Ineffectiveness of Therapeutic Communities in Prisons Essay Example for Free

Ineffectiveness of Therapeutic Communities in Prisons Essay Prisons release 650,000 offenders to the public annually and 70% of those exoffenders will commit new offenses within three years (Fields, 2005, p. A4). According to the JFA Institute (2007), â€Å"two-thirds of the 650,000 prison admissions are people who have failed probation or parole—approximately half of these people have been sent to prison for technical violations† (p. 1). As prison crowding occurs, prison officials are challenged to keep inmates busy by assigning them to productive tasks and incorporate therapeutic programs (Center for Justice Reconciliation, 2007). If criminal justice professionals fail to keep up with programming expectations, program shortages may influence inmate idleness resulting in disruptions, prison violations, and mental-health issues related to stress and depression (Fields). During 2003 and 2004, approximately 900 criminals entered the nation’s jails and prisons each week based on a report issued in April 2006 by the U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (p. 1). Jails and prisons in the U. S. house more people with mental illnesses than many of the inpatient psychiatric facilities, and virtually all correctional facilities experience the impact of this population that is increasing at an unprecedented rate (McCuan, Prini, Wasarhaley, 2007). During 2006, 41% of inmate assailants were listed under the mental health caseload (Collins, 2006). In 2006, the U. S. Department of Justice released statistics revealing that 23% of state prisoners reported symptoms of major depression. An estimated 61% of state prisoners and 44% of jail inmates who had a mental health problem also had a history of past violent behavior. In a 1999 report (Dawn, 2007), the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill reported that there are three times as many seriously mentally ill individuals in prison and jails than there are being treated in hospitals. Equally disturbing is that the criminal justice system will have some type of experience with 25 to 40% of the mentally ill in the U. S. population. Inmates with mental illness present additional expenditure problems for prison systems already overburdened by population demands. The influx has challenged criminal justice professionals to extend their budgets to cover the costs of appropriate programming for every offender in an effort to minimize potential inmate unrest, a situation that leads to assaults and other infractions associated with idleness (Wilkinson, 1998). In 2007, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) reached a population milestone with a count of 50,000 offenders. As the inmate population rises in Ohio prisons, the possibility of inmate assaults may also go up â€Å"because overcrowding exacerbates the chronic pains of imprisonment† (Haney, 2006, p. 2). One way to manage a potential increase in assaults is to keep offenders engaged in some type of community activity and participating in therapeutic programs. Some officials reported that therapeutic programs and community service theoretically should be one of the most effective ways to engage an inmate’s time and energy and keep infractions at a manageable level. DRC views the involvement of inmates in community service and therapy as vital to their release. Ohio prison Director Terry Collins stated that ex-offenders who served as program participants during their incarceration help close the gap between themselves and their communities. As a result, these inmates are better prepared to function as lawabiding citizens â€Å"†¦because they have stayed in touch with the community and have given something of value back† (Collins, 2007, p. 1). â€Å"Very crowded prison systems are difficult to manage† (Wilkinson, 1998, p. 76). As prison crowding occurs, prison officials are challenged to keep inmates busy by assigning them to productive tasks. â€Å"Good prison management is engaging prisoners in meaningful activities such as educational programs and work assignments† (Wilkinson, p. 76). â€Å"The most important single factor (among many) that helps to explain the current crisis in American corrections—the lack of effective programming and treatment† (Haney, 2007, p. 76). Although prison jobs such as mopping floors, kitchen duty, and making prison garments occupy inmates’ time, more meaningful community service as a restorative justice measure may be an effective way to address the challenge of prison crowding (Center for Justice Reconciliation, 2007). â€Å"The meaningful aspect is critical because it may help to instill responsibility and a changed attitude about criminal activity† (Wilkinson, p. 76). Prisons in the United States are facing the challenges of crowding including inmate idleness as it relates to programming expectations. Lack of programming in prison is a serious safety and security threat to the staff, the public, and the offenders. As inmate populations increase, once stable prison systems can become volatile environments and endanger prison staff and the systems they are charged with protecting (Gaes, 1994). When criminal justice professionals fail to keep up with programming expectations, program shortages may influence inmate idleness. Inmate idleness can lead to disruptions, prison violations, gang-related activities, and mental-health issues related to stress and depression (Wilkinson, p. 76). Another issue confronting the criminal justice system is the increasing number ofyouth being sentenced to adult prisons (Fields, 2005). Every state within the U. S. has at least one statutory component that addresses the procedure of processing juveniles as adults in criminal court (Wilkinson, 1998). Prison officials also have other challenges. One challenge officials face includes accommodating