Do Prisons Rehabilitate? Essay -- essays research papers

Do Prisons Rehabilitate?In this essay, I shall be focusing on the whether or Prisons rehabilitate offenders. I go forthdo this by focusing mainly on the Prison Service in England & Wales, the reason forthis, being that the data and statistics for England & Wales are easier to obtain thanthat of other countries. The main information I will be referring to will be the rates ofconviction, types of imprisonment, types of non-custodial sentences. Also I willexplore about of the current methods of offender rehabilitation.Her Majestys Prison Service is composed of two main types of prisons, they are openand closed prisons. Following the Mountbatten Report (1965) Prisoners were laidinto security categories, ranging from category A (high risk of exposure prisoner - escape wouldpose a serious risk to the public or state) to category D (low risk prisoner - can betrusted in open prison conditions).Prisons have four major purposes, they are retribution, incapacitation, deterrence andrehabil itation. Retribution means punishment for crimes against society. Prisons serveto deprive criminals of their freedom is a way of making them pay a debt to society fortheir crimes. Incapacitation refers to the removal of criminals from society so that theycan no protracted harm innocent people. Deterrence means the prevention of future crime,it is hoped that bye imprisoning a criminal, it deters them from committing the crimeagain and also deters others from committing crime. Rehabilitation refers to activitiesdesigned to change criminals into constabulary abiding citizens, and may include providingeducational courses in prison, teaching job skills and offering counselling with apsychologist or social worker. Over many historic period the focus of the prison service hasswitched between the four purposes, on that pointfore at different times in hi degree theimportance of rehabilitation has fluctuated.Her Majestys Prison Service serves the public by keeping in custody thosecommitte d by the courts. Our duty is to look after them with humanity and help them intimation law-abiding and useful lives in custody and after release.http//www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/lrgtxt.aspThe above statement of purpose is that of Her Majestys Prison Service. As can beseen from the statement, there seems to be a focus on incapacitation and rehabilitation.Over many years, peoples attitude towards how to deal with pr... ...are oftensentenced when nothing else has worked and in effect the placement has given up. Theprison service has no control over the prisoners that they take in, and therefore as theoffenders stay in custody is forced rehabilitation will not be effective unless theoffender wants to be rehabilitated.REFERENCESInternet SitesAll of the below listed sites were last accessed on 10/12/2002http//www.dfes.gov.uk/prisonerlearning/init_p.cfm?ID=13http//www.dfes.gov.uk/prisonerlearning/init_p.cfm?ID=17http//www.guardian.co.uk/prisons/story/0,7369,747482,00.htmlhttp//www.hmpris onservice.gov.uk/lrgtxt.asphttp//www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/news/newstext.asp?272http//www.homeoffice.gov.uk/prishist.htmhttp//society.guardian.co.uk/mentalhealth/story/0,8150,682850,00.htmlhttp//www.learn.co.uk/yvote/debates/crimeprisonpro.htmhttp//www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk/publications/reports/html/Reducing_Re-offending/chapter_one.htmhttp//www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk/publications/reports/html/Reducing_Re-offending/chapter_two.htmhttp//www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk/publications/reports/html/Reducing_Re-offending/chapter_five.htmhttp//www.stoptheaca.org/purpose.html