Philosophies of correction refer to motions or decisions upon which criminal justice systems embark to minimize correctional population. These philosophies address the rising impacts of correction population such as economic downtowns and increased re-offences. As a result, criminal justice systems seek for alternative incarcerations that retrieve law offenders’ cognitive processes, personalities, and mental health back to normalcy. Rehabilitation has been successful in this docket, but the need for extra incarceration alternatives is still persistent (Whitehead, Dodson, Edwards & Whitehead, 2013). Some of the future correctional philosophies based on deterrence practices include the three strikes law, general deterrence and placing stricter punishment for low risk offenders.

Future Correctional Problems

Inmate education is one of the upcoming correctional problems. In most cases, law offenders commence their incarceration sentences in their proper state of mind. However, depression and isolation affect their cognitive abilities. This means that an ex-convict will experience a difficult time obtaining employment due to the lack competency (Whitehead et. al., 2013). Secondly, health related problems await correctional facilities in the future. Healthy inmates in the current correctional facilities share amenities with the mentally incapacitated, diabetic, or HIV infected ones due to over overcrowding. This poses a potential problem not only to prisoners but also to the criminal justice system and the entire nation. To curb this, governments will incur extra inmate maintenance costs while criminal justice systems will face lawsuits from inmates’ family members. It is worth noting that the criminal justice system has the power over criminals’ liberty rights but not their health and life. In this sense, inmate’s family members have the legal right to legal proceedings (Whitehead et. al., 2013).

Correctional overpopulation is also an inevitable future correctional problem. This arises from the limited collaboration among correctional institutions and administration. Some correctional facilities have more than enough resources in terms of space and budgets. However, state laws and boundaries act as a barrier to open sharing. This means that a facility limited in resources, but with a growing inmate population will ignore sick patients and mix the healthy and unhealthy ones in single units.

Future Correctional Philosophies

It is evident that rehabilitation does not reduce correctional overpopulation as compared to deterrence (Adler & Pouliot, 2011). With the current rising correctional population, criminal justice systems should punish law offenders as an example to potential offenders. Stricter sentences for low risk crimes, for instance, will deter individuals from being on the wrong side of the law. Strict sentences may be accompanied by heavy fines, lengthy community service work or other alternative incarcerations.

In the case of the three strikes law, the criminal justice system sentences law offenders for a minimum of 25 years when they commit their third crime. This approach will discourage individuals from further involvement in crime in case they have such records (Adler & Pouliot, 2011). In the case of general deterrence, criminal justice systems threaten individuals from committing crimes by showing them actual consequences associated with different offences. This practice instils discipline and fear among the public, making the avoid breaking the law. Implementation of these strategies should resume in nations with large correctional populations. In summation the incorporation of the three approaches will significantly reduce correctional population in the future.

References

Adler, E., & Pouliot, V. (2011). International practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Whitehead, J. T., Dodson, K. D., Edwards, B. D., & Whitehead, J. T. (2013). Corrections: Exploring Crime, Punishment, and Justice in America. Waltham, MA: Anderson Pub.