the needs of state prisoners with symptoms of mania (43%) and major depression (23%) according to the U. S. Department of Justice (2006, p. 1). A major problem is that inmates with mental health problems are unable to defend their situation so they remain in prison. Although prison officials face the issue of crowding, they are also seeking ways for inmates to become engaged in some type of activity that will keep them busy for the majority of their waking hours. When offenders engage in some type of prison program or activity that helps with their transition from prison to society successful reintegration is possible. The theoretical framework of community service in the prison setting is the restorative justice model (Zehr, 2002). The restorative justice model advocates that offenders must demonstrate a desire or a goodwill gesture to pay back the public for the misdeed they committed in order to reconnect to their community. Restorative justice is a philosophical framework for responding to crime that focuses on the injury resulting from crime and the actions needed to mend this harm. It focuses on crime as an act against another individual or the community rather than the state. It is a future-focused model that emphasizes problem solving instead of â€Å"just deserts. † (Carey, 1996, pp. 152-153) Although several justice models exist, the restorative justice model combines the best features of the traditional, liberal, and conservative theories. â€Å"Restorative justice has brought an awareness of the limits and negative by-products of punishment. Beyond that, however, it has argued that punishment is not real accountability† (Zehr, 2002, p. 16). By participating as community service volunteers, inmates choose to serve the community. The inmates’ actions demonstrate a desire to give back and a desire to assume responsibility for their actions. Community service programs have a restorative justice component that considers an offender’s successful transition from incarceration to community integration (U. S. Department of Justice, 2006). When considering the large number of offenders in jails and prisons nationally, the problem demands the public’s immediate attention (U. S. Department of Justice, 2006). Providing offenders with productive activities through programs like community service sends a message to the public that its safety and security is vital. It is also important to assist inmates in their transition back into the community by engaging them in an activity that keeps them connected to a society that has been offended by crime. Wilkinson (1998) reported that a significant percent of exoffenders that participated in community service while in prison did not recidivate compared to those offenders that did not participate (p. 91). Although community service may have a positive impact on an inmate’s community re-entry, the type of community service program inmates do during their incarceration may also improve their quality of prison life. Barak, Savorai, Mavashev, and Beni (2001) reported that dogs are becoming a valued therapeutic tool among health-care providers in clinical and non-traditional settings because of the calming affect dogs have on the physical and mental conditions of patients. Community service programs serve a useful role in managing inmate behavior and controlling the frequency and severity of inmate infractions within adult prisons. However, as prison crowding occurs, prison officials struggle to keep inmates busy by assigning them to productive tasks. Inmate idleness is something that most states are confronted with and while prison jobs such as mopping floors, kitchen duty, and making prison garments keep inmates occupied, these jobs are not enough to satisfy programming requirements to address the needs of rising populations. As inmate populations increase, stable prison systems could become volatile environments endangering prison staff as well as the inmates the systems are charged with protecting. When there are a limited number of prison jobs to address the population challenges, offenders find inappropriate ways to address their own idleness. The choices offenders make may lead to fights, staff assaults, riots, and other forms of aggression. References Barak, Y. , Savorai, O. , Mavashev, S. , Beni, A (2001). Animal assisted therapy for elderly schizophrenic patients: A one year controlled trial. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 9(4), 439-432. Fields, G. (2005, January). Congress prepares to tackle prisoner recidivism: Lawmakers plan for bipartisan measures after report offers advice for overhaul. Wall Street Journal, p. A4. JFA Institute. (2007, November). Unlocking America: Why and how to reduce America’s prison population. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from www. jfa-associates. com U. S. Department of Justice. (2006, September 6). Study finds more than half of all prison and jail inmates have mental health problems. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2006/BJS06064. htm McCuan, R. , Prins, S. , Wasarhaley, N. (2007). Resources and challenges: Corrections and mental health collaborations. August 2007, Corrections Today: Female Offenders Collins, T. (2006). Ohio Department of Rehabilitation Correction: Pieces of the puzzle. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from http://www. drc. ohio. gov/ Dawn, B. (2007). Managing the â€Å"other† inmate. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from http://www. corrections. com Wilkinson, R. A. (1998). The impact of community service work on adult state prisons using a restorative justice framework. Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati, College of Education. Haney, C. (2007). Testimony of Professor Craig Haney. Prison overcrowding: Harmful consequences and dysfunctional reactions. University of California, Santa Cruz.

