Opinion paper (Essay Sample)

Rehabilitation
Name
Institution’s name
Introduction
Recidivism is a term derived from the Latin word recidivus which means recurring, as well as the term recido meaning to fall back. This term is essentially used to illustrate an individual who has repeated an undesirable behavior after which they have already been treated, trained to stop the behavior or have already suffered the repercussions of that behavior. (Rainer, 2013) Furthermore, it is used in the field of criminal justice describing inmates who have been released, then rearrested or reconvicted. There are four correctional models that have been implemented to help reduce cases of recidivism. They include:
* Medical treatment model which refers to medical intervention prescribed medication aiming at reducing recidivism by reducing biological, biological impulses that led to a particular crime.
* Rehabilitation model which is based on assumptions that criminal activity or behavior is caused by some factors.
* Community model is whereby released inmates are kept under parole in their society whereby they do community service.
* Retribution as a form of correction that focuses on evaluating the weight of the crime and it considers punishment proportional to the crime committed.
* Justice model limits itself in the administration of punishment appropriate to severity of the crime committed and leads to imprisonment.
Rehabilitation
This is any measure taken with an aim of changing the offender’s character. It is a way of treating offenders via various psychological techniques, counseling, and training. This form of correction model is very effective. To increase its effectiveness the criminal justice should consider implementing measures in prisons so as to reduce rates of recidivism after release. According to experts, twenty percent of inmates have been found to commit crimes because of substance abuse. (Cullen, 1982) Drug abuse in prison and corrective facilities is very rampant. For these cases to reduce there should be rampant screening of inmates to verify their health. Measures should be taken to check on their mental health and addiction to substance abuse. (Marieke, 2013)
After verification of the root causes of crime, rehabilitation come in hand. It is the best way to reduce recidivism because offenders say drug addicts would go through the process of training and counseling to manage their urge for drugs and in the long run the results are satisfactory as their reliance on drugs ceases. (Rainer, 2013) Thus, the twenty percent of individuals who commit crimes for money to buy drugs will be saved from recidivism since they will have learnt the negative impacts of substance abuse. Furthermore, rehabilitation for inmate addicts has proved to be effective according to scientific studies carried out in the last two decades. This calls for adoption of rehabilitation model as compared to other form of correction models which do not focus on changing behavior of inmates via appreciating their psychology. ( Marieke, 2013)
In addition, rehabilitation in some cases has been found to embrace the medical model. They say "two is better than one." This collaboration calls for justification that this form of correction model. It occurs when a person or inmate for this mat...