Halden prison, located in Norway, is often seen as an illustration of an exemplary penitentiary that meets the major goal of the entire correctional system. The country has one of the lowest recidivism rates globally, and such correctional facilities as Halden prison are believed to be central factors to achieving such success (Labutta, 2017). The prison is characterized by a focus on rehabilitation rather than retribution.
The facility’s architecture and layout resemble a healthcare center with a wide range of different activities for inmates, including playing sports games and yoga (Kirby, 2019). Some American prisons try to adopt a similar approach and establish a therapeutic rather than punitive environment (Janzer, 2019). It is necessary to note that such incentives have led to certain improvements and resulted in a decrease in the recidivism rate in certain locations.
However, the long-term effects of such programs, as well as their cost-effectiveness, are unclear and require thorough examination. At that, it is clear that such prisons need considerably larger funding compared to other American correctional facilities (Kirby, 2019). The financial aspect of the issue is one of the most sensitive topics related to the discussion of the correctional system due to the overall financial situation in the country.
Another problem of the American incarceration system refers to the dramatic increase in the number of prisoners, of which more than half have substance abuse problems. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers various programs that help offenders to identify their recovery needs and treatment options (Ray, Grommon, Buchanan, Brown, & Watson, 2017). However, the goal of such programs should be associated with the opportunity to reintegrate into the community after release.
Therefore, the prison-based programs to address drug abuse should be similar to those that are offered to criminals after they start receiving community-based services. Ray et al. (2017) state that less than 10 percent of prisoners have access to such services, which is likely to increase recidivism. The solution for this problem can be based on the cooperation between correctional agencies, prisons, and local communities to ensure ongoing substance abuse treatment. It should be stressed that the effectiveness of the suggested approach is controversial, and further research should be conducted.
One of the effective strategies to address recidivism that are not associated with substantial investment is the use of diverse cognitive-behavioral programs. Van Der Linden (2015) explores the impact of green prison projects on recidivism and claims that these strategies are associated with a reduction of recidivism rates. Prisoners are involved in various gardening activities and vocational initiatives. Therefore, such programs address several aspects of the problem.
On the one hand, these incentives equip inmates with the interpersonal skills necessary for effective reintegration into society. On the other hand, prisoners receive specific skills and experience that enable them to obtain employment, which tends to be critical in many cases.
It has been acknowledged that these two aspects (interpersonal interaction and employment) are central to the development of projects aimed at reducing recidivism. Hall, Harger, and Stansel (2015) claim that economic and labor market freedom negatively correlates with recidivism. In states with increasing economic and especially labor market freedom, the rate of recidivism is decreasing. Former inmates use any opportunity to get a proper job and be able to provide for themselves or their families. When they fail to achieve this goal, they often re-offend, which leads to overpopulation in American prisons. New vocational skills received during inmates’ stay in a correctional facility are instrumental in becoming more efficient economically, which reduces the rate of these people’s recidivism.
Inmate education policies exist in many prisons to teach knowledge and skills they need to communicate, find a job, and assimilate in society in general. The underlying reason for introducing educational programs is the direct link between recidivism and a lack of education and employment. For example, Duwe (2017) notes that more than two-thirds of inmates entering the prisons of Minnesota are uneducated, having no basic or higher education. In closed prisons of Finland, the therapization of offenders includes vocational, adult, and general education programs (Mertanen & Brunila, 2018).
Most importantly, the theory of employability is given great attention as it is regarded that education promotes the ideas of freedom and integration into society. In addition to subjects learned, education should involve emotional response and coaching from a teacher so that inmates can feel like part of the community. These assumptions are especially relevant for young offenders, who are not yet aware of their own life choices (Mertanen & Brunila, 2018). Accordingly, therapeutic education should also focus on discussing self-reliance, self-esteem, thinking patterns, responsibility, and emotions.
Organizational climate and harmony in prisons mean the minimization of emotional-person conflicts between inmates and across departments, staff, and management. Among the key reasons for conflicts, it is possible to mention interracial and intercultural conflicts along with stigmas, which compromise the stability of the therapeutic environment. Blagden, Winder, and Hames (2016) state that the appropriate environment that encourages rehabilitation is especially important for sexual offenders facing stigma. The mentioned authors suggest the implementation of sex offender treatment programs (SOTPs), the main purpose of which is to design a positive environment.
Positive staff relationships with prisoners as well as safe surroundings are found by Blagden et al. (2016) as the crucial factors affecting the decrease in sex offender reconvictions. However, the evidence still lacks empirical research on the prison environment and change-related experiences. Nevertheless, the identified study presents valuable insights on the potentially positive outcome of setting-based offender rehabilitation.
In prisons, technology impacts the style and outcome of the rehabilitation process. According to the transformational theory, inmates can be considered to be the so-called “industrial material” in the sense that their behaviors can be intentionally changed for the better to return them to society (Moran & Jewkes, 2015). For example, transformational technology can be used to punish or reward an inmate in consistence with social expectations. In this case, technology is perceived as the instrument to change a human product, which includes community corrections, vocational training, inmate self-government, participatory training, and so on.
