The Deaf In Prison

As a nation proud of the philosophies revolving around freedom, equality, etc. it is far-fetched and unseemingly to good to be true. In the “Deaf in Prison” documentary, “there are more than two people incarcerated” (Deaf in Prison, 2013). We shift our attention to issues that should not be started as an issue, mass incarceration for little crimes such as an individual sentenced ten years for holding very little marijuana, primarily targeting those who are a person of color, screams a lot about the system as a whole. There is a whole lot of fragments that need fixing within our unjust judicial system, and that is why we need to curb the efforts of providing the best resources possible for those convicted wrongfully and those who want a second

In the article, “What Works”, Roger Pryzbylski mentions that “More than 30 years of research has produced a body of evidence that clearly demonstrates that rehabilitation programs work. A variety of programs, properly targeted and well implemented, can reduce recidivism and enhance public safety.” (Pryzbylski 2008). Methods such as educational outlooks, treatments of substance abuse, sex offender, family therapy are just one of the many treatment methods to help reduce the impact statistics of mass incarceration. There are other multiple citings of evidence for this to be proven fully as “Effective intervention is intensive and targets behavioral change. Intensive treatment occupies 40% to 70% of the offender’s time and is 3 to 9 months in duration. Behavioral programs focus on changing the cognitions and values that maintain anti-social behavior, and they emphasize positive reinforcement rather than the threat of punishment to strengthen prosocial behavior.” (Pryzblyski 2008). As time locked up for inmates shows

Prevention is key in order to maintain a successful outlook for these former inmates that are slowly but surely readjusting back to society. In the book “Community & Public Health”, the four basic elements of prevention include, “(1) education, (2) treatment, (3) public policy, (4) enforcement. The goals of education and treatment are the same: to reduce the demand for drugs. Likewise, setting effective public policy and law enforcement share the same goal: to reduce the supply and availability of drugs in the community.” (McKenzie 2012). Another target for this can be the younger generation due to the fact of peer pressure relations. As kids who are still trying to develop the whole notion of fitting in, it is a job that we must educate them first on the consequences if they were to make wrong decisions. To debunk the stereotypes, “Peer counseling program are also present in some schools. In these programs, students talk about mutual problems and receive support and perhaps learn coping skills from peers who have been trained in this intervention activity to not use drugs” (McKenzie 2012). Without maximizing the efforts of our younger kids who are prone to use more substances, commit crimes, develop mental illnesses, we need to start at a base where we are able to talk with them rather than tell them x, y,