Prison Systems free essay sample

Should prison inmates be allowed to take college courses? Prison inmates should be allowed to take college courses as education plays a vital role in rehabilitation, Job opportunities, improves life skills and increases the self- esteem and confidence of inmates once released from prison. College courses would assist in the process of proper decision making and the chance to become positive role models (for ex-convicts and the communities of which they reside and eradicate the rate of poverty and unemployment. By providing educational programs such as the college courses in prisons it would decrease the rate of prison population and decrease the crime rate. Prisoners upon completion of their college courses would be re-accepted into South African communities. Prisoners also build a solid foundation of providing a sense of hope for themselves and a second chance at starting a better life. College courses would also improve the reading and writing skills, ability to make informed decisions and access information easily. These inmate educational facilities vive South African authorities the chance to design technology and incorporate these college course programs in prisons and also including a variety of persons who are willing to obtain degrees. Re-integrated programs are available that assist ex-convicts in obtaining Jobs, as well as reducing the possibility of becoming a repeat offender. This demonstrates the counter-productive effect that political influence can have on efforts to combat crime and improve the quality of education in South Africa. Access to these good quality educational programs whilst in prison imposes many advantages for the prison inmates and the South African communities thereof. Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in in shaping prison inmates during and after imprisonment. According to studies conducted at the Harvard University, education ranks in the highest form of rehabilitation for prisoners as compared to other facilities such as counseling. Rehabilitation provides prison inmates with a solid foundation, equipping them with the necessary skills and tools to start over. It is also evident that prison inmates and ex-convicts increase their self-confidence enabling hem to form a rigid self-esteem body and allowing change to take place. College courses in prisons would assist inmates with the skills of proper decision making. Buckley (2013), who is serving a 10 year sentence at Westfield prison, stated that education allows one to think critically and make better decisions on what is deemed to be acceptable in South African law and societies. Prisoners are Judged negatively by their communities once they have been released that they feel unmotivated and resort to crime as a solution. Most prison inmates come from an unstable community, where the crime, poverty and unemployment rates are high, therefore causing the community to degrade and be little those who have been previously and currently convicted. Further tertiary education equips persons with the necessary qualifications and tools to obtain employment, meeting the required format of employment requirements. South Africa rate of poverty and unemployment, individuals who take college courses whilst in prison improve their chances to attaining and keeping their employment period, thus reduce the rate to unemployment and poverty. Political influence on efforts to combat crime in South Africa may do so with the implementation of educational facilities in prisons as they are very rare in South Africans prisons today. Fighting against crime with use of tertiary education would be successful because this hinders ex-offenders of becoming repeat offenders. According to Kenneth, (2012), education is a fundamental tool in fighting the battle of crime. Furthermore, this reduces the rate of up to 0. 5% for every three prison inmate who was to receive the opportunity to take up a college course. A thesis conducted y a student in the United States of America on the tertiary education of prison inmates, highlights the fact that offenders are less likely to become repeat offenders when they have acquired the qualification to secure employment. (Lang and Levin 2002). An offender recidivists when he/she either reverends, is rearrested, or is reconnected in the three-year period following release from prison (Lang and Levin 2002). There are various reintegrated programs that are available to ex-offenders who are seeking employment. The purpose of these reintegrated programs is to accept ex- offenders of which many businesses based facilities are skeptical on hiring because of their criminal record. It also serves to allow ex-offenders to work in community based projects, such as building construction projects. A businessman, based in a small suburb in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, was awarded a certificate by the Social Development and Special Programmer department, for plugging back into the community by allowing ex-offenders to learn a trade skill course. This trade skills course should be offered to prison inmates because it also guarantees the possibility f attaining employment. Such reintegrated play a significant role in employing, rehabilitating and the acceptance of ex-offenders back into their communities. However, it is argued that prisoners should not receive college courses. The first issue arises when it comes to the funding of these facilities in prisons Bibliography Buckley, K. 2013. Prison inmate. Personal interview. 10 August 2013. Kenneth, M. 2012. Changing minds. College during imprisonment, [blob] 6 June. Available at: http:// wry. Invoices. Com [Accessed 10 September 2013]