American Prisons And Justice System - 1968 Words

One simple question asked by many familiar with the American prison system is â€Å"Is it Effective?† The word effectiveness can take on many meanings such as cost effective or effective in reducing recidivism. Recidivism, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, is the â€Å"tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially: relapse into criminal behavior†. In the United States, the time of relapse into criminal behavior has been measured by as much as 8 years by the Bureau of Justice. It is the belief of many professionals and experts that American prisons are both cost-ineffective, and ineffective in reducing recidivism rates. The focus of American prisons and justice system is primarily to punish the criminal.†¦show more content†¦This may be a bleak revelation and to many it would not be considered a surprising statistic. But, there is a flip side. The flip side is â€Å"that 23.4% of ex-offenders reformed themselves. Lumping lawbreakers into a correctional facility won t help all of them, but it will rehabilitate some of them a lot† (Bozelko, Chandra 2017). Nearly a quarter of inmates discharged from prison were reformed. This is taking into account the lack of rehabilitation and education programs, living conditions, and safety provided in current private or state prison facilities. So without directly and purposely focusing on improving inmates so when released into society, they are a productive member of the working class, a respectable twenty-five percent are changed for the better. These results are arguably satisfactory because of the annual cost to the taxpayer but nonetheless, they prove that inmates can indeed change for the better. We can begin to examine if the cost outweigh the benefits or results given the recidivism rate. Given the recidivism statistics, we can examine the current American conditions in prison facilities that produce these results. Many Americans are aware of the li ving conditions, crime, and lack of treatment and security in current prison. InShow MoreRelatedThe Criminal Justice System : An Analysis Of Income And Racial Inequality Essay1586 Words   |  7 PagesWilliams English 102 Professor 6 May 2015 The Criminal Justice System: an Analysis of Income and Racial Inequality In the history of civilized communities, one finds that different structures and practices are relevant and necessary to uphold and maintain order within society—hence, the establishment of the criminal justice system. 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