RECIDIVISM

The High Rate of Recidivism among Minorities

The High Rate of Recidivism among Minorities

Recidivism

Recidivism is the act of committing a new crime, or violating the conditions of one's parole or probation. Recidivism is a growing problem that, along with the increase in the number of first-time offenders serving jail time, is creating a crisis. Should the federal, state and local governments spend money to build new prisons to accommodate the rise in the number of people serving time in prison? Or should that money instead be spent on rehabilitative programs that seek to reduce the rates at which ex-convicts are committing crimes and serving new sentences?

Governmental Policy

With the government's "crack down on crime" attitude in the 1990s, those rehabilitation efforts suffered government funding cutbacks. A study conducted by the prestigious Urban Institute, which is an independent think tank, by the middle of the decade, only the allocated $22 billion that states reserve for prison maintenance is spent on rehabilitation programs that include vocational, education or life skills training. The remainder went to prison maintenance, as well as to the design and construction of new prisons. In addition, the expenditure forced local governments to sideline the funds for prison college program across 350 prisons in the United States. Secondary education programs suffered cuts, as well. By the end of the 1990s, a total of 9 percent of total inmates were participating educational programs or full time job training. 24 percent of prisoners were not participating in any form of training or educational activity at all (Zamble & Quinsey, 1997).

A number of experts that support the existing rehabilitation system believe it is effective in rehabilitating offenders, and that funding for them should not be cut. They make this claim on the basis of a wide number of studies that reveal the rate of re-arrest among those who have undergone rehabilitation, particularly those who have participated in work and educational programs, are far lower than the rates for nonparticipants. The problem, proponents argue, is the lack of funds it requires not function effectively, rather than the changing the existing system.

There are experts who believe that the existing system of rehabilitation has been unsuccessful in reducing the rate of recidivism. Opponents claim that the country-wide rates of recidivism remain high among inmates that leave prison after serving time. They argue that the programs should be curtailed, and that the most effective form of rehabilitation is punishment, specifically, arrest and imprisonment. The criticism by opponents stems from the viewpoint that the more time a person spends in a prison and receives punishment, the probability of repetition of his or her criminal behavior decreases. Therefore, opponents believe punishment should be for a longer period of time (Sutherland, 2010).

Recidivism and Prison

According to the Bureau of Justice, in 2002 the total number of prisoners in state and federal penitentiaries was over two million, which is an all-time high. In 2003, the year for which most current figures are available--the bureau tallied the total population of those ...