Incarceration Pros And Cons

In an ideal world, there would be no crime, and we would all live harmoniously, but that does not seem to be a possibility now or anytime soon. Criminal activity has been around since the beginning of time, and the controversy of how to punish the offender began immediately after the first offense was committed. In the United States today there are endless offenses committed daily that violate a vast number of laws, and there is no disagreement that when someone breaks a law that there must be a consequence. The controversy arises over what type of sanctions should be applied when a criminal act is committed. Critics of prison alternatives feel that incarceration is the only real type of justice and are reluctant to explore more options.

When an offender receives a jail sentence, he serves his time, but eventually, the sentence ends. Forty percent of those incarcerated commits another criminal act, and the cycle begins again (Families Against Mandatory Minimums). Prison alternatives such as probation and parole allow the offender to remain with his family, maintain employment, and retain financial independence. Conditions of these alternatives often include mandatory visits to a supervisor or officer which requires the offender to remain accountable. These alternatives to incarceration remove the necessity of reentry which is often problematic for the offender. Using programs that allow the offender to meet the requirements for his sentence while remaining in society reduce the probability of reoffending thus reducing overall crime in the

To succeed, we must look beyond the actual crime and determine why it was committed; one such program exists in Vermont. It is a “reparative program” and once the offender is convicted the judge decides if the offender is a good candidate for the program, violent offenders are not eligible. If the offender accepts the offer of reparation, then a committee consisting of a trained coordinator and volunteers from the community have several meetings with the offender to create a plan of restitution. The goals vary by committee, but usually include the victim, if present, describing the impact of crime, allowing the offender to atone to the victim and the community, and to display steps toward improved behaviors to deter from recommitting additional infractions (Dzur 371-372). This type of program creates a pathway for the offender to reenter the community