Definition Essay - The Many Ways to Define Service :: Definition Essays

Definition Essay - The Many Ways to Define Service    The service will soon end.   When one reads the prior sentence what exactly does he see coming to an end?   Depending upon one’s hobbies, peers, and cultural status, certain words may take on a sense of ambiguity.   The definition as stated in The Oxford English Dictionary, â€Å"work done for somebody else as a job,† is seemingly accurate. A possible influencing factor on one’s definition of service could be the SLWP work the entire WRA135 class has contributed to the YouVote website.   With the dedicated service to the website, and in turn the viewing community, the student may have come to view the word service as a term describing the help of others. Throughout the years the definition of service has developed according to the morals of the times and situations.   The ubiquitous concept of slavery in the 1800’s could have affected the definitions recorded in The Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, which defines service as, â€Å"the menial business of a servant; anything done by way of duty to a master.†Ã‚   Along with the turn of the millennium came worries of war, and American citizens placed emphasis on our armed forces.   With these thoughts imbedded in the authors’ minds it is not surprising that an emphasized definition of service in The Encarta World English Dictionary is stated as, â€Å"a government agency; armed forces.† After the principles of a certain time period have faded away the usage of a word associated with these principles begins to diminish as well, and the word may take on a newly developed meaning.   Perhaps due to this theory, one may not be familiar with one of the many definitions of the word service.   According to The Encarta World English Dictionary one description of the meaning of the word service is, â€Å"copulation with a female animal. Used of male animals, especially studs.† Not because of unfamiliarity, but because one may have never really stopped to examine the many variations in definitions, one may not have realized how often the word service can be applied to many varying situations.   For example Oxford’s English Dictionary’s entry of service states, â€Å"active devotion to God, as through good works or prayer.†Ã‚   An individual could have forgotten, but has now been reminded, of this form of service. With a newly gained open-minded outlook on vocabulary, in particular the word service, one should be able to recognize the many ambiguities words have to offer.