From the point of innovative technology that is largely integrated into the modern world, prisons need to be equipped with relevant equipment for gardening, schooling, and other rehabilitative activities. One of the assumptions refers to the physical layout, in which cameras create a sense of artificiality of the environment (Moran & Jewkes, 2015). Instead, technological advancements should be used to offer the place for a full range of activities, stimulate relationships between staff and prisoners, and adjust living conditions.
The very nature of transforming the punitive system from punishment to rehabilitation implies the correction in the thinking and behavior of inmates. In correctional facilities, therapeutic community interventions can use peer support to develop pro-social attitudes in prisoners and help in understanding their offenses. The aftercare program can serve as the option for the continuous focus of the justice system on a particular person, thus minimizing his or her recidivism attempts. The correction goals can be achieved by means of employing the exchange of more recreational or personal time for avoiding substances.
While some studies demonstrate a moderate reduction in the level of repeated crimes, others report that little is known about the long-term impacts of therapeutic interventions (Blagden et al., 2016; Mertanen & Brunila, 2018). The practical implementation of the identified interventions is needed to either confirm or reject their expected positive impact on recidivism decrease. It should also be stressed that the factors affecting recidivism should be taken into account in combination: along with the system issues, the personal characteristics of inmates matter.
Another important factor associated with recidivism is the offenders’ personal characteristics. People’s age, gender, race (white), and ethnicity have proved to be predictors of violent recidivism (Piquero, Jennings, Diamond, & Reingle, 2015).
Clearly, these features define the way prisoners interact with others when in prison or after their release. The lack of communication skills and improper behavior results in offense or re-offense. Therefore, cognitive behavioral therapy groups have gained momentum in the U.S. correctional system. Inmates are trained to interact with others in diverse settings, as well as choose the most appropriate behavioral model. Mpofu, Athanasou, Rafe, and Belshaw (2018) state that cognitive-behavioral therapy implemented in different forms has a positive effect on the prevention of reoffence.
Therefore, although the establishment of prisons similar to the Halden facility still needs detailed analysis and preparation, it is possible to shift the focus from retribution to rehabilitation. The development and implementation of cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with vocational projects should become common in American prisons. These incentives need to be evidence-based and appropriate for different groups of inmates, depending on their age, gender, race, and ethnicity (Piquero et al., 2015). Vocational programs must become an indispensable part of correctional activities since they will potentially enable former inmates to reintegrate into society more effectively and rapidly.
Another critical factor to consider when creating rehabilitation projects is the involvement of the community. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is often associated with linking people to their communities, which is beneficial for former prisoners (Mpofu et al., 2018). Inmates, their families, their neighbors, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders can be invited to contribute to the development of such programs. It is possible to use some elements of the initiatives employed in other countries, such as Norway. Clearly, these projects should be adapted to the American setting. The collaboration of non-governmental organizations and policymakers is critical as well.
Finally, the establishment of the therapeutic environment in U.S. prisons is unlikely to happen with the involvement of the public. Americans should be properly informed about the current trends in the correctional systems of the country, as well as possible improvements and expected implications. Communities must be prepared to participate in programs actively, and people should be ready to change their attitudes as the focus on retribution is still present in American society.
References
Blagden, N., Winder, B., & Hames, C. (2016). “They treat us like human beings”—Experiencing a therapeutic sex offenders prison: Impact on prisoners and staff and implications for treatment. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 60(4), 371-396.
Duwe, G. (2017). The use and impact of correctional programming for inmates on pre-and post-release outcomes. US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. Web.
Hall, J., Harger, K., & Stansel, D. (2015). Economic freedom and recidivism: Evidence from US States. International Advances in Economic Research, 21(2), 155-165. Web.
Janzer, C. (2019). North Dakota reforms its prisons, Norwegian style. U. S. News. Web.
Kirby, E. (2019). How Norway turns criminals into good neighbours. BBC. Web.
Labutta, E. (2017). The prisoner as one of us: Norwegian wisdom for American penal practice. Emory International Law Review, 31(2), 229-359.
Mertanen, K., & Brunila, K. (2018). Prison break. Education of young adults in closed prisons—Building a bridge from prison to civil society?. Education Inquiry, 9(2), 155-171.
Moran, D., & Jewkes, Y. (2015). Linking the carceral and the punitive state: A review of research on prison architecture, design, technology and the lived experience of carceral space. Annales de Géographie, 2, 163-184.
Mpofu, E., Athanasou, J. A., Rafe, C., & Belshaw, S. H. (2018). Cognitive-behavioral therapy efficacy for reducing recidivism rates of moderate- and high-risk sexual offenders: A scoping systematic literature review. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62(1), 170-186. Web.
Piquero, A. R., Jennings, W. J., Diamond, B., & Reingle, J. M. (2015). A systematic review of age, sex, ethnicity, and race as predictors of violent recidivism. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 59(1), 5-26. Web.
Ray, B., Grommon, E., Buchanan, V., Brown, B., & Watson, D. P. (2017). Access to recovery and recidivism among former prison inmates. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 61(8), 874-893.
Van Der Linden, S. (2015). Editorial: Green prison programmes, recidivism and mental health: A primer. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 25(1), 338-342.