By Envision

Recidivism

 Crime and delinquency are the type of non-conformity that have been defined by law as threats or violation of the stability or security of the society or its individual members. The United States is transforming itself into a nation of ex-convicts In 2008, more than 7.3 million people were on probation, in jail, prison or on parole. That means 3.2 percent of all U.S. adult residents or 1 in every 32 adults

Social problem defined

 In 2006 the cost to house an inmate per day according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics is $129 ($45,999 yr.) In 2005, the FBI estimated that 14,094,186 arrests occurred nationwide for all offenses (except traffic violations), of which 603,503 were for violent crimes, and 1,609,327 for property crimes.

Financial/Crime Burden

About two out of every three people released from prison in the U.S. are rearrested within three years of their release for committing new crimes.

Recidivism of U.S. Prisoners

Historical context of the American correctional system

 Early prisons were usually used as punishment Held offenders until corporal punishment or sentencing could be administered Early prisons were simply large holding pens
Men, women, children, petty thieves, and murders were all grouped together Physical punishment, mutilation, and abuse by guards and prisoners was assumed

Early Prisons

 First American prison created by Benjamin Franklin opened in 1829 The penitentiary would not simply punish but move criminal towards spiritual reflection and change Belief was that in the sky lit cell, the prisoner had only the light from heaven, word of God, and honest work, would lead to reflection of their crimes and penitence. Thus the Penitentiary was born This early system only proved to drive the inmates insane, leading to reforms that created the modern prisons

Early Prisons

 Creation of the prison system caused several ideas of punishment to form called The Purpose of Punishment
Retribution Deterrence Restitution Incapacitation Rehabilitaion

Retribution- Earliest form of punishment Punishment must fit the crime Eye for an Eye- Just Deserts Inmate had wronged society Society had the right to inflict punishment equal to the crime

 Deterrence- Using fear to stop crime Two types- General and Specific
General- Making an example out of offender to stop rest of community form committing crime- Public whippings/ hangings Specific- using fear of future punishment to keep person from reoffending- promise of harsher punishment for next offense

 Restitution- Criminal owes debt to society

Must repay Fines, community service Used in modern punishment

 Incapacitation- Physically keeping the offender from committing more crimes

Prison time, Chemical Castration, Execution

Rehabilitation- Criminals are sick Punishment must fit criminal Punishment must heal offender Drug counseling, education, vocational training Modern form of punishment

 Structural functionalist
Functionalists compare society to a self-adjusting machine. Each part of the machine has a function

Conflict theory
The parts of society do not work together harmoniously. Society's parts are competing with one another for limiting resources.

Symbolic interactionism
We see the world through symbols, things to which we attach meaning and that we use to communicate with one another.

The theory Perspectives

 Crime is present in all types of society; crime rate is higher in the more advanced, industrialized countries. It is inevitable because not every member in society can be equally committed to the collective sentiments (the shared values and moral beliefs) of society. It is impossible for all to be alike.

Crime

 All social change begins with some form of deviance. In order for change yesterday's deviance must be todays normality. A certain amount of change is good for society (so it can progress) therefore so is deviance. If collective sentiments are too strong there will be little deviance, but neither will there be any change, nor any progress.

Crime

 Deviance serves vital functions for society

Sets examples of unacceptable behavior Provides guidelines for (opposite) behavior that is necessary to maintain social order Bonds people together through their common rejection of deviant behavior Provides jobs for those who deal with deviants Opens societies to new and creative paths of thinking Can signal problems in a society that need to be addressed

Structural-functionalist Perspective

 Labeling Theory
People unconsciously notice how others see or label them, and over time they internalize these labels and come to accept them as truth. People then behave in accordance to expectations surrounding the label theyve been assigned or thats been assigned to anotherin this way deviance is a social construct.

Symbolic Interactionism

 Being labeled can reinforce deviant behavior by:

Increasing alienation Forcing increased interaction with deviant peers Motivating juvenile delinquents to positively value and identify with the deviant status

Deviance becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy Those with less power in society are more likely to be labeled as deviants

Labeling Theory

 Deviance is a result of social inequality

Elites want to maintain control, so they define what is deviant to benefit themselves and deflect attention from their own behaviors. The greater the power differentials and inequalities, especially class, the greater the conflict in a society Conflict is inevitable under the current capitalist power arrangement

Conflict theory

 Recidivism: an individual who has been involved with the criminal justice system reverts back to criminal behavior Researchers have found that the more often people have been put in prison, the greater their chances of going back to prison (Henslin 2011). Having a criminal record would make it very difficult to find stable employment, secure suitable housing, or reconcile with family Reintegration into a community after release from prison is extremely difficult because of the absence of . . . informal social controls and strong social bonds (Conley 2011).

Addressing Recidivism

Recidivism Cycle

 Reentry programs are designed to assist incarcerated individuals with a successful transition to their community after they are released. Re-Entry Programs provide housing assistance, substance abuse treatments, education and vocational training and employment assistance.
Mentoring Case Management Job readiness and placement Completion of G.E.D Emergency Temporary Housing Meals Alcohol and Drug Assessments Health and Dental Assessments

Re-Entry Programs

The table on the left shows costs of crimes in Allen County

Criminal Justice System Costs

The table on the left summarizes operating (non-personnel) expenses faced by Montgomery County in providing reentry services. Montgomery Countys non-personel costs total $97 per inmate

Re-Entry Programs Costs

 NIDA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse study of a California Amity program, the California Amity program has shown a 75 percent return to custody rate after 3 years for offenders with no treatment. That return rate dropped to 27 percent with in-prison treatment and aftercare. There is a study in Washington State, a 2001 study, showing the best re-entry programs can be expected to deliver 20 to 30 percent reductions in recidivism and crime rates. The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission says that the reentry program has reduced re-arrests by 31% and saved the public safety system $14 for ever $1 invested

Success of Re-Entry Programs

 In Newark, New Jersey they have practiced Re-entry programs that have shown great success: Newark, New Jersey Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative Achieved less than 10% recidivism rate! 75% of participants that obtained jobs keep them for 6 months or more Earning more than $9/hr Placed 60% in employment

Success of Re-Entry Programs

References