Rehabilitation of Convicted to a Productive Social Lifestyle
Exploration of Focus from Parochial to Rightful Place!
by
Richard C. Lumb, Ph.D.
Public Safety Planning, Policy, and Research, LLC
August 22, 2021[1]
_________________________________________________________
Introduction.
If society redirects the headlong rush to the cliff, we must simultaneously change multiple systems and functions to overcome the numerous failures that exacerbate in number and severity. Orchestrating change requires persistence, courage, numbers, and determination.
Headlong "drift" is harmful, has been, and diminishes expectations. The new goals are accompanied by honest goal determination, scientific guidance, developing mission and goals, couched in values and vision, the goal of ending self-regard, and the shrouding of purpose and truth. I opt-out of discussing falsified "bliss" as it has multiple meanings, best left to the reader.
Recidivism and Rehabilitation.
Addressing the reduction of recidivism and increasing rehabilitation is an entire topic in and of itself. Unfortunately, crime figures often present an "up or down" number, which is meaningless for it does not include other variables that enrich outcome information. Up or down is an unrealistic determinant of reality! We must include:
The number of victimizations.
§ Repeat
offenses.
§ Consistent
classification of offenses.
§ Calls for
police assistance.
§ The number
of arrests.
§ The number
of convictions.
§ Total
charges dismissed.
§ Total
prosecutions denied.
§ Civilian
authority orders no police response.
§ Additional demographics as needed (e.g., employment, options, and other social indicators of successful opportunity).
W While there is no shortage of reading material, the referenced article[2] contributes to foundational information on offender rehabilitation. In addition, there are numerous citations to expand knowledge and gain insight. Reducing recidivism is codependent on multiple factors. Sean Kennedy, 2021[3], offers Five Program Models for Reducing Recidivism. He provides the following:
1. Privately
managed program in state facilities – a continuum of care.
2. State-run
program/coordinated with outside providers – Georgia PRI Cohort (2015-2019.
3. Nonprofit program in privately managed,
state-owned facility—Prison Entrepreneurship
Program.
4. Nonprofit program outside prison
coordinated within state facilities—Vehicles for Change.
5. University-run college education program in
state-run facility—University of Baltimore's Second Chance Program.
Kennedy's paper highlights numerous concepts and ideas that establish positive change.
Rehabilitation is attaining former inmate commitment to refrain from engaging in future crime, be productive and self-sufficient, and contribute to society. Therefore, jails and prisons are often considered points of change. However, their primary responsibility is the incarceration, security, and well-being of incarcerated individuals. Incarceration is the sole responsibility of a civilian Judge.
Funded, staffed, and with primary care and custody demands, additional programs depend on mission and funding. In actuality, police and correctional roles begin with "post-incident" law violations. They do not cause nor prevent, for that occurs at a more complex engagement.
Aberrant behaviors generally emerge early in life and include multiple people who did not instill character and social responsibility. As is often the case, society looks to an easy path to change aberrant behaviors. Personal issues begin early in life, include parents, family, schools, and other social institutions. We overlook the responsibility for having and raising children, blending all manner of opinion, a deficit of knowledge, diverting blame to others, and for some, a lack of caring and nurturing. That places the responsibility on society, whose awareness must be implementing programs to reduce problems. When laws are violated and the criminal justice system engages, it is too late in many instances.
With the justice system's involvement, rules change, focus expands, and diversity of critical decisions are challenged. We have relied on this level for solutions, albeit late, and previously external to society's narrowly defined duty and failure to determine solutions. Thus, the cost is less for prevention as the first goal.
"We argue that expanding both the conceptualization and use of cost-benefit analysis is a critical next step in developing effective crime prevention policy and programming. Finally, we offer some potential approaches to initiating these efforts[4][5]."
Social and individual change must emerge from a collaboration of eclectic, diverse, and committed people with attendant resources. The mission is critical and a first step! When engaged in success, what follows leads to success and sustainable change. We all benefit.
Understanding a loftier picture leads to consideration, probing, and engagement in social change programs and is a whole society challenge. Future thinking is needed to address social dilemmas.
Social Change Extends Beyond Agencies and Programs.
The focus in one Maine County includes numerous providers, social service agencies, public and private groups, and others who are working to establish collaborative and collective approaches to reducing issues and needs. As collaborations extend, formative thinking occurs, and we seek improved communications, research, decision-making, and importantly, collaboration leading to sustainable solutions to identified problems.
Franklin County services and residents engage in discussion to maximize benefits and positive outcomes. This focus is exemplified by the Franklin County Health Network (FCHN), their Addiction Care Expansion to Recover (RACE) a program addressing opioid use. Change focus includes:
§ Evaluation.
§ Routine meetings.
§ Mission
and goals.
§ Address
issues and needs.
§ Multiple service
providers.
§ Collaboration
among agencies.
§ Welcome
new partnerships and programs.
§ Cooperation,
communications, and collaboration.
§ Monthly Zoom
meetings with updates and discussion.
§ A diverse
group of people and program to address broad needs.
Separate silos are challenging to reframe for particular projects of need. When we agree to work with others, we merge expertise, decision-making, blend knowledge, and skills to address the scale of the problem and emerge with sustainable solutions—necessitating cooperation, collaboration, and communications.
Society is fractured in ways that are not "country-wide and social in nature," That attitude further diminishes people and lifestyles. Separate funding provides resources that often isolate the agency and creates voids, emotions, and shadows the potential of effective and sustainable solutions in partnership with others.
The good news, this problem-solving model is not dependent on national, state, or county-level oversight and control. Instead, it can become localized, utilize available resources, work collaboratively, communicate, and improve the quality of life and opportunity across multiple strata.
What inhibits this from happening? We do! But examples exist where it works, exceeded expectations, and improved life for many. That is a goal worth seeking. The challenge is the "will to change" approach to social issues and needs. We have learned that sharing solutions free up resources to address previously underfunded needs.
Hope, YES! Focus on rehabilitation, and all is possible with the implementation of Shared Sustainable Community Collaboration Building (SSCCB), comprised of cooperation, collaboration, communications, and goal accomplishment. The focus is on sustainable solutions to long persistent problems.
Richard
[1]
J/BLOG Files/2021
Forward/08.22.21 Rehab of Inmates
[Linkedin]
[2] . Chamberlain, A. (2011). "Offender Rehabilitation: Examining Changes in Inmate Treatment Characteristics, Program Participation, and Institutional Behavior." (download) https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2010.549833
Also found on Linkedin.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rehabilitation-convicted-productive-social-lifestyle-richard-lumb/?published=t
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