The Great Penitentiary Rivalry has impacted change in the “most effective way to run a prison.” (University of Phoenix, 2006) There are many concerns addressed on how to have a more positive effect on the inmates rather than using prisons as a form of punishment. The Rivalry has encouraged new ideas and impacted the prison system in ways to decrease the negative behavior one offender may have over another. The rivalry introduced “separate confinement “and “congregate system”. (University of Phoenix, 2006) In the rivalry separate confinement was used to separate prisoners and study the change in behavior if any. Each
prisoner was to eat, sleep and work alone. In the congregate system there were similarities to individual confinement. The prisoners were to eat and work together but silence was imposed. After learning the impact of separating and silencing had on the prisoners. This was only the beginning of new discoveries in prisons.This rivalry continues to shape and influence fairness in the prison system’s purpose. Knowing that steps are being taken to cure inmates rather than enforcing punishment and ignoring psychological and biological problems. Has a more positive influence on American thinking. Past theories have failed or had little impact on the offenders. The purpose of prisons of “what works” is still influenced in finding further rehabilitive programs to work with the prisoners rather than against. The prison system’s purpose has been improving in recent years. The purpose in the past was more for punishing and showing only bias to wrongdoers. In research this purpose has proven to be ineffective to recidivism rates. Now the purpose of prison is to help and encourage right behavior in a more reasonable manner. The main goal is to find a cure for the wrongdoers and rehabilitate them back in to society.
Describe the comparison between publicly funded and privately funded prisons? Why is privatizing the prison system a topic of debate?
Public prisons are funded by the government to ensure efficiency and quality of the offender’s reduction of recidivism rates. Public prisons are concerned with the high population and low funding available. The number of offenders has increased in present years. Both private and public prisons share concerns of the effectiveness of deterring crime and reducing the
recidivism rates of offenders. Privately funded prisons are not necessarily cheaper but are funded by private companies rather than by the government. The concerns with public funded prisons being overcrowded leads to financial instability. Although funded differently, the need for certain standards are needed in order to be an effective form of punishment. This is where private funding is proven to be more effective. By allowing private companies to pull up some of the slack “cost associated to these expenses would not be generated directly from tax payers pocket, allowing governments to better use their revenue to better service other public areas in need of assistance.” (Sycamnias, 1997) The balance of punishment and the concern of the offender’s health are important in both public and private prisons.Privatizing the prison system has been a topic of debate. Privatizing prisons has its benefits on running cheaper for the government. Many wonder if these prisons are able to run cheaper with cost and still provide the same quality as publicly funded prisons. Public prison costs are higher. However, questions arise in rather privatizing prisons can still provide the same efficiency in the policies to discourage hostile action by the potential aggressors. Rehabilitation has been adopted into public prisons to encourage good behavior can be rewarded, while bad behavior will only result in further punishment. A concern in privatizing the prison system is rather there are influences such as rehabilitation encouraged to the prisoners. The main goal of privatizing the prison system rests on efficiency and cost. Although cost is main concern, the need for the safety of the prison is just as important. Private and public prisons are funded differently but the concerns of the offenders relapsing into crime have been acknowledged. These factors are used to argue if privatizing the prison system is in our best interest.
References:
University of Phoenix. (2006). Prisons and jail. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from University of Phoenix, Week Eight, CJS200.
Sycamnias, Evan. (1997). All prisons should be managed by private enterprise. Law library . Retrieved May 18, 2009, from www.uplink.com.au/lawlibrary/Documents/Docs/Doc17.html