Should Prison Be About Rehabilitation or Punishment?

We all know that if a person commits a serious crime, he or she will serve a prison sentence. However, most justice systems around the world do not clearly specify whether prison is meant for prisoners to work upon themselves and adapt back into society, also called rehabilitation, or simply to serve as punishment. In this article, we are going to discuss the advantages of both systems and whether these two systems can co-exist within a justice system.

Historically, prisons were mainly a form of punishment. This system works on the idea that crime deserves consequences. The fear of punishment is often one of the reasons people refrain from committing crimes. This system also provides a sense of justice to the victims and their families. People in favors of this system argue that being tough on crime helps prevent criminal activity. Arguments against this system raise concerns regarding humanitarian law, as prisoners often face poor living conditions. During their time in prison, prisoners with families are not able to provide for them. One of the most important arguments against this system is that prisoners are prone to becoming more violent due to these harsh conditions.

Many countries such as Norway and Sweden are well known for providing prisoners with reasonable living conditions. Prisoners are provided with education, and through this method, individuals can even earn degrees while being in prison. Prisoners are also provided with vocational training. This helps prisoners adapt back into society as soon as possible after they are released. This system also results in fewer repeat offenders. Critics of this system argue that prisoners are given comfortable living conditions and do not suffer enough punishment. They also argue that fear of strict punishment helps deter crime.

With the help of statistics from two countries, we can go even deeper into this debate. In the United States, where offenders are often severely punished in prison, and in Norway, where prisons focus mainly on rehabilitation rather than punishment. According to the World Prison Brief, in the United States around 542 people per 100,000 population are imprisoned, while in Norway this number is only around 55 per 100,000 people. In the United States, studies show that around 60–70% of released prisoners are rearrested within a few years of release. In Norway the figure is much lower, with only about a quarter of released prisoners reoffend within five years.

Based on these statistics, we can say that the rehabilitation system appears to be more effective in reducing crime. However, that is not the whole story. The punishment system is superior in providing justice and closure to the victims and their families. Therefore, in the next paragraph we are going to discuss how these two systems can coexist.

For these systems to coexist, the following methods should be adopted. There should be two separate prison systems: one focused on rehabilitation and the other focused on punishment. Individuals involved in non-violent and victimless crimes such as drug possession and minor theft should be sentenced to rehabilitation centers so that, with proper guidance and counselling, they can adapt back into society. The main motive of the punishment system is to provide justice to victims and their families. In cases where there are no direct victims, rehabilitation may be the better option. However, individuals involved in violent crimes or crimes involving victims should be sentenced to prisons specialized in punishment in order to provide a sense of justice to the victims and their families.

We should not forget that prisoners, no matter how violent they are or how serious the crime they committed is, are still human beings and should be treated like one unlike, in multiple countries like El Salvador, Haiti, Syria etc. where prisons are dangerously overcrowded and prisoners suffer abuse lacking human treatment. They should be provided with humane treatment and proper living facilities. Even prisoners serving time in the punishment system should have access to education. There should also be facilities within prisons that allow prisoners to do small vocational jobs so they can earn money and provide for their families.

In this way, both of these systems can coexist, and prisons can become institutions focused on both rehabilitation and punishment.

-Parv Gupta (9th class)