A community correction Research Essay

If someone is condemned to community service instead of prison, this alternative punishment is used. Typically, probation officers supervise inmates while they are being held at home or in their workplace. Most first-time offenders, nonviolent offenders, or offenders who pose no danger to the community are subjected to this type of detention. (Alarid, 2016). Making these types of offenders perform community service as part of their sentence is preferable to sending them to prison, which might interfere with their rehabilitation process. If the inmates’ conduct has improved, they may occasionally be released from jail and placed under supervision. Within the supervision period, the offenders will be required to report to a given police station at weekly or monthly intervals.

There is a dramatic increase on the number of offenders placed under community supervision. This method of punishment has proved to an important tool to prepare offenders with special needs to get back to the community. The supervision level of any offender depends on the needs of the individual (Jiang et al., 2014). A good example is, if a given offender is a drug addict, he is frequently visited by a police officer who analyses his behavior or the offender is assigned to do light duties at a school, an environment that does not allow drug usage.

Incarceration has adverse effects on the victims. Most of the effects that result from long term jail term are mental effects that can take longer to be reversed (Alarid, 2016). Also, the prisoners loose hope and control over their life due to long isolation from other community members (Latessa & Smith, 2015). These special needs that arise because of incarceration have to be assessed and treated immediately the affected individuals are released back to the community. The best treatment includes counseling and attendance to the institutions that handle behavioral issues as an outpatient.

Unrelatedly to the type of offense by these ex-offenders, they are trying to integrate back into the society and corrections officers’ role is to ensure that they rehabilitate fully. Not all people found guilty by the courts are liable in reality (Alarid, 2016). Court processes are based on the amount of evidence collected and presented before the judge. This means that if the defendant does not have enough support to convince the courts of his or her innocence he or she will have to accept the court decision.

Community corrections are especially the best treatment to be applied to special populations who cannot withstand incarceration. This treatment is working well with the elderly offenders who cannot cope with the conditions in the jail (Jiang et al., 2014). In most circumstances, the elderly face medical complications that need them to be stress-free and attend clinics regularly (Alarid, 2016). If confined in a room, these victims’ medical conditions can worsen, and the treatment might not help them. For that reason, it is good to allow them to remain with the community but their behavioral changes are regularly assessed.

Besides the elderly population, it is estimated that in 2005 nearly 65% of offenders were female (Latessa & Smith, 2015). In that year, a majority of women offenders were reported as drug and substance abusers. When they were found guilty, they were incarcerated for the crime, and as a result, most of them lost custody of their children. Their children were either put under foster care system or given to the family members. To some of them, the sentencing required that they are confined for a period that could even exceed a year. The resultant effect was the difficulties in reuniting with their children. Because of this effect, it was recommended that finer mistakes like those should not make one break bonds with essential family members; thus it would be good if they are placed under correction officers.

The last group to be considered for community corrections is the juvenile and the disabled population. The law does not spare anyone in despite their age or condition (Latessa & Smith, 2015). For that reason, the disabled and children who break law also can be jailed. However, this group should also be put under community corrections if their offenses are not much serious. Through close supervision by the law enforcers, this group can rehabilitate and fit again in the society.

Overall, community correction is a good tool for keeping track of the offenders’ behavioral progress as they transition back to the society. However, there is still much to be done to observe that the special groups are treated fairly. For instance, the elderly population suffers a lot as they have to attend their medical specialists as well as reporting to the station that assesses their rehabilitation progress. Also, the older adults in prison who have spent many years in jail should be placed under community corrections because their age cannot allow them to commit the offenses or harm the society. For this reason, it there should be the establishment of specialized centers that will be catered for this group.

References

Alarid, L. F. (2016). Community-based corrections. Cengage Learning.

Jiang, S., Xiang, D., Chen, Q., Huang, C., Yang, S., Zhang, D., & Zhao, A. (2014). Community corrections in China: Development and challenges. The Prison Journal, 94(1), 75-96.

Latessa, E. J., & Smith, P. (2015). Corrections in the Community. Routledge.