Punishment vs. Rehabilitation Within the Criminal Justice System
Introduction
Though it is hard to disagree that this is a wonderful world, unfortunately, there are several disadvantages and adverse factors influencing people’s experience throughout their lives. For example, one of the primary and serious problems is the high crime rate and the vast number of offenders. A way to solve this issue and prevent persons from defying the law is to punish those who commit crimes so that neither they nor others consider it an option. Although it is a rather practical and time-tested method, there is an opinion that punishing people is not ethical, and rehabilitation is a better approach to correct the antisocial behavior of criminals.
Punishment
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The purpose of this part of the research paper is to discuss incarceration as a special way of dealing with offenders. Punishment is an efficient process of imprisoning criminals to make them regret their former deeds, realize their fault, rethink their values and habits, and make the right decisions regarding their future life (Baraza 2020). This is a rather severe way to correct people’s behavior, and it often turns out to be counterproductive and destructive.
Advantages
To begin with, there are several benefits of incarceration that make it a useful approach. First, imprisonment protects ordinary people from offenders and their harmful or dangerous actions (Atkin-Plunk 2020). While a criminal is isolated from the world, there is no chance they can defy the law and be violent to the society. Inmates typically do not have opportunities to re-offend when being locked away, but their chances to correct their behavior increase.
Thus, another advantage is that punishment provides criminals with a place and time to rethink their lifestyle and beliefs. Isolation from their friends and families may make them begin to value them more (Dominguez 2021). In this case, former offenders decide to start a new life and live it according to the law. Third, such a profound experience works as a deterrent, and after being released, former criminals prevent themselves from misbehaving in order not to be imprisoned again (Baraza 2020). Therefore, it is an efficient way of giving offenders a chance to reintegrate into society.
Disadvantages
At the same time, numerous weaknesses of incarceration have made researchers create other ways of correcting adverse behavior. The main disadvantage is that prisons frequently breed severe resentment and a determination to get back at people and the government (Dominguez 2021). Thus, after being released, some criminals re-offend. Next, prisons are expensive, and significant amounts of money taken from taxes of obedient citizens go to the maintenance of inmates, though there is no guarantee that their behavior will be successfully corrected (Baraza 2020). What is more, prisons are specific schools of crime where offenders influence each other and educate in a criminal matter. These are only some of the severe disadvantages of incarceration, but they are enough to prove that changes are needed.
Rehabilitation
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On the contrary, rehabilitation is a unique and safer process of retraining and re-educating offenders. Typically, the primary purpose of such programs is to help inmates change and grow without damaging their mental state or turning them against the government and society (Atkin-Plunk 2020). Various rehabilitation types include community corrections and education, employment, or counseling rehabilitation for convicts. The benefits and limitations of this approach are discussed further.
Advantages
As mentioned above, rehabilitation is a softer and safer process that helps people correct their habits and behavior and become more socialized while also avoiding traumatizing them. According to the Center on Sentencing and Corrections (2013), most rehabilitation types are focused on “implementing a behavioral-management approach to supervision that prioritizes assisting offenders in leading successful, crime-free lives in the community” (15).
What is more, another advantage of rehabilitation is that convicts feel that society does not reject but accepts them, so they have more desire and determination to correct their behavior (Baraza 2020). Offenders get educated and learn to be a part of the law-abiding world (Clear et al. 2013). Moreover, they get an opportunity to