Mass incarceration is a large issue in the United States. Largely due to drug-related crimes. Researchers, government officials, and citizens are all attempting to push anti-drug policies to attempt and reduce the level of drug usage in the United States. Many individuals, myself included, believe that alternately there should be more focus on prevention and treatment of criminals rather than harsher punishments imposed. While anti-drug policies and harsher punishments may help deter crimes from happening it does not address the issue of inmates and their actions after incarceration. Focusing more on prevention and treatment helps in three main ways. The first is it can rehabilitate the person improving social structure, diminish high crime rates, and have a more positive economic impact …show more content…
In a report done by the Legislative Analyst Project they identified eight significant criminal risk factors. These factors included: Antisocial behavior, antisocial personality, criminal thinking, antisocial relationships, family and marital status, school and work status, leisure and recreational activities, and substance use. The research they found showed how rehabilitation programs can help address these factors, which are large contributors to recidivism, the number of inmates that re-offend after release. They state, “...disorder treatment programs can help reduce or eliminate the criminal risk resulting from an offender’s problems with alcohol and/or other drugs (Improving In-Prison).”
In addition to rehabilitating the inmates so they do not commit crimes in the future rehabilitation also helps to decrease large crime rates. In Europe, the system they use shows a complete difference in the methods of punishment used in the United States. As the Atlantic