The Management of Special Needs Offenders (Essay Sample)

The Management of Special Needs Offenders
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The Management of Special Needs Offenders
Did you know that 10-15 percent of prisoners in America and the whole world require special care? A substantial number of the offenders may have committed a crime in their unsound mind. The ‘insanity’ may have been caused my emotional challenges or disorders. Notably, these offenders require close management, treatment, monitoring, and supervision. Disabled individuals face a substantial number of challenges. In the contemporary society, they may be despised and viewed as inferior individuals even they have the capability to perform tasks like any prevalent individual. It is an essential process in ensuring all human beings are treated equally; disability is not inability.
The process of managing offenders with disabilities entails a systematic and gradual process. Notably, there are four major stages used; assessment, diagnosis, recidivism prediction, and classification. According to Craig, Lindsay, and Browne (2010) assessment involves the preparation of a report. The assessing officer collects all the information needed from the offender, their family members and scrutinizes the legitimacy of the information. Moreover, the probation officer may visit the offenders’ home and collects more data from friends and other relatives who relate closely to the offender. From the information provided, the officer makes an assessment in respect to the offender’s attitude towards the offense, reasons behind the crime, the sanity of the offender while committing the crime; if he was under the influence of drugs.
Diagnosis of the offenders needs is imperative in the management of individuals with a disability. Lindsay (2009) in his book ‘the treatment of sex offenders with developmental disabilities: A practice workbook’, explained that diagnosis is a procedural process where the examining officer conducts a thorough scrutiny of the offenders problems. He conducts an examination of the cause and how chronic the situation is to find the perfect solution. The information determines the specific programs that suit their disability.
Risk assessment can be used to reduce recidivism. Razza and Tomasulo (2005) argue that assessment is critical in the level of risks, either higher or lower. The percentage of the accuracy of these predictions is low. However, various researchers are continually researching ways in which low-risk correction remain low, and the high-risk correction are redirected in the opposite direction. The strategy can be reached only if the officers practice effective intervention responsively.
Classification is the final procedure in offenders’ supervision. Notably, physical and mental abuse are considered a controversial factor. However, there is no close relation to recidivism. According to Lindsay (2009), LSI-R was explained to be the most effective model for classifying and assessing both male and female offenders. However, female offenders stand a high chance to report abuse.
Inmates with disabilities require special attention. The attention is accompanied by a financial cost as well as significant amount of time. According to statistics Lindsay (2009), a considerable number of inmates appear to have psychological disorders due to the effect of substance abuse. In a contemporary survey, a review of prison offers reveals insight into the limit of a broadly illustrative specimen of penitentiaries to give required medicinal, mental, and social administrations for guilty parties. The study additionally takes into consideration an examination of the hierarchical variables that may influence whether a jail wil...