Upon their release from prison, most offenders find it difficult to adjust to their new environment due to harsh conditions experienced while in prison, leading to recidivism (Wilson, et al., 2000).
It has often been said that it is easier to at times take matters into one’s own hands so as to serve the justice deserved by criminal offenders (Camhi, 1989). Currently, the number of crimes being reported in the United States alone is rising at a seriously alarming rate, despite the reports that the police and justice departments are doing their best to curb crime. Research shows that there are up to 900 new inmates each week in United States prisons (Wilson, et al., 2000)!
And as if to make matters worse, society is starting to lose confidence in the judicial system with criminal offenders having to go scot-free by the end of the day due to either lack of enough incriminating evidence or bribing their way out (Camhi, 1989). The United States has more prisoners than any other state which includes China (Ibid, 1989).
In prisons themselves, their conditions have been said to either be intolerable or unbearable due to factors like poor sanitation as well as poor diet. Rehabilitative programs as well as re-introduction to society programs seem to no longer be effective due to reports of recidivism by the offenders, once they are released into the society (Wilson, et al., 2000).
In this paper, we will focus on San Quentin State prison, based in California, USA, where we will discuss factors such as current conditions of the prison, proposals, and approaches to help protect the public, the purpose of the prison, and others as well as rehabilitative programs in San Quentin to ensure that prisoners do not re-offend upon their release (Camhi, 1989).
San Quentin state prison is a prison that first opened its services to the public in 1852 (Wilson, et al., 2000). It is a maximum state prison holding male-only offenders with its location in California, San Quentin city in the United States (Camhi, 1989). It also holds a capacity of about 3300 prisoners and inmates on death row are executed through lethal injection as well as lethal gas (Wilson, et al., 2000).
San Quentin state prison is famously known for holding inmates such as Stanley “Tookie” Williams as well as housing prison gangs which include Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme (Wilson, et al., 2000).
Before San Quentin prison came into existence, prisoners used to be detained on prison ships known as Waban which could hold a capacity of 68 inmates (Camhi, 1989). But due to prisoners being able to escape aboard the ship as well as overcrowding, the legal system of California decided to construct a more permanent and stable structure (Ibid, 1989). A 20-acre piece of land was then purchased and using prison labor, construction began in 1852 to be completed 2 years later, in 1854 (Wilson, et al., 2000). Both males and females were detained in San Quentin state prison up until 1932 where a California Institution for Women was built (Camhi, 1989). Torture was also used as a form of interrogation of inmates but was banned in the year 1944 (Wilson, et al., 2000). San Quentin State Prison is the oldest faculty known, having operated for 150 years up until now.
The San Quentin state prison and prisons alike within the US justice system serve various purposes which include making sure that recidivism among inmates does not occur, once released into the society (Camhi, 1989). They also ensure that prisoners acquire skills with which to use within the society once set free, for instance, the inclusion of rehabilitative programs and education while in prison. As a result, ex-inmates become an effective and productive part of society (Wilson, et al., 2000).
Most prisons in the United States are targeted for investment purposes. For instance companies such as Dell, Motorola, and AT & T invest in various prisons due to the availability of labor (Camhi, 1989). An assembly plant near the border in Mexico is also said to have closed down and relocated to San Quentin State prison (Wilson, et al., 2000). In return, inmates earn wages ranging between 50 cents and $2 per hour. Per month, they can manage to save up to $300 and send this money to their families (Camhi, 1989).
On the other hand, prisons also serve the purpose of business institutions. For instance, if overcrowding occurs in one prison, another prison may offer to ‘import’ inmates mostly the worst ones, at a rate of a maximum of $5.50 per day and per bed (Camhi, 1989). By the end of it all, the county is paid $1.50 for each of the prisoners renting a cell for a specified period of time (Wilson, et al., 2000).
Cases and reports of bad conditions in prisons are not new to society and there have been numerous reports concerning current conditions in prisons in the United States. Overexploitation of prison labor, poor sanitation, overcrowding, officer brutality, prisoner violence as well as physical and sexual abuse among inmates is some of the harsh conditions experienced in San Quentin prison and prisons alike (Wilson, et al., 2000).
