Are three months of boot camp better than five years in prison?
The time spent in a boot camp might be better than the time spent in prison. The prior might be better for the reason that it helps the person become more organized and benefit the society (Jones, 2012). The prison, on the contrary, might cause mental breakdowns in the individual and cultivate the characteristics that should have been eliminated. The hard work done in the boot camp is ethically correct and incorrect at the same time. If we take a close look at the example of Greg Yance, we will see what kind of transformation people may come through in a boot camp (Rimer, 1993). It is rather reasonable to believe that prisons might transform people as well, but they are recurrently viewed at through the prism of negative connotation. This may be connected to the fact that the inmates would only elicit the bad out of a person instead of motivating him or her to do good things. This is why it is safe to say that the time spent in a boot camp is better than the time spent in prison.
Hard work as a component of community-based corrections
I believe that the hard work should be a component of community-based corrections. There has always been controversy concerning the free labor exploitation when it came to the boot camps (Jones, 2012). Nonetheless, there are numerous advantages that are integral to the hard work that is done by the prisoners in the boot camps. First, this helps the inmates become more collected and work in a team. The example of Greg Yance showed us how the hard work made him a true leader and revealed in him the leadership skills that finally helped him find a job when he left the boot camp (Rimer, 1993). He developed positive qualities and learned that he should never give up. On a bigger scale, all of the above would not have happened if Yance had chosen to do time in the prison.
Ways to stop the discrimination
The first way is empowering the inmates and helping them get the required help during their stay in prison. The government should be fully responsible for this mechanism. The main objective of such strategy would be turning prisons into the places where people are directed and encouraged to behave rightly instead of endorsing penitentiaries as condemnation hubs (Gültekin, 2012). The second way is to pay more attention to the human rights. All employers should take into account the prison reorganization which is needed to certify that the human rights principle is appreciated, the human rights of inmates are protected, and their projections for social rehabilitation are improved (Mackenzie, 2012). All these steps should be done in compliance with pertinent global ethics and norms.
Recidivism as one of the causes of the discrimination
The problem of recidivism has repeatedly been discussed by the authorities. The issue lies in the fact that it is rather hard for the former inmates to reintegrate into the social order. Mostly, this happens for the reason that the society is not ready to accept the fact that the former inmates might have transformed. On the other hand, the struggle is real because some of the prisoners never change. What is even worse, there is no way to predict the incidence of recidivism in the reformed inmates.
References
Gültekin, K. (2012). Is juvenile boot camp policy effective? International Journal of Human Sciences, 1(22), 725-740. Web.
Jones, J. (2012). A multi-state analysis of correctional boot camp outcomes: Identifying vocational rehabilitation as a complement to shock incarceration. Student Pulse, 3(21), 34-46.
Mackenzie, D. (2012). Challenges of conducting field experiments in correctional settings: Boot camp prison study as an example. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 8(3), 289-306. Web.
Rimer, S. (1993). Did Time. Fought Flood. Willing to Work. Web.