This resource provides a thumbnail description of 2018’s First Step Act. This Act’s purpose is to: improve criminal justice outcomes, reduce the size of the Federal prison population, and to create mechanisms to maintain public safety.
The First Step Act of 2018: An Overview [PDF]. (attached)
This resource provides a more detailed overview of the First Step Act’s effect on inmates and their families.
The United States has experienced a corrections explosion over the past 40 years, despite a decrease in serious crime during this same period. Consider statistics such as these. Since 1980, the:
Number of people on probation has increased by nearly 300%.
Prison population has increased by more than 400%.
Federal imprisonment rate has increased 500% (Schmalleger, 2021).
Even though we are in the midst of a period of mass incarceration in the United States, we know that incarceration doesn’t work. Consider this quote from the video, Psychology, Criminality, and Incarceration in America: “Prisons don’t work. People do not get corrected in today’s prisons. Convicts come out worse than when they went in and are even a greater threat to society than before” (Lary, 2010). The Bureau of Justice Statistics has evidence supporting this sentiment. The 2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism states an estimated:
68% of released prisoners were arrested within 3 years.
79% within 6 years.
83% within 9 years (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2018).
Instructions
After reviewing the resources provided in the overview, you are to write a 2–3 pages in which you:
Distinguish among the four functions of corrections: retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation.
Be sure to illustrate the distinctions with current and/or historical examples.
Summarize the arguments for and criticisms of each of the four corrections functions.
Explain the current state of each of the four corrections functions in the United States.
Select a minimum of three corrections improvements included in the Psychology, Criminality, and Incarceration in America video that appear promising and explain why you think so.
Sample Solution
Sample Solution
- Retribution is the idea that offenders should be punished for their crimes. This is based on the belief that people deserve to be punished for their wrongdoings. Retribution can take many forms, including imprisonment, fines, and community service.
- Deterrence is the idea that punishment can discourage people from committing crimes. This is based on the belief that people will be less likely to commit crimes if they know that they will be punished for doing so. Deterrence can be general, meaning that it discourages people from committing crimes in general, or specific, meaning that it discourages people from committing the same crime again.
- Incapacitation is the idea that punishment can prevent offenders from committing further crimes. This is based on the belief that offenders who are in prison cannot commit crimes outside of prison. Incapacitation can be achieved through imprisonment, but it can also be achieved through other means, such as electronic monitoring or chemical castration.
- Rehabilitation is the idea that punishment can be used to help offenders change their behavior and become law-abiding citizens. This is based on the belief that offenders can be helped to understand the consequences of their actions and to develop the skills they need to live law-abiding lives. Rehabilitation can be achieved through a variety of programs, such as counseling, education, and job training.
These four functions are often seen as competing goals, and there is no consensus on which one is most important. Some people believe that retribution is the most important function, while others believe that deterrence is the most important function. Still others believe that rehabilitation is the most important function.
The relative importance of these four functions is likely to vary depending on the specific crime, the offender, and the community. For example, a serious crime like murder may be seen as requiring retribution, while a less serious crime like shoplifting may be seen as more amenable to rehabilitation. Similarly, an offender with a long history of crime may be seen as requiring incapacitation, while an offender who is new to the criminal justice system may be seen as more amenable to rehabilitation.
Ultimately, the decision of which function of corrections is most important is a complex one that must be made on a case-by-case basis.
