DB Replies

I believe that the public has an unfavorable view of corrections overall. In fact, parole authorities have become increasingly reluctant to grant inmates early releases because they want to avoid public outcry (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2021). I have a favorable view of some aspects of corrections and an unfavorable view of others. One aspect of corrections that I am in favor of is they keep dangerous people away from the public for the safety of the community. On the other hand, I am not in favor of criminals being released due to overcrowding.

There are many historical purposes for corrections. The first is revenge, the second is retribution, the third is deserving punishment, the fourth is deterrence, the fifth is incapacitation, the sixth is reformation or rehabilitation, and the last is restoration (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2021). I do believe that the current correctional practices in the United States align with the historical purposes of corrections. While rehabilitation fell out of favor in the past, recently many private organizations and state governments are re-embracing rehabilitation (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2021). Some of the reasons for this are the cost savings that result from the lower prison population and the benefits of the successful reintegration of past offenders into society (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2021). 

The trend toward rehabilitation is important. There was a large-scale evidence-based assessment recently which evaluated the effectiveness of imprisonment (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2021). It found that there was little evidence that showed that being imprisoned reduces recidivism (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2021). Even worse, it found some evidence that suggests that being imprisoned actually has a criminogenic effect (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2021).