Recidivism

[vc1111]

Stealthycat asks about the cause and seemingly high rates...

I maintain that criminals, especially violent criminals, do not respond to incarceration. They are mentally broken, and respond to and engage ordinary situations with actions founded in defective reasoning.

[kevin1]

There is also the fact that our prisons have decided to go the useless and totally ineffective route of trying to "rehabilitate" people who have no desire to be rehabilitated . When prisons existed to punish criminals for doing wrong there were fewer criminals because everybody knew that they would suffer in prison . Prison was therefore a place to be dreaded and avoided .

Once they got cable tv , civvy clothes , skin mags , and rights the path of doom for rehab was certain . [:@]

[8mm/06]

I think the high go back rates are related to the way our entire judicial system begins dealing with aberrant behavior way back in the juvenile delinquent era..........chance after chance is given until the criminal believes that they will always get yet another chance...
And guess what??... They are right on with that thinking.
As long as we continue to always look for the victimization of the criminal first, we are doomed to overcrowded prisons and repeat offenders. Or should I say repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat....you get the picture.

[stealthycat]

They are mentally broken, and respond to and engage ordinary situations with actions founded in defective reasoning

Broken before or after prison ?

Question - since we know a good idea of the retun rate of released prisoners ... are released prisoners that go back into society a higher threat than the normal person is ? Apparently so (because crimes have to be committed for them to return to prison), so our Judicial system thats suppose to keep criminals off the street is actually recycling them BACK to the street so they can commit more crimes.

Right ?

[8mm/06]

Right...pretty much able to be documented with the figures. There are obviously those who don't return. I'm thinking it would be pretty hard to obtain the data showing the % of Ex-cons that go completely straight (not even a jay-walking violation) after a stay in the big house....or even the county lock-up. Would be nice to know those #'s too.

[vc1111]

Stealthy, they were born broken.

The frightening thing about the recidivism rates for thinking people lies in the fact that those that are returned to incarceration do not reflect anything near the total effect. Those jailed again only represent the ones that we caught involved in more violent crime.

If someone gets caught speeding say, three times in 3 years, it is almost never a case of "bad luck."

[Aught Six]

maintain that criminals, especially violent criminals, do not respond to incarceration. They are mentally broken, and respond to and engage ordinary situations with actions founded in defective reasoning.

I believe that repeat inmates are so common because they actively choose to live and relive the criminal lifestyle. Making an honest living is hard work with a lot of hassle. Criminals don't pay their taxes, register their guns, or bother with any other legal requirements of life. Plus when you put hundreds or thousands of them together in a prison, it doesn't take long for many to start planning their activities upon release.

[Tazman]

America needs to model thier prison system after the Turkish penal system, the repeat offendor is almost unheard of, the guys who get out of thier prisons will lick toilet bowls for a living before taking a chance on being sent back to "Hell on earth!"

[MattInNH]

I believe that a large part of the recidivism problem is the socializing that goes on inside the prison walls. This is especially true for younger/less experienced criminals. Jail has effectively become a form of higher education for felons. Lock a bunch of engineers up 24/7 with basically nothing to do and I'm sure they'd come up with some pretty amazing ideas. Lock a bunch of criminals up in the same situation and you really can't be surprised that they're spending large amounts of time figuring out how not to get caught next time(granted- most of 'em aren't all that bright, so they end up getting caught again)

[Tazman]

I believe that a large part of the recidivism problem is the socializing that goes on inside the prison walls.

Not in Turkey, 1 man, one 3X6 cell and no play time in the yard!