Rehabilitation

The post war era brought new hope in many areas of life, including the penal system. Economic growth was accompanied by an optimistic view of life and, at the same time, major advances were made by the social sciences in understanding human behavior and social interaction. These influences reached into the closed prison system but were also the predominant force behind the development of alternative methods of dealing with offenders. The use of probation and parole came into their own as viable alternatives to incarceration. As mentioned, however, the major change that occurred was again in the prison setting where the social science influence resulted in the development of treatment programs in support of “rehabilitative ideals.” These efforts were extensive and buoyed up by the optimism that human behavior and attitudes could be changed, if only enough of the right treatment was provided.

Two major problems plagued these efforts. One was that the prison setting itself was so overwhelmingly negative that it was hardly the environment in which rehabilitation could effectively occur. Secondly, the treatment modalities were essentially paternalistic, making the offender the object, rather than the subject, of treatment.

While such treatment activities continue to some degree at present and are useful in many respects, they can no longer be held up as the means by which offenders will be rehabilitated and returned “whole” to society upon release from custody. The rehabilitative notion as the major focus of prison programs has therefore been largely abandoned and in an age of fiscal restraint is unlikely to be resurrected. In any case, practitioners agree that the best prospects for rehabilitation will occur in the context of community based programs.

Notes:

treatment – 1) режим, обращение, обхождение 2) лечение 3) некарательное воздействие на преступников; исправление преступников

viable – жизнеспособный

buoy – поддерживать на поверхности

modality- модальность (отлат. modus— размер, способ, образ) в разных предметных областях — категория, характеризующая способ действия или отношение к действию

paternalistic – отеческий

uponreleasefromcustody– после освобождения из заключения

abandon– зд. забыть

fiscalrestraint– финансовые ограничения

to resurrect – восстанавливать

Reintegration

If there is a coherent concept that can describe the present day philosophy of corrections, it is the reintegration of the offender into society. While this often refers to the process of the offender’s return to the community from incarceration, it can also include any attempt to facilitate the resolution of conflict, provide opportunity for reparation or amends to the victim, instill a sense of responsibility through community service or, indeed, provide treatment aimed at removing or alleviating the causes of crime.

The mandate of correctional administrators, then, focuses more specifically on the provision of opportunities in which reintegrative efforts can be carried out and on motivating offenders to utilize those opportunities. Admittedly, the most effective use of such opportunities are limited in prison, though temporary absences are often used with good effect for motivated inmates to take advantage of such programs in the community. Involvement in such activities are intended to instill and enhance a sense of responsibility on the part of the offender both toward himself and others. The penalty of the court is represented essentially in the loss of freedom implicit in the prison term or the obligations or conditions placed on the offender. The objective is to provide opportunities in which the offender can exercise a reasonable degree of decision making, thereby enhancing personal responsibility and accountability. “Responsibility cannot be acquired intellectually, but only through experience.”

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