For inmates, survival is the main challenge faced. The Colorado State Penitentiary is known to house the most disruptive as well as dangerous inmates (Camhi, 1989). They are normally locked up in cells for up to 23 hours per day without any human contact having poor ventilation facilities (Wilson, et al., 2000). The food in most prisons is not to be desired and most inmates suffer from either malnutrition due to lack of proper feeding patterns or indigestion problems (Camhi, 1989). Health issues are also some of the factors comprising bad conditions in San Quentin and other prisons alike (Wilson, et al., 2000).
Another factor leading to bad conditions not only in San Quentin but in other prisons as well is inmate violence, usually brought about by the presence of inmate gangs inside prisons (Camhi, 1989). In San Quentin state prison, serious tension exists between two gang groups, namely the Aryan Brotherhood gang which comprises mostly of Caucasian males, and the Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme which comprises mostly of Hispanics (Wilson, et al., 2000). As a result of this tension, violent fights leading to injuries among inmates occur.
Communication with the outside world is yet another condition or rather barrier experienced in San Quentin and other prisons alike (Wilson, et al., 2000). Inmates normally do not get the privilege of cell phones or receiving letters from their families. Most of them end up bribing or fulfilling ‘certain favors’ with the prison guards so as to be able to communicate with the outside world (Camhi, 1989). This is where cases of sexual abuse also arise not only between prison guards and inmates but also among the inmates themselves (Camhi, 1989). The ‘stronger’ inmates often take advantage of the ‘weak’ ones.
Racism and discrimination is a common condition experienced in most prisons (Wilson, et al., 2000). The presence of or formation of prison gangs, as in the case of San Quentin State prison, is evidenced enough of this fact. Inmates get into minute rows and disagreements with fellow inmates, especially those belonging to a minority group, for instance, blacks or Hispanics, creating huge unnecessary fights among inmates (Camhi, 1989). Injuries and at times death result from such confrontations (Wilson, et al., 2000).
Recidivism is whereby an ex-inmate falls back on his previous criminal behavior or act, despite having gone through rehabilitative programs (Camhi, 1989). Society might tend to nurture the notion that harsher confinement or sentences are likely to reduce recidivism (Wilson, et al., 2000). But the truth of the matter is that, on the contrary, it all depends on the level of the offense. For instance, the offender sentenced with a higher and more serious crime like say murder, rape, or robbery with violence, is more than likely to be rearrested after a period of time following his release (Camhi, 1989). This is because once they are in the society and mingles with it for some time they realize that it is difficult for people to accept them once again as part of their society, due to the negative reputation (Wilson, et al., 2000). This in turn results in low self-esteem and lack of worthiness, hence recidivism occurs, with the ex-inmate relieved to be going back to what he has been used to – the prison (Camhi, 1989).
A recent study showed that almost 68% of inmates released back into society re-offended within three years (Camhi, 1989). Some of the reasons for this fact are that due to hardships faced or experienced while serving their prison sentences, most inmates hold bitterness and grudges in their hearts despite undergoing rehabilitative programs. They then tend to go back to their old criminal ways after a year or so (Ibid, 1989).
Due to the above factors, the judicial system has reverted to introducing various programs that seek to reduce recidivism in modern prisons and San Quentin. These programs tend to help inmates adjust to society as well as enhance their learned skills while in prison (Camhi, 1989). The San Quentin state prison, for instance, offers programs like Yoga courses, violent prevention courses as well as counseling programs that encourage men to open up and share their feelings (Wilson, et al., 2000). Sports programs such as basketball and soccer are also becoming a common rehabilitative program, charged with not only enhancing the physical fitness of the inmates but also as a form of releasing tension (Camhi, 1989).
Professional artists have also been recruited in San Quentin as well as other prisons to help teach art to inmates (Wilson, et al., 2000). A good example is given of the introduction of art in prisons way back in 1953, of Alfredo Santos who painted six, 20-foot sepia-toned murals that hung in the dining hall (Camhi, 1989). Another such program is the Prison Arts Project introduced by Elois Smith (Wilson, et al., 2000). The program has been successful in that it allows inmates to freely express themselves through both painting and photography. As a result, the inmates’ self-esteem and general perspective of the world are greatly affected in a positive way (Camhi, 1989). Inmates are taught self-discipline, creativity as well as self-expression through art. They in turn feel respected that their opinion matters hence resort to changing their bad behaviors and attitudes (Wilson, et al., 2000).
