Posted: December 3rd, 2022

Alternatives to Incarceration

Criminal Justice
Title: Alternatives to Incarceration
Number of sources: 3
Paper instructions:
Assignment 2: Alternatives to Incarceration

Due Week 10 and worth 120 points

A recent study illustrates that nearly two (2) million juveniles are processed through juvenile courts across the United States each year. Depending on the nature of the crime, juveniles may face detention or incarceration if they are convicted. Given the fact that many courts are reluctant to incarcerate criminal offenders, judges often consider alternatives to incarceration. The driving force behind these alternatives is to save taxpayer money, yet still, demand offender accountability and impose sanctions for criminal behavior.

Use the Internet or Strayer databases to research the use of sanctions other than incarceration or detention for juvenile offenders.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

Examine the underlying historical and economic reasons behind the quest for alternatives to incarcerating offenders in jails and prisons.
Describe three (3) alternatives to incarceration that juvenile courts currently use. Provide examples of such alternatives in practice to support the response.
Discuss the significant societal and individual benefits of imposing sanctions or punishments that do not involve removing an offender from his / her family or community.
Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

This course requires the use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Examine alternatives to incarceration for juveniles.
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Alternatives to Incarceration
Introduction
The government is struggling with the highest number of prison inmates in the world. The budget is increasing annually, leading to higher taxes. It is hurting the public while sending the inmates to crowded and unsafe prisons and jails. Research shows that incarceration alternatives can play a major role in reducing the number of offenders the justice system sends to prison while creating a safer community and modeling positive behavior (2). The alternatives include home confinement, individual treatment, addressing individual needs, and restorative justice. The alternatives provide individual and societal benefits that create a better society. The paper aims at examining the underlying historic and economic reasons for alternatives to incarceration, various alternatives, and the societal and individual benefits.
Underlying Historic and Economic Reasons
The first reason is that the cost of maintaining government prisons is becoming expensive as the number of inmates continues to rise. Statistics indicate that government expenditure in paying wardens, maintaining, security, feeding, and rehabilitating the inmates is increasing at a fast rate (2). The government has to increase the cost of maintaining the prisons and jails each financial year. Government reports indicate that the American criminal justice system holds over 2.3 million people in 1,883 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, and 1772 juvenile correction facilities (3). Reports also indicate that the prison department costs the taxpayer $80 billion in 2019 (3). The cost of food and salary for the prison officers and staff is expected to rise in the years to come. Therefore, the government must seek alternative means of punishing offenders, modeling behavior, and maintaining a safe community.
The criminal justice system is struggling with an ever-increasing number of inmates. One of the consequences is that the inmates end up living in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. Overcrowded prisons are among the major challenges in the American prison department (3). The situation is also risky for prison and jail wardens. Consequently, the criminal justice system is forced to develop reentry programs to release inmates with minor offenses (1). The department is also exploring other alternatives apart from sending offenders to prison to relieve the government of the financial burden.
Alternatives to Incarceration
The department utilizes various alternatives, apart from sending the inmates to prison. The alternatives include home confinement, individual treatment, addressing individual needs, and restorative justice (1). Home confinement is one of the alternatives that keep an offender away from bad influence. It also reduces the risk of committing an offense. For instance, house arrest requires a collaboration of family, teachers, and community in monitoring the progress of the offender (1). For instance, juvenile offenders are free to go to school and interact with the community as they learn new behaviors.
Individual treatment is an option that helps the criminal justice system to free up space in jails and prisons. It comprises emotional, psychological, social, and cultural aspects that may have contributed to a person’s negative behavior (1). For example, inpatient psychiatric treatment is effective in addressing mental problems related to negative behavior among juveniles. Probation and other aftercare services are essential in reforming an offender (2). A person is placed under the supervision of probation officers who can check the progress in behavior. Additionally, attending to the victims’ needs can also reshape their behavior, thus reducing the risk of negative behavior involvement.
Restorative justice is another alternative that criminal justice utilizes to avoid overcrowded prisons and jails. It involves rehabilitating the offenders through reconciliation with the victims or society (2). For instance, victim/offender mediation or dialogue helps heal the wounds or relieve anger in the community due to an offender’s behavior.
Societal and Individual Benefits
Restorative justice offers various benefits to both the victim and the offender. It eliminates the fear that an offender will revenge once they are released from prison (3). The approach is applicable for juveniles who can be rehabilitated in the community and model positive behavior. It is thus beneficial to both the individual offender and the victim. Another societal benefit is that alternatives are less expensive, and thus the public will pay fewer taxes (1). More funds can also be directed to other programs that will enrich the society. Research shows that punishment is not the only way to keep a community safe and free of negative behavior (3). Therefore, attending to an offender’s individual needs through rehabilitation or counseling effectively eliminates the risk of repeat offenders.
Conclusion
Government expenditure on maintaining prisons is becoming unbearable each year. Overcrowded prisons is also a major challenge that the criminal justice system has to grapple with. Alternatives to incarceration are effective in modeling positive behavior. Research shows that incarceration alternatives can play a major role in reducing the number of offenders the justice system sends to prison while creating a safer community. The alternatives include home confinement, individual treatment, addressing individual needs, and restorative justice. Alternatives to incarceration are beneficial to both society and individual offenders. Thus, it is effective for both the community, government, victims, family, and offenders to pursue incarceration alternatives.

Sources
1. Ryon, S. B., Early, K. W., & Kosloski, A. E. (2017). Community-based and family-focused alternatives to incarceration: A quasi-experimental Assessment of interventions for delinquent youth. Journal of Criminal Justice, 51, 59-66.
2. Wildeman, C., & Wang, E. A. (2017). Mass incarceration, public health, and widening inequality in the USA. The Lancet, 389(10077), 1464-1474.
3. Wolff, K. T., Baber, L. M., Dozier, C. A., & Cordeiro, R. (2020). Assessing the Efficacy of Alternatives to Incarceration within Seven Federal Districts. Justice Assessment Journal, 3(1), 27-53.

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