Reply #1: Rehabilitation of criminals is desirable, but a pipe dream. [View All]

Why do I say that?

Having worked in the corrections system, I have observed first-hand the conditions inmates are subjected to on a daily basis. I'll not bore you with a description of everyday life behind bars except to say that the inmates themselves are responsible for a great deal of the restrictions and depravations they endure because of their constant attempts to cause mischief and mayhem with any and all materials available to them. "Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile" is an incredibly accurate phrase when it comes to inmates liberties.

Having said that, there is a sort of brainwashing that occurs constantly within the inmate population of any institution. The most common line I heard was, "We didn't do anything everyone else hasn't done. We just got caught." This line, repeated incessantly throught the day and night over a period of months or years becomes ingrained as absolute truth to most convicts.

Another one that is at the top of the list is: "I'll never be able to get a job after I get out, so why not go back to (insert crime here) so I can live how I want?"

Try this one, it's one of the most common: "I'm gonna get even with (insert victim, witness, LEO, CO, etc. here) for putting me in here as soon as I get out.

Unless you've witnessed it, the level of us (inmates) vs. them (law abiding society) is greater than you will ever see elsewhere.

We used to have underground pools predicting recidivism among the staff. They weren't "if" pools, but "when" pools. We rarely ( I can recall but one in two years - my mentor recalled 2 in 29 years) had a released inmate who did not return to the system.

I don't have a solution to recidivism/rehabilitation. I'm merely stating my experience.

FInal thought: Perhaps one of the reasons so many ex-cons/formerly arrested get dead is because they tend to continue with the bullying tactics they learned in gangs or behind bars.