DB #5 Student Post

Justin Ash 

Saving Offenders

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Current Reentry Issues

Like many induvial who have been away from home for a prolonged period, there is an adjusting period one must undergo but comparing that to those who experience a release from prison may be much different. Studies and multiple research articles have moved forward to show that the induvial who lives in harsh prison environments and exposed to violent atmosphere are more likely to reject the idea of reentry versus those who received family support and assistance from reentry programs while their sentence was being carried out (Cid et al., 2020). This further determines that the environment that the induvial lives in goes on to develop mental traits that enhance the sole perceptive of the world and only determines what social norms are acceptable over others. This concept is the same concept that is expressed through Social Strain Theory which is defined by Robert Merton as the social aspects that affect the outcome of a person behavior and view of their surrounding world (Strain Theory, n.d.). The same principle applies to adults as it does a child who grows up in a violent home environment. This causes the issue of leaving prisons a secondary effect especially in the case that the induvial has already been espoused to an early negative environment.

In the history of the United States there has never been such an increasing number of prisons released related issues that have been directly continued to homelessness, joblessness, massive personal debts, family strain due to separation, and unique cases of sex offenders with all being addressed with small budgets (Stojkovic, 2017). This means that the likelihood of reoffending will increase drastically and without the reentry issues being addressed it is certain that a growing prison population will increase not due to being criminal but the necessity to be surrounded by the social norm.

Components Contributing to Prison Reentry Issues

The issues as discussed in (Cullen & Jonson, 2017) are that the mass incarcerations of individuals are linked to the issues with reentry being that it drains the funds used to assist in reentry and devotes it to housing leaving many related issues of going home unresolved. Other issues discussed in (Cullen & Jonson, 2017) are that the prisons do not address the criminal aspect and does nothing more than encourages future behavior while also being linked to the third issue being that there are no programs available to assist those waiting to be released. These issue lead to induvial being arrested shortly after being released and to nothing really being addressed and that the criminal behavior is merely enhanced once incarcerated. Again, these same traits or issues are seen in the community with the economic factors as to how social strain may lead one to commit criminal acts, but to the one who is already incarcerated, criminal acts are fine-tuned and enhanced for future use if not addressed like those in the community.

What Works

The reentry process for anyone leaving a high stressful environment can be challenging and if not properly done, one leaving prison will shortly be reconvicted. A study from the International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology expressed that it was found successful in high-risk inmates to address releases on an intensive basis, earlier/longer poral oversight, and lesser dynamic risk variables that contribute to violent behavior led to a non-incident report among all participants (Polaschek et al., 2018). This being a recent release goes to express how the application to the induvial on their personal level has a direct effect on the outcome of future treatment and would often be more successful in helping those who are preparing to be released. In this the variables that contributed to violent behavior, criminal mentality, and the addressing of violence behind prison walls can and will assist in the reentry process by merely creating an environment that supports change, not further crime. These merely factors alone can make or break the recovery process and could even cause nothing more than increase in the prison population that is steadily growing in the United States.

The issue with prison overpopulating and its linkage to repeat offenses do not only come from the communities, but the actual incarcerated population as wellbeing stated that the condition has a cause that force induvial to fight for resources to survive (Brotherton & Gude, 2021). This information comes primarily from organized gangs that do stick to their strict routines of day-to-day operations, but the effects of prison overcrowding has caused a significant tension between the groups which has led to an environment almost related to war. Addressing these issues by fixing the environmental variables that encourage this behavior lowers the risk associated with reentry.

Biblical Worldview

In the book of Isaiah 42:7 it states, “To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house,” (King James Version, 1611). That is our goal for us to see heaven. If we leave others behand then who are we to be expected to be able to enter heaven. God instructed us to serve one another by doing good works and placing everyone who is troubled in one location and leaving it be is not good works. Prison is a vital component to address violent crimes and crimes that effect the communities nut it is the community's responsibility to address those who are behind bars so that it does not become there home forever.

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