Corrections Trend Evaluation, Research Paper Example

This paper explores to research the responsibility of correctional systems which provide programs, facilities and other various services in order to make our communities secure from criminals. This will be in relation to development and operation of community-based corrections in the past, present and the future. Other issues of the paper will include current and the future matters of prisons and the administration strategies with a description of how such matters overpower corrections. Therefore, this may be in a form of prisons which are institutions developed because of some terribly evil people who do to cooperate with the society and may be good for them to be cut out the society and be kept in a place where they can be closely monitored. Corrections have always been there in the societies since long time and have kept on changing and evolving in every country of the world all over the centuries. Therefore, in criminal justice system, there are different forms in which corrections exist. However, corrections do not relate only to criminal justice systems but also to the community-based programs such as treatment facilities, halfway houses and others (Chen & Shapiro, 2007).

The legal rights considers a good treatment to offenders, however, these rights can be restricted to only medical and mental health care. Therefore, in order to ensure an offender of unsound mind undergoes proper corrections, the prisoner is first given thorough medication through psychiatric institution. This has been a big challenge since past till today as offender of unsound mind may provide difficulties in correction unless they first get treated. Also HIV/AIDS has also been a current challenge to prison administrators. The rise is at high rate; according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics the rise has totaled 2.3% of the infected prisoners. In the early development of the disease it has been a big challenge to correctional administrators due to the difficulties of identifying those who are infected in order to provide the necessary treatments. Also it is very difficult to offer treatment which may help in minimizing unfavorable effects in the society. However, if the HIV/AIDS stage advances, the prisoner may get released out of the prison and get handed lover to humanitarian bodies for better treatment (Sarre, 2009).

The number of inmate population is changing at a fast rate. For instance, the California’s prisons have been ranged as the most overcrowded prisons in the U.S. However, currently the rate of elderly prisoners is speedily expanding the population of prisoners in prisons than the young inmates. This has increased the cost of imprisonment at large rate, for instance the medical care costs has become very high making it hard for prison administrators to handle. In order to ensure efficient correction programs are offered to the elderly, designed facilities have been developed in order to make correction process is successful. These facilities have been developed in order to keep the elderly prisoners active in a productive way. However, such facilities also serve as pre-release preparations for a better life than before in the communities they will go. Therefore, preparing the elderly prisoner for the better life may be challenging at some point to prison administrators due to the needed medical care and nutritional food expenses. This may also be handled through contributions and donations of well wishers hence sufficient operations of prisons (Andrews & Bonta, 2010).

In addition, many of the prisoners in the past and at present time have been imprisoned due to crimes arising from drugs addictions. According to the National Center for Addition and Substances Abuse it has been indicated that most of 80% crimes committed were due to the effect of drugs or alcohol. This is due to the fact that drug addictive users may commit crime in so as to finance their expensive and addictive drug lifestyle. It has been a great challenge to prison administrators in providing residential drug treatment programs so as to implement corrections on such a group of drug addict. It has been indicated from different researchers that drug treatment is very successful in dropping criminal recidivism. Therefore, in order to cater for the cost incurred by prison administrators in providing drug treatments. Governments of different states have provided measures through creation of anti-drug-initiatives in prisons by providing funds to cater for any expenses a rising from drug treatment programs. However, the use drug treatment policies in prisons have ensured a greater correction to the addicted prisoners making them responsible citizens after their release (Chen & Shapiro, 2007).

In conclusion, governments of different parts of the world need to take serious measures in order to fight the rise of crimes a rising due to different sources such as drug addiction and others. They may also achieve the goal by offering serious campaign about consequences the offender may face after committing a crime. This will help in minimizing the challenges associated with corrections of large number of prisoners hence a safety society (Sarre, 2009).

References

Andrews D., & Bonta J., (2010). Rehabilitating criminal justice policy and practice. Psychology, Public Policy and Law 16. Pp. 39–55.

Chen M., & Shapiro J., (2007). Do harsher prison conditions reduce recidivism? A discontinuity-based approach. American Law and Economics Review 9. Pp. 1–29.

Sarre R., (2009). The importance of political will in the imprisonment debate, Current Issues in Criminal Justice 21(1). Pp. 154–161.