Individual: Rehabilitation

Individual: Rehabilitation Paper

Whitney Cervantez

CJS 255

John Eckert

Individual: Rehabilitation Paper

I will begin with defining and elaborating on the origins of rehabilitation in prison while including to define parole and how it differs from mandatory release, also defining probation and how it compares to other forms of sentencing. Second I will cover options of community corrections. Third I will critique the current rehabilitation options and give my examples of finding a better solution to the current parole process, including my explanation on a better solution to the current probation system and better solutions than the current community corrections options. Concluding I will reflect on the city of Live Oak, TX where I had a recent ambiguous situation at Starbucks that reminded me the importance of individual rehabilitation.

Definitions and Origins of Rehabilitation in Prison

Rehabilitation prison is essentially defined as a correctional institute that’s philosophy is to rehabilitate the offenders that enter, in the pursuit to either rehabilitate and release them or rehabilitate them while they serve a life prison and they learn to live in that society mindfully with the other inmates. Origins of prisons beginning rehabilitation vs punishments began in the early 1900s. Parole is when you come out of prison and you have an assigned parole officer who monitors you for an arranged amount of time which can include random or mandatory drug tests; the point of parole is to release prison offenders from their time locked up and begin to readapt in society proving they are okay to no longer be supervised. Probation is when an offender is monitored by a probation officer but you are not receiving time, it is the pursuit of rehabilitating someone without being locked away.

Community Corrections

According to Bexar County Community Supervision and Corrections Department (Adult Probation Department) “The Bexar County CSCD is a professional criminal justice agency that serves the public under the authority of the criminal judiciary system.” (Para 1) Bexar county has a pursuit to service the public with community with programs, services and specialty courts. Bexar county has an intermediate sanction program which provides the courts with an effective alternative to revoking, sentencing high and medium risk felony offenders for their non compliance with court ordered conditions/ terms of community supervision. They are usually court ordered by the courts for violation reports, pre- motion and more. The requirements for the program include high and medium risk felony offenders, a Bexar County resident, any in- patient programs have to be complete prior to admittance of ISP and offenders shouldn’t be pending the disposition of any court action at the time of transfer. There is also the substance abuse felony punishment facility aftercare program, sex offender management unit, caseload reduction program, high risk gang caseload, mentally impaired caseload, felony drug court, treatment alternatives to incarceration program, mentally impaired offender facility, substance abuse treatment facility and the intermediate sanctions facility.

Critique of Current Rehabilitation Options

I would say that from seeing friends, relatives who have been part of some these programs hat they are inspiring. I see change in the people who suffered from substance abuse. My only critique would be to further their pursuit to realign an addict and to be mindful; even with the mentally ill. The programs are inclusive, as we see a program for sex offenders as well because their offenses were considered a crime to society. Transitioning is hard and while the minimum wage is extremely low, there are lots of companies who have programs where offenders can still be considered. That is the whole point of rehabilitation, I would stress to be able to adapt as quick as offenders adapt.

Rehabilitation and Recent Reflection

Last weekend I was at work and planted in the front of the store where my role was to be the cashier. At one point a guest in the line asked for an ice water, I went to grab the iced water and filled the cup with just ice when the man asked if I could discreetly put the bag in the bag. I want to mention that I was already having a weird day so I wasn’t quite sure what he mean because we do not have bags of money laying about. I grabbed a pastry bag and then asked “did you need a pastry bag?” He then asked me how much a cookie was and I looked up the price and then asked if he wanted it warmed up. The man asked how long it would take I said about 30 seconds, he hands me a 20 but instead of cashing him out I put the 20 I my pocket and stalled a bit. The man asked me if he could get his change which I replied saying “yes, give me a moment please. Also did you still want water with your ice?” I charged the man and gave him his change. A moment later after he left my line he reached back behind the counter and grabbed a black bag of markers. The man thought it was a bag of money so I asked “Did you need a marker?” He seemed embarrassed, turned and left the store. I told my manager and then the Forum Shopping Center’s security who told me to contact the Live Oak Police. From the conversation I had with the officers I believe the man may have been mentally ill. A couple days later and back in my store my manager told me that the man who ended up going to Pier One and cornered a woman that worked there and asked her to empty her till into his bag. We have his information at the store with his mugshot from years ago when he had short hair, he now has medium length curly brown hair. It made me compare rehabilitation for the mentally ill and criminals whom have a mental illness. I have PTSD been diagnosed with various mental illnesses over the past 8 years but after some long time, therapy, conversing with my doctors it was determined that some were canceled out but I do have PTSD. I have been hospitalized a few times in life and once I was court ordered for 72 hour suicide watch. I do think rehabilitation helps but I am a firm believer we are the deciding point on if we want to change or not. The man who tried to rob us, I do not know his past crimes but from my interaction with him I’d say rehabilitation did not work for him because of his polite but none the less attempted robbery. However when I compare relatives who have been to prison for drug charges and see where they are in life, they are not robbing people but a few have been back to prison for drug charges. The community does a great job using the best minds to bring control to crimes but there is something missing from the take away and it’s in the ambiguity that we face in life.

Resources

COMMUNITY SUPERVISION AND CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT (ADULT PROBATION DEPARTMENT(). Retrieved from https://www.bexar.org/501/Adult-Probation-Department