Recidivism reduction is necessary in the criminal justice system

Recidivism in the criminal justice system is a huge problem that needs to be addressed. This term means that a person is convicted of a crime and then falls right back into his or her old ways and ends up facing charges again.

While the person who is involved in the criminal justice system has to decide that a change is necessary, there is a need for that person to be able to access resources that will help him or her get on the right path and stay on it.

One issue that people face when they are coming out of time in jail or prison is that they often need to restart life. This includes obtaining all of the basics that adults need, which include a government issued photo identification, a job, a place to live and transportation. It isn’t likely that a person will be able to get all of these from one program; however, having resources to help with some of them is imperative.

It might also be necessary for a person to get help for a drug or alcohol addiction. Having these services readily available for people who have served time in prison or jail can help to make this possible, but these services can’t come at high costs since these individuals usually don’t have the means to pay for them.

With the criminal justice system being so focused on punishing criminal acts, it is necessary for steps to be taken to help these individuals find their way. This might need to start with evaluations for the presence of key recidivism risks. From there, the person could work with the appropriate services to get help.

Source: The Council of State Governments, “Principles of Recidivism Reduction,” accessed Aug. 09, 2017

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