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1 Ranayja Prince PHI-105 January 21, 2019 Grey Malloy The Importance of Prison Reform Incarcerated Lives Matter In this deranged world we live in we are facing many changes. Many feels that prisons exist to punish, not counsel, offenders. That is true and false at the same time, prisons exist for punishment, but they have an important benefaction to make reducing reoffending by engaging nonviolent prisoners to be rehabilitated. Some people families and friends are afraid of the many dangers which influence their lives and communities. This role corresponds with the five goals of punishment to reduce crime: “incapacitation, deterrence, rehabilitation, social reintegration, and retribution “(Terrell Don Hutto, 2018). There are several theories behind why we incarcerate people who commit crimes. One reason is to protect society from people who would hurt others. We also incarcerate people as a deterrent, so others won’t commit similar crimes. We can blame the individuals involved in wrong doing, but as a society we raised some of the criminals. I do agree that punishment needs to be swift and unquestionable. We see tell-tale signs which demands reform. Incarcerate can also be great for rehabilitation. Prison can teach inmates a trade, so they have merchantable skills when they are released. We can be a harsh society that believes in retribution, no matter the price. Six inmates can be released from prison today. Three out of six will end up right back in the system with six years. The figures should be enough to determinate that the prison systems are failing seriously with the rehabilitation of inmates into proper law-abiding citizens. The system has found ways to detain them in many ways. Can we honestly be a society who believes in redemption, regardless of the price. Or we can be a society

2 of people who struggle to rational, data-driven system that will struggle to shelter us from truly dangerous people while acknowledging their mistakes. Just a few years ago, the disaster of mass incarceration was largely thought of an invisible issue. For many inmates, those bars do not only imprison their bodies but their motivation and determination as well, inmates need to be inspired to want to change for the better. Prison is supposed to reform inmates in to law abiding people who can function in the free world. Denial of freedom is punishment enough for offenders. Offenders can be reformed back into society. One individual gets sentenced to life without parole for brutal murders, while another individual is sentenced to 2-5 years for a burglary a nonviolent crime. Despite the different levels of crimes. Unfortunately, 50% of nonviolent prisoners are being housed with violent prisoners. I believe nonviolent inmates should not be housed with violent inmates together in the same cell. By involving nonviolent criminals with diabolical ones, they are creating a situation of fear and protection. Prison life can be harsh, and time spent in an isolation is even worse. A majority of those in prison spend countless hours in idleness. It would be much better if they used their time behind bars getting reeducated to have productive lives on the outside. Some of the inmates have serious emotional and mental problems that are never addressed, and it is unreasonable to not attempt to correct these problems before they are released. Inmates with a mental illness commits a crime or break the law they are immediately taken to prison. When they need to be sent to a mental health facility to get the help needed before serving their time in prison. So that we will know what’s need to treat them before entering a prison setting. Prisons get inmates who have the following mental illnesses: Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and deep depression. Prison just don’t provide them with the help needed to get out and

3 function in the free world. Since the prison-based health services are insufficient, and inmates aren’t receiving enough treatment. While most people are worried and they want offenders punished and thrown in prison which is a rational concern it is scarce that offenders are committed by the mentally ill. For those crimes the mentally ill commits, prisons may not always be the right answer; instead proper diagnosis and treatment so they can be rehabilitated. Overall, the affirmation has always been made that the prison system doesn’t help inmates with mental problems. There are many reasons why prison facilities choose not to help. Despite its failure I still believe offenders can be reformed into law abiding people. Is incarceration the answer? It’s really clear that the most effective way to turn a nonviolent person into a violent one is to send them to prison, “say Harvard University criminologist James Gilligan, the prison system takes nonviolent offenders and make them live side-by-side with hardened killers (James F. Gilligan, MD, 2017). The very creation of prison no matter how people view it, produces an environment that is unavoidably harmful to its residents. I understand prisons are overcrowded and I know that there are a lot of nonviolent prisoners that can be rehabilitated. Two years ago, the federal government was driving the national discussion not only on prison reform and re-entry but also around sentencing reform and reducing mandatory minimum sentences; promoting accountability in policing; providing, access to legal assistance; and eliminating the criminalization of poverty (Ed, Chung March 2018). Rehabilitation programs, conducted in the parolee to be self-supporting. A structure of mandatory sentences and fines would be established for all currently classified as misdemeanors or felonies (H.R. DeLuca, T.J. Miller, C.F. Wiedemann).

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References James F. Gilligan, MD, 2017 Terrell Don Hutto, When Prison Reform goes Bad, 2018 H.R. DeLuca, T.J. Miller, C.F. Wiedemann, Punishment vs. Rehabilitation: A Proposal for Revising Sentencing Practices, September 1991 Ed Chung, Why Prison Reform is Not Enough to Fix the U.S. Criminal Justice System, November 2018...