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Punishment

In: Social Issues

Submitted By johnnyrotten
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How would you define punishment? How do the variations of punishment affect convicted criminals? What recommendations would you suggest regarding sentencing to help reduce recidivism rates?

Punishment is a penalty for wrongdoing. Punishment can come in many forms including a verbal warning, probation, monetary fines, or incarceration. The type of punishment in the criminal justice system depends on the crime committed as well as the background of the offender.
Convicted criminals may be less likely to commit the same offenses based on the punishments they are facing. If a criminal is facing life in prison, they may make the extra effort to avoid criminal activity. A criminal who is incarcerated and still participates in illegal activities faces further punishments that are meant to shock the inmate into following the rules. Additional time added to the criminal’s sentence, segregation, and loss of privileges are all possible outcomes a criminal faces for committing violations while incarcerated.
In order to reduce recidivism rates prison systems could begin programs that slowly introduce inmates back into a society like setting as the end of their sentence draws closer. When a criminal goes to jail they undergo changes to adapt to the prison system in order to survive. They get used to the rules of the prison system and become accustomed to the structure of when to eat, where to go, and how their day to day life functions. Once their sentence is finished they are often reintroduced to society with little knowledge of how to start over. Some inmates go to a halfway house that helps with the transition. Former inmates may revert back to old habits if they have too much time on their hands and are not closely monitored or given guidance on a daily basis. Some doctors and specialist believe that a combination of medicine and therapy with a slow introduction back

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