Consumerism in Today’s Society Essay

To analyze and explain the significance of something, you must first define it. Consumerism is â€Å"advocacy of a high rate of consumption and spending as a basis for a sound economy†. Consumerism plays an enormous role in Brave New World. It gives us a small view of what a different type of economy we might have. People are solely dependent on the things that the world state provides for them. There is much significance to consumerism in BNW, and through an analytical view of it, we find many similarities between consumerism in BNW and in our world today. In this novel the use of consumerism is prominent. Every person is provided for so that they do not have to worry about anything. In the US we constantly use our available resources even when it is not truly needed. A simple example would be, buying too much food at the grocery store, and most of it going to waste in about a weeks time. All the branches of society in BNW indulge in overconsumption just as we do, but it the Alpha group that really shows us this. Alphas show us this in many ways, often through the use of a drug. The best item in this society to get your hands on is soma. It is the most widely used and distributed item, it is used to keep individuals happy. From an example in the book, many of the castes are paid for their work with soma. Soma keeps the population under control, they take it when they do not feel â€Å"normal†, the drug keeps them from thinking unusually, thinking as an individual. The general public in BNW is encouraged to use public transportation, often to entertain themselves, to visit one of the reservations, or to play a game, such as Obstacle Golf, another example of consumerism in BNW, because it costs money to play. Or even to spectate, the population would still have to pay for transportation to watch. In our world today we also use public transportation, but it is not the only means of transportation. The public consumerism regarding entertainment in the form of games, such as golf, not a cheap sport but one we indulge ourselves in for amusement. Another example of how consumerism in BNW relates to us, is how the population in BNW are raised to use products provided by the World State, and dispose of them and continue to get more, and provide more money to the economy, therefore keeping the world at a constant steady state. This may sound very familiar, where products in our society become faulty overtime, some may say it is planned obsolescence, where maybe it isn’t completely broken and you cant fix it, maybe it is just so outdated it cannot keep up anymore. So we as individuals are forced to toss the product and purchase a new one. Our society has many examples of consumerism. Individuals with more money to spend often overindulge or spend it on unneeded things for our pleasure. We buy televisions, video games, extra clothing, more than one of a similar item, like a person having three different iPods. Sporting events have a huge impact on our economy as well. Millions of people in the US turn out to attend or watch on TV football during the regular season and the post season. We spend a lot of money of medicine and drugs. If one were to look into a persons medicine cabinet at home, it would be likely to find lots of pills and drugs for different uses that are defiantly not cheap, that are rarely used. Also a small minority of Americans in relation to the whole country, spend money on illegal drugs. Alcohol is also another product many Americans spend their money on that is an example of consumerism. Most individuals in our world today have given in to some form of consumerism. Unfortunately the peoples in BNW are trained and pretty much forced to give into consumerism. And if our world continues to overindulge we soon could also turn into a milder form of the society in this novel. But first we have to realize and start to conserve our valuable resources, so that we don’t have to depend upon our government for necessities.

Essay on Compare and Contrast Christmas and Thanksgiving

Compare and Contrast: Christmas and Thanksgiving Holidays are always celebrated no matter religion, beliefs, or culture. Some are recognized more than others but none two are as highly recognized like the cherished Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays. The pair may seem vastly different, as they are two completely separate occasions, but in actuality they do share very similar attributes. Many of the similarities and differences are about to be explained, so here goes. Christmas like Thanksgiving believe it or not, do happen to share many traits. One major factor that the two own is the warmth and love of bringing family and close friends together. It’s the few times a year that everyone has a reason to all gather around to†¦show more content†¦Like Thanksgiving, Christmas also has their main dish and it’s a huge oven cooked ham that is complimented by very many side dishes but never the less followed up by the famous Christmas time eggnog. Both wonderful holidays put up magnificent feasts for family and loved ones to gather around and enjoy. Of course receiving gifts is nice, but only one of these two occasions to gifts get brought in the picture. Christmas claims the attribute as every year gifts are exchanged among family, friends, co-workers, etc. Every Christmas morning kids and adults alike rush to unwrap presents that are specially marked with their names on it. As where Thanksgiving takes a little different approach, no gifts but instead just grasp what you’re thankful for. Being only one month apart in date, Christmas and Thanksgiving have two very different seasons. In November, when its considered fall, leaves have changed colors, the temperature has dropped some and the air brings crisp breezes. Often than