Question
Prison overcrowding has led to an increasing number of alternative programs designed to punish offenders without the use of lengthy incarcerations. Some of these alternative programs include a form of incarceration while others are completed while still living within free society.
In your initial response, identify and describe two alternative programs used to keep offenders out of prison for lengthy incarcerations. As part of your discussion identify the types of offenders that are typically candidates for each alternative program. Conclude your response by evaluating the effectiveness of each program.
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Be sure that your Forum answer is:
1) Based on research, and
2) Using professional, scholarly sources, and
3) Submitted in APA 7th ed style, and
4) A minimum of 550 words, excluding the references list,
Solution
Alternative Incarceration Programs
Prison overcrowding one of the major problems affecting the justice system in the U.S. the problem has led to the use of other alternative programs meant to punish offenders without the use of lengthy incarceration. The alternative programs include electronic home monitoring and community service (United Nations, 2007). These programs are important in reducing the states’ cost of burden and prison overcrowding.
Electronic Home Monitoring
Most of the offenders who qualify for electronic monitoring are children under the age of 19 years, as well as, convicted drunk drivers. The process has its fair share of financial and personal challenges. The offender is required to have an ankle bracelet at all times meant to track the location of the offender at all times. Research shows that the alternative paradigm is best suited for repeat offenders who have the potential of generating a disproportionate amount of crime. The habitual offenders are among the leading source of crime. Therefore, an effective deterrent would bring benefit society immensely. Research further reveals that a cohort of 500 repeat offenders arrested an average of 60 times each would cost over $570 million in terms of lost offender earnings, and criminal justice costs (Yeh, 2015).Electronic monitoring is a fitting intervention in the case of high-risk youths who’s their initial encounter with the criminal justice system could result in probation sentences.
The sentencing of the youths to prison could not serve the intended purpose because some youths could harden after interacting with other prisoners in the prison. The youths could be abused while in prison by the older prison mates resulting in numerous psychological conditions that could affect them later in life. Research also indicates that the alternative paradigm help offenders with poor impulse control who could be tempted to participate in crime because of the short-term gains. Therefore, electronic monitoring assist offenders in regulating their impulses and making informed decisions before engaging in crimes.
Community Service
Community service is a supervised non-custodial penalty that requires the offender to work for a specified number of hours without pay. The court orders the offender to offer their services for the society or a welfare agency. As an alternative to imprisonment, the offender is subject to work as a means of giving back to society for his prior crimes.
In Malaysia, the community service order limits the hours of service that does not exceed 240 hours. The law does not limit the kind of community service jobs but it is open to any work available as long as it serves its purpose (Rahim et al, 2013). Malaysian law also limits the age of offenders who qualify for community services. It states that children below the age of 18 are not entitled to community service. The Ministry of Women, Family, and Society corrects the young offenders through a special community service arrangement that entails: punishment, rehabilitation, and reparation. The punishment involves providing the young offenders a responsibility to be discharged in line with the offender’s needs. Rehabilitation is achieved by stimulating a social responsibility by making the program a learning experience for the young offenders. In reparation, young offenders are provided with opportunities that could make them add value to society.
Both pieces of research have given evidence regarding the effectiveness of both alternative paradigms. Electronic monitoring has not only proved that it save the justice system a lot of money but also helps in the rehabilitation of habitual offenders. This method also focuses on the wellbeing of young offenders who have the potential of being abused by older prison mates. On the other hand, community service offers opportunities for young offender making them become responsible citizens in the future.
Reference
Rahim, A. A., AziraTgZainudin, T., AdibSamuri, M., & Rahim, A. A. (2013). Community service as an alternative punishment: the extent of its application on the categories of crime and offender in Malaysia. International Journal of Education and Research, 1(7).
United Nation (2007). Handbook of basic principles and promising practices on Alternatives to Imprisonment. Criminal Justice Handbook Series.
Yeh, S. (2015). The electronic monitoring paradigm: A proposal for transforming criminal justice in the USA. Laws, 4(2), 60-81
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