Blog Post 2

My theories at the foundation of my correctional system would be rehabilitation, incapacitation, and deterrence. Rehabilitation provides the client with skills, norms, and attitudes that will help them be law-abiding. This theory also targets the root causes of crime such as mental health and poverty. As a developed country, there is no reason we should have the highest incarceration rate. For these reasons, we must follow the lead of other developed countries that have taken a more rehabilitative approach. 

For other more violent offenses, however, such as murder, rape, and kidnapping should be met with harsher sentences. By locking these offenders away from the community, we are protecting society. Incapacitation is defined as physically locking people up so they can't physically harm the community. Hopefully, along the way, we deter other individuals from committing the same crimes through the correctional theory of deterrence. Deterrence uses the threat of punishment to deter others from committing the same crimes. 

Through the use of outsider knowledge, which includes scientific research to find what is most successful, the theory that is always brought up under evidence-based corrections is rehabilitation. I want to protect society by locking up violent criminals through incapacitation. However, most of the individuals in our correctional system are non-violent which is why for those offenses we must take a rehabilitative route that targets root causes and reduces recidivism. By having more functional members in society and fewer prisoners, we can allocate economic resources from housing prisoners to focusing on preventative measures in other avenues like the youth.

Comments

  1. Great post! The combination of rehabilitation, incapacitation, and deterrence is logically sound. You're ultimately aiming to reduce crime/re-offending.

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