[Title Here, up to 12 Words, on One to Two Lines]
Jason L. Klein
CJUS 650-B01
September 10, 2020
Liberty University
Abstract
Rehabilitation is a major component of an offenders reintegration into society. Many offenders
are seeking treatment from their first offense but don’t know how to go about getting help. Even
more offenders are suffering from Co-Occurcing Disorders (COD), such as substance abuse and
mental health issues. Women’s treatment can vary greatly from men’s treatment. Let us not
forget our soldiers that have returned home, damaged physically and emotionally from
deployment.
The end-result for both the offender, the criminal justice system, and the community as a whole
is to reduce recidivism rates. Offenders are people, just like all of us, and all that separates a
Criminal Justice Professional from an offender is one bad decision. There may be a series of bad
choices, but it all starts with the first bad decision.
[Title Here, up to 12 Words, on One to Two Lines]
Rehabilitation, as defined by the Miriam-Webster dictionary, is, “the action of restoring
someone to health or normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or
illness.” It is also, “the action of restoring someone to former privileges or reputation after a
period of disfavor.”
Pre-Trial Release
This section will examine the positive effects of structured pre-trial release from jail
pending trial. This is the beginning of rehabilitation post-arrest but prior to criminal trial.
Female Rehabilitative Treatment
Here we will investigate the differences in rehabilitate treatment between women and
their male counterparts. We will discuss different mental health issues including: childbirth
(both living and lost during birth, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and lead into the
section on Co-Occuring Disorders.
Co-Occuring Disorders
Co-Occuring Disorders (COD) is having two disorders at the same time. This is typically
an offender that has diagnosed and untreated, or undiagnosed, mental health issues. After the
offender has unsuccessfully been treated, or not treated at all, they seek to self-medicate with
illegal substances or with legal substances such as alcohol. Whatever their choice for self-
medicating, it leads to substance abuse. The offender with COD will have to go through multiple
phases of treatment in order to achieve rehabilitation and reintegration into society successfully.
Veteran Offenders
Through the Veteran’s Health Administration, prior service members can be evaluated
through the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model for diagnosing issues and determining proper
treatment protocols. Veterans can be evaluated and grouped by risk level (to themselves and to
the community). Alternative incarceration based on criminal history and responsiveness to
treatment will also be discussed in this section.
Treating the Past to Heal their Future
Treatment and rehabilitation are addressing issues from the offenders past so that they
can heal emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Rehabilitation of offenders, convicted or
pending trial, have the capacity for re-entry into society. Their individual history, even as far
back as childhood, all need to be looked at to help heal the individual so that they can re-enter
society as a productive individual that makes sound decisions regarding their actions.
Christian Viewpoint
1 Peter 3:17 – “For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is
right rather than for doing what is wrong.”
Psalms 10:18 – “To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the
earth will no longer cause terror.”
Psalms 10:8 – “He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills
the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.”
References
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Evaluation of Orange County’s Pretrial Assessment and Release Supervision (PARS)
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org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1007/s12103-019-09506- 3
Gideon, L., & Sung, H. (2011). Rethinking corrections: Rehabilitation, reentry, and
reintegration. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Mitsis, P. (2019). Co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders: Evidence from
Cyprus. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 33(1), 77–84. https://doi-
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Rodriguez, A. L., Manfredi, L., Wong, A. C., Nevedal, A., Timko, C., Rosenthal, J., & Blonigen,
D. M. (2019). Implementation Potential of Structured Risk Assessments for Criminal
Recidivism in the Veterans Health Administration: Qualitative Perspectives From
Providers. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 30(6), 819–839. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1177/0887403417725567
Trotter, C., McIvor, G., & Sheehan, R. (2012). The Effectiveness of Support and Rehabilitation
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org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1080/0312407X.2011.641985
