind our great national standard. This area is the level of people that to fill up our prison system. The United States has only five percent of the world s population, but it has houses 25 percent of its prisoners, which is around 2.2 million people (Collier, 2014). One of the main reasons the United States has become the prison capital of the world is due to the hard stance on all drugs. This stance led to the use of mandatory minimum sentencing laws to