Correction: Reentry Programs

[Name of the institute]Correction: Reentry Programs

Introduction

Not only does society evolve during the period of incarceration, relationships may change and many, if not all, deteriorate after such an elongated time. In many situations the accumulation of these changes result in the prisoner's increased fear of freedom, or gate fever. Gluzman believes that this increased anxiety toward release is not a reaction to a successful situation (deinstitutionalization), but instead is a drawn out process that develops over time (like a long prison sentence). In a sense, this fear is not dread of the unknown, but anxiety of events that may occur in the future. As he further hypothesizes, the fear of release from the controlled environment of a prison is not a “breakdown” or any other type of mental illness or disorder. Instead, Gluzman described the experience as a social phenomenon that should be studied to gain further understanding of the emotions that go along with the release from incarceration. For these reasons, it has become essential to re-examine the current prison culture and try to develop a way to prepare inmates to break free of their prison socialization and accept the norms and values of the larger society. This process is not one that begins shortly before their release into society, but should be one that is identifiable as a goal throughout their incarceration (Rhodes, 2001). Correctional policy makers have made countless attempts to create a system where an offender would be able to serve his sentence and then be released back into the community without the risk of re-offending. This is a serious issue and a number of steps are required.

Research Objective

To discover various reentry programs that can be used to prepare inmates to release them back in the society. For the purpose of this paper following programs are discussed:

Vocational training program

Drug Rehabilitation Programs

Educational Programs

Sex Offenders and Violent Offenders

Halfway House Programs

Prison Pre-release Program

Discussion

There have been numerous state and federal programs designed to help ease the transition from incarceration to successful re-entry. Although there is evidence that prison programs can be cost effective and beneficial to inmates, recent surveys indicate that relatively few inmates take advantage of these programs while incarcerated. Many researchers are increasingly, yet cautiously, turning optimistic about the effectiveness of certain types of in-prison programs available to inmates. Most penal settings offer various types of in-prison programs including drug and alcohol treatment, educational opportunities ranging from basic adult education to GED, vocational training and even college classes. In addition, an increasing number of correctional facilities are also offering faith based communities in efforts to provide support for life outside of prison (Goffman, 2006). However, most inmates do not participate in programs offered to prepare them for release and life in the larger society. The details about few of the re-entry program are as follows:

Vocational and Work Programs

One of the re-entry programs that is made available to the inmates is of vocational training program. Vocational training is the learning process that allows an individual to acquire knowledge ...