Allocating Resources Among Prisons and Social Programs in the Battle Against Crime

1019LHS (17279) Foundations of Academic Writing

In contemporary society, the traditional view is that justice occurs only when the convicted
receive punishment proportional to their wrongdoing—traditional justice champions
incarceration above all else as a deterrent to recidivism. Restorative justice has gained
significant traction in both domestic and international judicial systems. Restorative justice Is
a program whereby victims and offenders of an offence participate in a mediation style
meeting to diminish the damage caused. It seeks to challenge the widespread views on
recidivism deterrence and rehabilitation. However, while certain crimes are not worthy of
such attempts, restorative justice is applicable in most instances. Restorative justice offers a
solution that effectively reduces recidivism without undermining the punishment of
incarceration. Data explored from both Australian and international institutes as findings
illustrate this.
The restorative model attempts to approach the issue innovatively regarding both the victim
and offender by integrating reconciliation. Traditional punishment, i.e. incarceration, causes a
dynamic of stigmatization between the perpetrator and society. Stigmatization is the kind of
shaming that creates outcasts; it is disrespectful, humiliating. Stigmatization means treating
criminals as evil people who have done evil acts. (Braithwaite, 1996) Stigmatization of the
individual rather than the crime results in a structure that seeks to demonize the individual in
all aspects of society. The Effects of Prison Sentences on Recidivism (Gendreau, P. and
Goggin, C., 2000) presents empirical data for the efficacy of imprisonment.Based on the data
presented, a clear case is made for the lack of efficacy for punitive punishment. Regardless of
the assumed risk level of the offender, prison sentences did not reduce recidivism. Findings
are not isolated to one individual analysis, twelve-month program evaluation: Restorative
Justice Project demonstrates a 77% reduction in recidivism for all youth offenders within the
case study. However, the line of argumentation must not be restricted to its efficacy.
Recidivism as a sole indicator to evaluate the success of a program is not indicative of the
feasibility to implement. There are, for instance, outcomes other than recidivism that may be
of interest to the state or prison itself. To be a valid alternative, the economic feasibility of
restorative justice must unambiguous.
In Australia state primarily operates the current prison system, unlike countries such as the
United States, which utilize a private model. Prisons requireexpenditureto maintain
conditions, provide a wage for staff and contain the convicted. Everyone incarcerated incurs a
net cost to the state both upfront and recurring for each additional year within the prison
system. "In 2014–15, the net expenditure and capital costs for imprisonment in Victoria were
$837 million, while the total for community corrections was $109 million. "(Anthony, M.,
2018). Although private prisons operate on an incentive to hold the maximum number of
prisoners, arguments can be made as to the reduction of private prison systems in favour of
restorative programs. From a cost-efficiency framework, the decision to transition from
punitive justice for applicable crimes is unambiguous.
The ability to construct hierarchies to isolate individuals into groups is a fundamental quality
of human cognition, but the process sometimes goes too far, and the categories become a
fixation. Within the judicial system exists a social hierarchy of the perceived severity of the
offence. These are Murders, Sex offenders’, Violent offenders, the mentally ill, and drug
dealers. However, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021) report that only 21% of criminal
acts undertaken have intentto or have caused harm. As a result, reconsideration as to the case
for imprisonment must occur. For instance, if seventy nine percent of crimes have no intent