not, you’ll see hay rides being offered, corn mazes and folks not quite in their full winter attire. But when Christmas time rolls around snow has fallen, not a trace of leaves on the trees and a bit too cold for hay rides and corn mazes. This wou ld be one month later, in December, where you will see town’s people bundled up in their warmest winter gear, building snowmen or making snow angels. Two individual seasons that areShow MoreRelatedThe Christmas Holiday From The Federal Calendar852 Words   |  4 PagesOmitting the Christmas Holiday from the Federal Calendar The establishment of a legal holiday is best defined as a day where there are no courts, labor, and is a day of joy and rest. While there should be a separation of church and state, Christmas is considered a legal holiday and one needs to question the validity of establishing this day as a legal holiday when one looks at the concept of separation of church and state and considering the diversity we face in today’s modern society. Christmas in inRead More Compare and Contrast Hispanic Culture and American Culture Essay example1403 Words   |  6 PagesCompare and Contrast Between Hispanic Culture and American Culture I. Introduction The Hispanic population has experienced an incredible growth in the past decade in the United States of America. In 2006 it was estimated that the Hispanic cover 11 % of the population in North America. Their Origin is in Mexico and the few Spanish speaking countries in the Caribbean. American culture is derived from people who originated from the European nations like Italy and the Great Britain. Cultural identityRead MoreUsa and Mexico a Comparison of Two Cultures2190 Words   |  9 Pagesculture is so apparent in Texas, that it is easy to compare and contrast some cultural aspects between Mexican and American cultures. This attempt to compare and contrast these two different yet similar cultures will increase awareness and acceptance of cultural differentiation. In order to examine these two cultures closely, I will use Hofstedes cultural layers and cultural dimensions to categorize their different facets as well as compare and contrast them. To begin, one of the most visual characteristicsRead MoreWhat Can You Increase The Lifetime Value Of Your Customers2773 Words   |  12 Pagesoutgoing emails, users from all around the world began to sign up, as they realized their friends were using hotmail, and that it was free. In a matter of five weeks Hotmail gained over 2 million users without spending a single dollar on marketing. In contrast, their rival Juno had spent over $2,000,000 on marketing and had gained only about a third as many users as Hotmail. With viral growth, the exponential factor is that each new customer equals more new customers, and that with each region or countryRead MoreApple Ipad versus Microsoft Window 8 Tablet2689 Words   |  11 Pagesbeen able to understand and execute it to conform to our daily lives. In this paper, I will outline different promotional strategies through advertisement, public relations, sales promotion, and direct marketing that Apple Inc uses with I-pad and compare it with Mic rosoft Window 8 tablet use. Advertisement In today’s ever-changing market there are several ways that companies advertise; either through billboards, magazines, newspapers, media advertisement and television commercials. Apple and MicrosoftRead MoreEssay on Test Bank For Business In Action 7th Edition Bovee Thill16565 Words   |  67 Pagesto its citizens. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Economics is the study of how a society uses its scarce resources to produce and distribute goods and services to its citizens. Diff: 1 AACSB: Application of knowledge Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different economic systems Classification: Concept 2) Macroeconomics studies economic behavior among consumers, businesses, and industries that collectively determine the quantity of goods and services demanded and supplied at differentRead MoreThe Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath And Girl, Interrupted By Susanna Kaysen3528 Words   |  15 Pagesable to connect with the outer self which causes them to have severe self-conflict. It is apparent that Susanna is unsure whether she is mentally ill throughout the book even though she’s has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. She compares herself to other patients’ conditions and how severe they are. This gives the reader an understanding of the extent of her insecurity as she feels she is out of place being admitted to a mental hospital. This causes her to question if she does belongRead More George W. Bush’s Language Comprising the War on Terror Essay5251 Words   |  22 Pagesexamination of the language that the president employs when speaking about the war on terror, I will elucidate several different categories of rhetoric he uses to describe different aspects of this conflict. Though largely descriptive, I will briefly compare Bush’s current conflict rhetoric with the conflict rhetoric of past presidents. Through this comparison, we will be able to identify any rhetorical strategies that Bush may have borrowed from past presidential conflict language. Moreover, if weRead MoreChanel Handbags, Target, and Salvation Army Swot Analysis13115 Words   |  53 PagesActivateur Jeuness for ageing skin care, Bronze Universe lfor a make-up or Masque Puretà © Express for a facial mask. The product comes in simple and discreet though high- quality packaging giving consumers the impression of a high quality product that contrasts with lower quality brands which are masked with an ornate faà §ade. This minimalist packaging is at the same time consistent with Chanel’s image of stylish simplicity. Price It is clear that in order to maintain the image of a top-quality luxurious