Essay Prison As A Last Resort - 2054 Words

To detain a person you are depriving them of their personal liberty (Findlay et al, 2000). The detention or imprisonment of offenders has been a consequence used for a variety of offences in society for hundreds of years. In recent times it has become such a frequently relied upon consequence that significant overcrowding in prisons has resulted (Findlay et al, 2000). In the 1990’s new implementations of rehabilitation were introduced to help ease the overcrowding in prisons. At this time, prison was utilised to the extent that the Queensland government adopted a strategy of â€Å"prison as a last resort†(Cavadino Dignan 2006). There are many pros and cons in using this strategy. This essay will consider both the pros and cons of this policy†¦show more content†¦The difference between juvenile and adult justice system is that the juvenile system caters for the juveniles needs, it looks beyond the crime that they have committed and looks more at what has brough t him/her here as an individual (McCord, Widom, Crowell, 2001). Detention centres are like prisons in that they deprive a person of their personal liberty (Findlay, Odgers Yeo, 2000). As with imprisonment of adults, this is intended to be a deterrent but it is also used as an avenue to rehabilitate offenders. Rehabilitation is facilitated by the offering of courses, to help the offender address his/her behaviour which society has labelled as â€Å"wrong† or inappropriate (Peterson, 1989; Shaffer, 1993). Therefore, a con of the strategy may be that the offenders are unable to access course that could assist them in rehabilitation. Another purpose of the detention centre for young people may be to shock them through the use of a military structure and to try and impress on them that they have done wrong (Munice, Hughes McLaughlin 2002). To support the policy there are different types of options that can be used instead of prison these can include boot camps, electric monitoring, intensive supervision probation, day centres, periodic detention and harsher alternatives include the following community service, community based order and fine option (White Perrone 2005). Boot camps are a short periodShow MoreRelatedPrison As A Last Resort2453 Words   |  10 PagesWhat is eliminated in prison is choice. What is encouraged is obedience. Bruno Bettelheim illustrated the result when he stated a prisoner had reached the final stage of adjustment to the camp situation when he had changed his personality so as to accept as his own the values of the Gestapo....Can one imagine a greater triumph for any system than this adoption of its values and behaviour by its powerless victims? Until choice can be freely exercised and caring behaviour encouraged, there canRead MoreShould The Prison Reform Be Used As A Last Resort?1760 Wor ds   |  8 Pages The percentage of women in prison, have increased over the years. Trusts such as the Prison Reform Trust, have a strong belief that prison should be used as a last resort. This dissertation will look to examine the main reasons behind the increase of female offenders in prison. It will also look to argue that in most cases, alternative sentences should be considered, rather than enforcing the custodial sentence. In March 2007, The Corston review, was publishes by Baroness Corston, regarding a reviewRead MoreJuvenile Offenders And The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe amendments that are controversial with stakeholders include S 299A permitting the publication of identifying information, the automatic transfer of 17 year olds in detention to adult correctional facilities and the removal of detention as a last resort in sentencing. 3.0 Review of Legal Issues 3.1 To permit the publication the publication of identifying information One of the amendments of the Act includes S 234 permission to publish identifying information of juvenile criminals. Where youngRead MoreSocial Welfare Policy Reading Essay : Solitary Confinement Essay1663 Words   |  7 Pagesdevastating consequences of the use of solitary confinement in prisons. Studies show that the method of solitary confinement has the potential to lead to severe psychological effects on prison inmates. To address the consequences of solitary confinement in the U.S. federal prison system, President Obama directed Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch as well as the Justice Department to review and analyze the overuse of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons. Six months later, on January 25th, 2016, President ObamaRead MoreThe Destructive And Wrongful Use Of Solitary Confinement1675 Words   |  7 PagesKoula ENG 4U1 September 30th, 2015 The Destructive and Wrongful Use of Solitary Confinement Very few prison systems and prison facilities use the term â€Å"solitary confinement:, instead referring to prison â€Å"segregation† or placement in â€Å"restrictive housing† (Solitary Watch, FAQ). Solitary confinement is the total isolation of inmates who are feared for being a â€Å"danger† to â€Å"society,† — the prison system itself - for 23 hours a day from days to even decades. Solitary confinement was established in theRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency Is The Highest Rate For Juvenile Crime1733 Words   |  7 Pagesthey treat juveniles in prison also differs. The punishments they receive, the programs they have and the privileges they offer are all different. So why does the U.S have the highest rate for juvenile crime? The United States has the highest rate for juvenile crime yet, like several other countries the U.S juvenile courts seeks to rehabilitate and discourage youthful offenders from criminal activity by having a variety of programs to help and using imprisonment as a last resort. Although children ofRead MorePunishment Vs Rehabilitation . Life Is Full Of Choices,1232 Words   |  5 Pageslevel of offence. This is what we call prison. We send people to prison to be punished, to prevent them from committing the crime again and to deter others from doing the same. Those are all valid reasons for incarceration, but I believe that after someone has broken the law, the optimal response should be attempting to help them turn away from their criminal lifestyle. There must be a consequence for breaking the law, so trying to get rid of every single prison on Earth is just naà ¯ve; but I believeRead MoreThe Effects Of Incarceration On The Brain Essay1493 Words   |  6 PagesIt is common knowledg e that the American prison system has grown exponentially in the last few decades. The prison population within the last forty years has risen by two million inmates. Multiple factors such as overcrowding and cost cutting have also decreased the quality of life within prisons by an order of magnitude. With this rising statistic, it becomes increasingly urgent to understand the effect of incarceration on our prisoners and whether the reformation process is actually doing moreRead MoreDeath Of The 19th Century947 Words   |  4 Pages Pentridge Prison, built in the 1850 in the north of Melbourne, housed Victoria’s most infamous criminals, which included; Russell Street Bomber Craig Minogue, 1920’s gangster Squizzy Taylor, Hoddle Street gunman Julian Knight and Mark ‘Chopper’ Reid. Pentridge Prisons history emphasizes the changes in crime, offending and punishment over its period of operation. By the end of the 20th century, Australia was less violent in comparison to the end of the 18th and 19th centuries. Crimes thatRead MoreThe Civil Law System And The United States Of America1460 Words   |  6 Pagesrecent years and is now considered to be one of the most corrupt nations in the world. This is due to the extremely high murder rate and the problems in drug trafficking. Ultimately, further examination of Venezuela’s laws, courts, law enforcement, and prison will help to better understand the differences in their criminal justice system and the United States of America. Venezuela is based on a civil law system, based on the Spanish civil code. The Venezuela Country risk report stated the following: