Adminstrators_Challenges_in_Law_Enforcement

RUNNING HEAD: Politics and Policy in the Prison System Politics and Policy in the Prison System July 30, 2010 Politics vs. Policy The importance of combining confinement with rehabilitation can be documented by the reduction of recidivism rates within a criminal justice agency as well as the prison system within the system. One must acknowledge the programs that work to reduce crime and recidivism. If the statistics are not acknowledged as an accurate depiction of current trends, the programs may become compromised and subsequently fail. In this paper, I will discuss the conflicts between political hedging and working policies within the prison system. The governor has demanded the reduction of rehabilitation and education programs in my prison system. As director of the prisons system in my state, I have been given orders to cut the training programs that the governor deems as “mamby-pamby”. I have been given one month to send a written response outlining the implementation of tougher inmate programs and a plan for tightening security at the facilities under my jurisdiction. I do not believe that the governor has neither researched the reduction in recidivism in my jurisdiction nor has he considered the legal and moral ramifications of discontinuing the programs that have proven success rates (Peak, K. 2010). Because the programs in the prison system have created a successful reduction in recidivism as well as brought national attention to my jurisdiction, I do not think that it would be appropriate to end any of the programs without further consideration. The first step my administration would take is to contact legislators who have worked with the prison system and share the belief that the rehabilitation programs have been shown to reduce recidivism rates and inform the legislators of the governor’s demands. I would want re-enforcements when I oppose the governor’s orders. The next step would include an outline of success rates directly related to the rehabilitation programs and statistics on educational reform in prisons to be sent to the governor along with a letter of opposition to his order. These actions may cause conflict between my department and the governor’s office; however, these steps are necessary to protect the stability of the prison system. By compiling the success rates since the inception of the programs in question, I would be able to establish grounds for negotiation with the governor. I may consider bringing back the chain gang system to force inmates to break large boulders into pellets as a way to provide additional funds to cover the costs of educational and trade programs in the prison system. By using the inmates to perform a service that will generate revenue, I can relieve the state of budget issues. The governor needs to read the studies and statistics that have supported the programs as a way of combating rates of recidivism. As stated previously. I would contact legislators to see how many support the programs currently in use. The next step would need to be contacting the wardens in each prison to inform them of the governor’s plan of action. By creating a group to support the programs, I can gain bargaining leverage with the governor. Alerting the news media could create more resistance from the governor but may be used as a last resort. I believe the importance of the educational and training programs in the prison facilities are critical to the continued reduction of repeat offenders. I think the best way to show the success rate is to introduce success stories to the governor. By seeing firsthand the people who have benefitted from the programs, the governor may adjust his hard-line approach in favor of the current approach that has a proven success rate. To further bolster my position, I would show the governor the data that supports each program and the attributes each program carries in the reduction of crime rates and repeat offenders. Conclusion The inability of the governor to study valid statistics regarding the correlation between educational and training programs that 30% decline in recidivism rates is disturbing. Adding to the issue is the inexperience of the governor and the lack of consideration for the methods proven to be successful. The accurate ways to combat irrational thinking are compiling data to back up the viability of the programs as well as creating an alliance of supporters from within the department and state legislators. The use of success stories is another way to prove the viability of the programs to the governor. If the governor’s concern is more of budget issues, creating tougher work programs like chain gangs or dog training would generate revenue to cover the costs of the rehabilitation programs. The main issue is whether the programs have met expectations in the reduction of crime and recidivism rates. The data compiled supports the continued use of the programs to further reduce the rate of recidivism. There comes a time when one must look at what is working within a system and embrace programs that ultimately benefit society. References Peak, K., (2010). Justice Administration: Police, Courts, and Corrections Management, Sixth Edition, Published by Prentice Hall. Pearson Education, Incorporated. Electronic reserve, http://www.apollolibrary.com/Library/err/ElectronicReserveReadings.aspx