There are
major differences between the convict of yesterday and the inmate of today. Dressed
in the new orange these new type of offenders are not a fraction of the kind of
convict prisoners were in the days of past when a man would work for a day’s
pay and no handouts. It is with high certainty that there were cookie cutter
convicts back then as they all had their own personalities and their own
characteristics but back then, even crooks had honor.
Today’s prisoners
are apples and oranges compared to the past and come with multiple
personalities, characteristics, habits and mandates that makes treatment most
complicated and diverse as some hang onto their own culture to show them the
ways to live in their own distinct politically and socially impacted world and backgrounds
even if it is in conflict with their current placement or prison setting. It is
likely that the old orange had these same issues but kept them under control
and dealt with them in their own ways instead of being a burden to those around
them. Each had their own self pride and esteem to take care of business the way
we call ‘old school’ and that was up personal and close yet confidential and
private.
First of is to
denote the differences in the penology theories there is a significant
difference between old style rehabilitation and the new version of
rehabilitation. The old way every
prisoner underwent into cookie cutter programs and whether they needed it or
not, it was determined to be beneficial for them to be educated and worn out at
the end of the day for working a job that was manual labor and considered hard
labor even on chain gangs. Here there were no cultural divides or territories. Everybody worked and pulled their weight.
Prison wardens
had three easy choices, educate them, work them or let them sit idle and do
nothing. Most wardens made sure that the prisoner engaged in at least two out
of three with idleness being the least option in the book. A weary or worn out
prisoner is a well behaved individual and keeps the peace much easier than
those that do nothing all day thinking about how they can disrupt their world.
Today’s rehabilitative
programs offer so many different programs that the list is too extensive to
list. The fact is if they weren’t court ordered most of them were optional in
nature thus often not offered or available. This includes substance abuse
programs and other treatment programs that gives them a chance to quit an
addiction or manage their anger more constructively and stay out of trouble in
the future. Programs are selected like one was in college and if it’s one thing
a prison isn’t is a campus or college driven environment.
The old
system focused on self-esteem and character traits that counted and provided a
person with good moral guidance and ethics to change their ways. The new system
ignores the inner self and focuses on rethinking and retraining behavioral
issues rather than morality of their character. The new style is holistic in
nature and departs from the old style of faulty thinking and worthiness.
Contrary to
the new whole person concepts taught, there is a distinct conflict between the
two teaching styles for the new orange prisoners are given options in their
sentences that were never offered before and allows them to balk at the project
to stay busy and learn something.
Many are
lazy and take no initiative to attend school or classes for self-improvement unless
made to do so by court order or mandatory rules of classification and treatment
plans. Rehabilitation only works if the person is receptive to the concept and
work to change. Changing behaviors and not the person is a difficult approach.
When I compare the two styles it is my opinion that the old style was more
practical and more applicable than the new approach of trying to change the
persons.
Everyone
knows sociopaths can’t be treated and remain to be one of the most rapidly
growing populations which are unpredictable and volatile while housed inside
our jails and prisons. Thus these type of individuals require a stern hand and
structured behavioral modification approach that builds incentive for good
thinking and takes away incentives for bad thinking patterns.
The other
rapidly growing population are the mentally ill and treatment programs for them
are severely limited as well. Since psychotropic medication is very expensive
and mental health providers are scarce and untrained in the prison setting,
there are many challenges facing this group of new orange that are under the
influence of a psychotic breakdown or mental illness diagnosis.
The old types
of programs are no longer accepted because they do not cause the person
participating to believe they are faulty but rather their behavior is faulty. It
is the way of the new that has stifled the practices of the old. The new orange
does nothing in the way of making people attend programs or school.
There are
too many loopholes that keeps this from being enforced. Participation is the only way rehabilitation
has a chance at working so I believe the changes are not good and unnecessary
and under the new rules, participation is rarely mandatory like in the old
days. It is up to the prison administrators to ensure the new orange carries
out their own self-improvement programs and attend treatment that would benefit
them greatly.
The sad part
is that today’s administration is just as lazy and weak as the new orange regime.
They have no empathy of the setting and take no ownership in how well it is
being run and administered. They rely on others less skilled or trained to
their dirty work and are fast to point blame when things go wrong and quick to
take the credit when something goes right.
They think
they are an army of one and do nothing to help or support the correctional
counselor or officers in their jobs and stand by to criticize them readily and
never once ready to praise them when they do their jobs like they are supposed
to and without any fanfare.
Many are
college graduates that have never worked inside a prison before applying for
the management positions. They are good at counting beans but lack the skill to
manage people. They have no loyalty to the workforce and communicate in terms
that are difficult to understand as they are often given without preparation or
explanation of goals or objectives desired with a mission statement or strategy
provided.
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