Recidivism rates have also risen due to officials focusing on the punishment value of prison sentencing and abandoning efforts to change behaviors. Surprisingly, non-violent offenders have particularly high recidivism rates. According to the most recent Bureau of Statistics, one quarter “of the felony defendants in the 75 largest counties were charged with a violent offense, and about three-fourths were charged with a nonviolent offense” (Warren, 2007, p.10).
Change of Policies
There is strong evidence that adopting treatment and rehabilitation programs would decrease recidivism rates and promote the formation of healthy behavioral habits in criminals. The biggest barrier to adopting these changes however, is the absence of financial support for state prison programs. Yet, some states are making strides towards moving forward in this area (Warren, 2007).
For instance, in 2003, Oregon adopted a statute stating that the Oregon Department of Corrections must do the following:
An evidence-based program is defined as “treatment or intervention program or service . . . that is intended to reduce the propensity of a person to commit crimes . . .” (Warren, 2007, p.67).
Washington state legislature has also indicated interest in removing barriers from the use of evidence-based practices when treating criminals with mental illness or chemical dependency. The Washington State Institute for Public Policy was directed to study the net short and long-run fiscal savings to the state of Washington and the local government if evidence-based practices were used in these cases. The findings indicated a substantial savings could be made – $1.5 billion in net benefits and a 15% to 22% decrease in incidence of these disorders if the changes in policies went forward (Warren, 2007).
Scotland is also undergoing a restructure of their penal system – the largest in 25 years. The country is revising their policies on punishment by using very short prison sentences; between 75% and 80% of custodial prison sentences are for six months or less for those prisoners with less serious offences. The Scottish government is focused on changing the country’s sentencing culture to one of less prison time and more community-based service, which includes support for change and reintegration efforts. The Scottish Prisons Commission’s philosophy is that “turning one’s life around” is one of the best ways of paying back society (Schinkel & Whyte, 2012).
The Wise Group’s Routes out of Prison (RooP) project operates in over 200 locations in Scotland and North East England. The project is an initiative that explores ways to help short-term prisoners transition to the outside world; life coaches are used to support prisoners during this time. Interestingly, the life coaches are peer support workers – other prisoners who had similar addictions or offences, or who live in areas of high social deficiency. Prisoners who sign up for the project meet with their coaches twice a week while imprisoned and continue to have contact with the coach after release to maintain support. The Life Coach links the client to other community services; in addition, the client can be referred to employment consultants who are signed up with the RooP project (Schinkel & Whyte, 2012).
As one can see from the examples above, changes to prison reform policies are currently taking place around the globe. The potential benefits of rehabilitation programs are being realized and embraced. Life coaching is beginning to be seen as a viable way of supporting prisoners on their journey toward establishing a new life. Hopefully, these changes in policies are representative of a new way of managing prisoner reform throughout the world.