Program Comparison and Proposal

Scenario: Imagine you work in a correctional institution and oversee the programs offered to offenders. The budget only has room for one program at this time, and you must determine which program provides the most benefit. You have been tasked by your supervisor with analyzing two different programs and proposing one program to implement.

Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word report. Complete the following in your report:

Compare the goals of each program, its target populations, and its components.

Analyze the intended outcomes of each program to evaluate its effectiveness and benefits.

Make a program recommendation based on your analysis.

Explain and provide statistical research to support your recommendation.

Explain how this program will benefit your institution.

Format your report according to APA guidelines.

Visit: https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/topics/corrections-reentry?ID=2

Review: https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/ratedprograms/567

Review: https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/ratedprograms/494

ANSWER

Program Comparison and Proposal

Recidivism is common among people who have gone to prions. Most ex-convicts wind up back to prison because they were not supported in the transitioning period. Getting out of prison and adjusting to life outside can be quite tasking, and thus many ex-convicts end up going back to their old ways and, therefore, going back to prison (Zakaria et al., 2018). The aim of the justice system should be to reform and not to punish. When an ex-con goes back to prison, it shows that the system has failed them. It is, therefore, essential to install programs that help them reenter society. The two programs to consider in this case are, the mentally ill offender community transition program and the Allegheny County Jail-Based Reentry Specialist program. The first program targets people with mental illnesses who are seen as being responsible for their offences and are likely to qualify for supported treatment in the community. The second program focuses on helping inmates reenter society by providing services in the community. The second program is more suitable for this program proposal as it targets a wider range of the population.

The Allegheny County (pa.) Jail-Bases Reentry Specialist program was a two-phase program. The goal of the program was to reduce recidivism and help ex-convicts comfortably transition into the community. The first phase of the program provided them with jail programming and services to prepare for release. The second phase provided the inmates with services to support them in the community for up to 12 months (National Institute of Justice). The [program was effective as in comparison to the other group that did not get the support, those who participated had a ten per cent chance of rearrests and those who did not, had a 34 percent chance. The program’s target population is females and males who have been identified to have higher chances of being rearrested depending on the information collected, such as the first age of arrest, history of substance abuse and the number of times they have been arrested.

The components of the program included using a structured risk assessment restructuring program. The inmates were transferred to a jail’s reentry Pod, which was designed to provide greater access to reentry services and program staff. The services in jail and in the community had to be coordinated by assigning a reentry specialist to work with the inmates. The inmates in the program also had educational advantages and had the chance to improve on themselves and their education. The inmates were provided with a 22-hour job-readiness program which improved their chances of employment after release (National Institute of Justice). The prevention program helped reduce substance abuse. Through the program, the inmates had better chances at housing opportunities through access to the HARBOR project, which this program that provides eligible ex-offenders with housing and other supportive services.

This program is a perfect fit for our institution. For the past few years, we have had higher numbers of prisoners getting re-arrested after being released. Most of them were rearrested because they could not find a job and found it hard to adjust on the outside. Some of the rearrested prisoners confessed that life had more structure in jail than outside (Smith, 2020). The program helps eradicate such problems. One should not find structure in jail. They should be able to adjust to society comfortably, and this is possible with the help of this program. Some of the causes of rearrest included substance abuse, relapse, petty theft and being involved in criminal activity. Most of the prisoners confessed to having found readjusting into society harder than they expected. They said they could not find jobs because of their records, which was highly demotivating. Housing was also a problem due to their record.

The program involves male and female adults who are in prison. The program has several programs that support them in reentering society. For example, there is the first program which involves sending the inmates to a cognitive restructuring program. The inmates are also given a specialist to work on a reentry plan (National Institute of Justice). Most inmates do not know what they want to do after they get out, and therefore having a specialist help them with the reentry plan is an excellent way to prepare them for what is coming. Most get out expecting life to continue from where it stopped, only to find things have changed and people have moved on without them. The specialist helps prepare for such eventualities. They also prepare them to accept the fact that they have a record, but it should not define them.

The program has literacy programs. There is much free time in prison, and therefore, it could be the perfect chance for inmates to improve their literacy skills. These skills could help them start something off after they are released. The literacy programs help them improve their skills even after they have been released. The job readiness program also gives them a chance at getting stable jobs and rebuilding their lives. Ex-offenders should not be released into society without preparation. The lack of preparation is what leads to them going back or committing bigger offences. This program will be helpful in this institution as it will reduce the amount of recidivism.

References

National Institute of Justice. Program Profile: Allegheny County (pa.) Jail-Based Reentry Specialist Program. https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/ratedprograms/494#ii

Smith, S. C. (2020). Predicting Recidivism Following Participation in Treatment/Intervention Programs for Ex-Offenders (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).

Zakaria, S. M., Jaafar, J. R., & Lazim, N. H. M. (2018). Employment issues among ex-offenders: Difficulties in securing employment and barriers of employment. International Journal for Studies on Children, Women, Elderly and Disabled, 5, 8-12.