Problem-Solving Overcrowding In Prisons Through Alternative Sentencing
Alternative sentencing or community sentence is where a convict is convicted of a crime and contrary to imprisonment or facing a death judgment. The offender is punished in distinct forms, it’s mostly used for non-violent crimes, white-collar crimes, first-time convicts, and juvenile convicts. Pressure has grown to the courts to seek out more forms of retribution except jailing or prisoning. Non-custodial punishment grew because it has major benefits and is more modern compared to prisoning which is traditional. Prisoning or jailing has negative impacts as it results in the separation of families, and difficulty to adjust back to their typical life after serving a jail term. There are various methods of sentencing suitable for offenders who meet certain criteria. This essay will discuss the kinds of alternative sentencing together with their advantages or disadvantages
The first method of non-custodial sentences is work release or weekend jail programs. They are suitable for offenders who are employed or they have obtained jobs when imprisoned. Work release is after convicts go to work throughout the day while at night go back to prison. In weekend jail programs defendants go to work from Monday to Friday, it is suitable for convicts who have full-time jobs. On Saturday and Sunday, the convict stays in jail, during the discharge time convicts are not allowed to visit anywhere except their workplaces. This sort of sentencing is favorable because convicts have an opportunity to cater to their families. Also, convicts are able to settle the restitution money that they owe to victims and defendants are able to retain their jobs.
The second type is restitution and fines, they both differ from each other. It is the compensation of damages in monetary form to the sufferer who the convict had wronged. Even when the injured party doesn’t demand it the judge considers restitution. It is paid in instances where the casualty needs rehabilitation, and to the direct casualty, government, third parties, or family members of the sufferer. While in fines the convict pays the monetary damages to the government instead of paying it to the victim. The destruction mustn’t be financial the court can gauge the loss and convert it to monetary form. If the convict isn’t able to compensate, the convict’s assets can be sold to repay the loss and imprisoned.
The third form of non-custodial sentencing is jail diversion and rehabilitation programs. It involves certain training like drug and intoxication treatment, therapy, or doing an educational program. It is for those convicts who use drugs also those with mental illnesses, the convicts undergo psychological treatments. Drivers who cause accidents or violate traffic rules avoid prosecution by finishing a driver’s program. The programs are useful to society besides convicts because they are educated and assisted in their addictions. Rather than going to jail where they meet other dangerous drug addicts who influence them negatively to become a danger to society.
The fourth alternative to the ruling is house arrest, it is suitable for young adults along with juveniles. The convicts are tracked electronically by placing an electronic device around the convicts’ ankles which shows their location whenever. The convicts are limited to being at their residence or a dependable family member’s home with exemptions like going to school, work, church, or counseling. This method reduces overcrowding in prisons and is cost-effective to the state because the offender pays for the electronic device. Also, food or house expenses are catered by the convict, the offender gets to reflect on his bad decisions and alter his life. It is used in cases where the suspects are not yet proven guilty instead of staying in jail alongside dangerous convicts who might influence them they stay at home. It is also used when an offender is unable to pay full bail because it is expensive, the bail is reduced and therefore the convict stays under house confinement.
The fifth alternative is community service, where the defendant does unpaid labor to society. It is suitable for those convicts with minor offenses, also to celebrities who have offenses in order to encourage society in communal work. Examples of communal work that a convict can do is collecting recyclable materials like plastic bottles, and collecting litter. Also painting the public buildings or streets that have been illegally spray-painted, collecting litter in the neighborhood, coaching a sports team within the neighborhood. Community service is beneficial as it enables a convict to reunite with society, it makes the convict be aware of the environment and educates him. It is cheaper than going to prison since community service is not paid while in prison expenses are involved.
The sixth type is probation, it occurs when an offender has been imprisoned for a certain amount of time but doesn’t finish the whole term. Under particular conditions given by the court, the convict finishes the remaining term at home or at a family member under strict supervision using an officer of the court. The convict is supposed to maintain good behavior, and pay a fine if the convict is a drug addict when meeting with the probation officer the convict is tested for drugs. The defendant is allowed to work either full-time or part-time as well as undergo rehabilitation where the convict learns new skills to deal with life. Probation enables a convict to reunite with society and is cheaper to the courts as the convict doesn’t stay in prison but at home and the offender pays for supervision costs. If the offender doesn’t follow stipulations he or she is jailed.
In addition, suspended sentencing is also a method of sentencing where the courts suspend or delay a sentence. It may be stipulated or unstipulated stipulated where courts provide a sentence but is not enforced so long as the convict doesn’t break the given conditions. The conditions include: enrolling in a rehabilitation center, or not committing any other offense if the convict follows all the conditions the judge removes the sentence permanently. An unconditional suspended sentence is where the convict is not given any conditions to follow the litigation ends but the records remain. It is common for offenders who carry out minor crimes, first-time convicts as well as less serious offenses.
In conclusion, various ways to sentencing other than imprisonment are available like paying fines or damages to the court or injured parties. Also discharge of convicts during work hours or weekdays, jail diversion, or joining rehabilitation programs. Doing house confinement as part of their sentence or fully as their sentence, for minor offenses defendants do community services and suspended sentencing. They also do probation under supervision or with no supervision, instead of going to public jail the offender pays for a private jail, goes to alcoholics meetings, and joins behavioral management classes like anger management classes. Other forms of sentencing are suitable because they are cheaper than imprisonment the courts do not give clothing, shelter, or food if they choose the different sentences. It reduces overcrowding in prisons as well as influences from the dangerous prisoners to avoid the convicts from associating with them.