Unfortunately, there is no re-introduction to society programs offered in San Quentin and most of the other prisons in the United States (Camhi, 1989). This has been a major setback for both the inmates about to be set free into the society and the society as a whole. Since the prisoners are not coached on how to deal with neglect expected from society, most of them form negative attitudes and develop low self-esteem, resulting in cases of recidivism (Wilson, et al., 2000). Despite having gone through most of the rehabilitative programs while in prison, nothing prepares the inmates for the challenges ahead upon their release into the world (Camhi, 1989).
Understandably, re-introduction to society can prove to be quite disorienting for the offenders, especially those who have served long terms of say 20 years and above. Such inmates have little or no clue whatsoever of the upcoming modern technology since there have not been respective programs offered while in prison to prepare them for the changes (Wilson, et al., 2000). Once outside the prison walls, coping proves difficult hence most of them resulting in re-offending and preferring to go back to what they are used to – the prison walls (Camhi, 1989).
Due to the bad publicity concerning inmates, their intended release from prison often causes panic in society (Camhi, 1989). It is also not so easy for the prisoner who is to be released either. Therefore both the government together with the judicial system has considered certain approaches in preparing and protecting both the public and the prisoner upon the latter’s release (Wilson, et al., 2000). New proposals have also been set aside to help protect the public and ensure that a prisoner does not re-offend upon release.
Lack of vocational training, lack of education, unmet health needs as well as lack of both life and parenting skills are some of the major challenges met by inmates once they are released into society (Wilson, et al., 2000). Other factors such as lack of proper housing as well as lack of employment lead to recidivism among the prisoners upon their release, hence becoming a barrier to successful re-entry into the society (Camhi, 1989). Upon their release, prisoners are expected to immediately find jobs as well as living quarters, learn the basic skills of life that they might not have acquired while in prison, and maintain stable structured lives (Wilson, et al., 2000).
Approaches such as educating the public on employment readiness, involvement of family members and relatives as well as law enforcement information would help lower the rate of recidivism and improve reentry success rates among inmates to the society (Camhi, 1989). The appointment of re-entry coordinators whose responsibility will be that of overseeing all state reentry efforts as well as form community-based groups to help with the ex-inmates should also be considered as an approach towards protecting the public as well as reducing recidivism (Ibid, 1989).
Due to the inmates’ history which includes drug and substance abuse, rape, murder, and/or lack of housing among others, the public would be very reluctant in considering them for positions of job offers or tenancy (Camhi, 1989). That is why proposals such as job training and placement, specialized reentry services for juveniles and ex-inmates, regional vocational training centers as well as pre-release planning ought to be considered and introduced both in prisons and to the public (Wilson, et al., 2000). Counseling programs should also be offered to ensure the stability of the ex-offenders and assist them in becoming productive members of society (Ibid, 2000).
Plans concerned with individual integration into the public should be enabled. Special institutions should also be created to monitor the development of inmates during incarceration (Camhi, 1989). Housing as well as benefits acquisition needs to be considered as an approach to be addressed and applied just before a prisoner’s release (Wilson, et al., 2000). In this way, once mingled with the society, the ex-offender will be able to adjust and hence reduce the possibility of re-committing an offense (Ibid, 2000).
Upon their release from prison, most offenders find it difficult to adjust to their new environment due to harsh conditions experienced while in prison, leading to recidivism. In conclusion, the government, judicial system, local authorities, and the public, in general, ought to consider the above-mentioned approaches and proposals and apply them appropriately.
This will ensure positive and effective reintegration of ex-offenders, leading them into managing productive, positive, and successful lives.
References
Camhi, Morrie. (1989). The Prison Experience. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Co. Inc.
Wilson, David B, et al. (2000). A Meta-Analysis of Corrections-Based Education, Vocation, and Work Programs for Adult Offenders. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 37, no. 4: 347–368.