World of Corrections, Parole, Probation and Community Service - Research Paper Example

WORLD OF CORRECTIONS 22nd April People around the world have some norms and custom which defines how they are supposed to live with one another. Different communities in different parts of the world have some laid down rules and regulations which governs them. These rules and regulations are outlined in the specified document known as the constitution. A breach of the laid down rules and regulations attract punishment and of the different kind from confinement to giving of fines. Before the punishment is given, the law requires that the suspect be taken into court where the plaintiff and the defendant both appear before a judge and present their arguments. If the defendants or the accused are found guilty, they are jailed for a period defined by the law. If the accused is found innocent, he or she is released from custody. The act of setting the culprit away from the rest of the community is meant to correct him or her from erring the norms and customs of society. There are different methods which are applied in effect of correcting persons who break the law. These methods vary depending on the offence that a person is being accused of. They include; parole, probation, community service, jails and prisons. These different facilities are used to correct convicts before they return to the community. They are used as a tool of punishing the law breakers so that they may be careful not to commit another offence or do anything that could take him back to jail. Parole is mostly used on the people who have already been jailed. They are released after being given some conditions which they must agree to fulfill. For example, if a person were jailed due to drug abuse, the court may decide to release the person on parole if the person agrees not to get involved into drugs again (Bogue, Nandi and Jongsma). If the person engages himself in the same act, he or she may be taken back to jail. Sometimes an inmate may suffer from poor health. The court may decide that he or she be released and be taken into a medical institution. This is done in countries where prisons do provide medical services that serve the inmate (Samaha 96). In the United States, the justice system usually supervises a released defendant in to determine whether they have reformed or not. If they have not reformed as required before the release, they are taken back to rehabilitation centers. In other states like Colorado, an inmate punishment goes on even after the completion of their term of imprisonment (Samaha 316). The additional punishment is popularly known as the mandatory parole. This parole is meant to ensure that the convict has fully reformed before he or she gets the permission to fully enjoy the rights of a free citizen. Parole is mostly confused with amnesty which is the release of inmates before the full term of their sentence due to quick response to discipline and reforms, but parole ensures convict serve their jail terms even if they are not behind bar. This is because they are monitored and always under supervision until they are cleared by the judicial system. Probation is another activity which is used in the criminal and justice law for the correction in societies. Probation is a process where the court may decide to supervise an offender or suspect of the crime for a certain period instead of the suspect being charged to serve in prison (Samaha 324). Probation also includes the supervision of those who have been set free on the condition on parole. A person under probation is supposed not to possess such things as fire arms which can be harmful to the general society (Maruschak and Parks 4). The offender is also supervised under a strict curfew and, therefore, he or she is supposed to be in certain places as outlined by probation rules. The offender is also not required to have any contact with the plaintiff or their relatives. Moreover, probation is usually done as a way of testing the offenders if they can keep up with the set discipline in the society. Probation being a way taming the offenders sometimes makes securities and spies follow and check how the offenders carry out their duties. Some countries like the United States use armed officers as spies to offenders. This is mostly done to offenders who are suspected to have engaged in serious crimes such as robberies, but the claimed lack adequate evidences. The probation officer supervises the suspect but do not take over the work of police officers. There are different ways through which an offender can be supervised in probation. Offenders who have been accused in highly ranked crimes such as sexual harassment, criminals, are supervised by the use of GPS monitoring method (Maruschak and Parks 12). Other methods in disposal include the use of computer managed process. These ensure that criminals are well monitored and better managed from a specific intelligent point. If these means become costly or unavailable, intensive probation is used. This is done by ensuring some vital rights of the offenders are sanctioned which include, but not limited to the rights to movements among others. Intensive probation may also require that the offender reports to the authority whenever he gets to his job or when he arrives at his home. This can be done to ensure that the probationers have clear and correct information of where the offender may be and what he or she may be doing. When the supervision is done via the computer system, there may be a need to install a micro-chip in the offender’s body or perform some online searches in an attempt to follow the daily activity of the offender (Sweeney). For young or juvenile offenders, home detention is the most applicable. This is because the young do not have so much responsibilities and roles such as in their families. Another form of probation is the standard supervision. The standard supervision is carried out to criminals who breach some simple laws such as involving in drunken driving and indulgence in excessive drinking (Bogue, Nandi and Jongsma 110). The suspect under this probation may be required to report to the probationer officers like two days every week or four times every month. However, this is determined by the crime committed and the magnitude of it in the society. Some probation may require the offender not to report to any authority, but to avoid committing the unlawful act that had led him into the hands of justice. This is referred as unsupervised probation. The probationers do not assign any officer to the offender. The offender is just warned about the consequences that could befall him or her if found guilty of committing the same crime. Community service is another form of correcting the law breakers in a community. This is a service offered for free to the benefit of the community through community institutions. Community service is also used as an alternative to fines and jail terms when crimes are not of high magnitude. The criminals are rehabilitated by involving them in community service, in the community. The services may include cleaning of medical facilities, trimming fences among other work. Other services enforced to offenders include office work if the offenders are trained personnel. Some are taken to offer light labor in industries owned by the federal government or other government agencies. There are benefits which are associated with community service. One of the benefits is the reduction of costs of public work when offenders are engaged in community service and specialized labor in industries. The offenders offer free service to compensate for fine and the term of a jail term. Another benefit accrued from a community service operation is that the offenders come to learn in a better way how his accusations has affected the community and is, therefore, in a better position to reform. This is because the offender comes into contact with the community which he or she has offended by breaking the law. As his work, it becomes easier for him to come back to his senses and arrive at a reform much quicker than when he or she is behind the prison bars. The community service also helps the offender to learn more on technical skills which are used in performing various jobs or activities. These skills taught during the community service operation helps the offender to become a self-reliable person in the future when he or she is set free. If the offender were taken into the court because of stealing, it may be probable he or she did not have something like a job which he or she could have used to earn a living. Therefore, this community service becomes very essential in bringing reforms to offenders. Parole, probation and community service are terms or conditions which offenders serves outside the jail or prison. There are, however, differences between jails and prisons (Hall). Prisons are used to confine suspects of crimes whose cases have not yet been heard in the courts of law. They remain just suspects and are; therefore, innocent as their guiltiness has not yet been established. On the other hand, prisons are used to hold the offenders whose cases have already been decided in the court. They are, therefore, places for those who have been found guilty of crimes. Most of the world prisons hold suspects of crimes with a long term sentences. Their correction comes in a hard way, and it is more difficult compared to others. Jails are also used to confine those offenders who are serving a short term sentences which are usually under one year. Jails and prisons are used as correction centers in different ways. For juveniles, they are provided with basic education same as the ones they could have acquired in their homes. Most of the countries offer technical educations and also a full curriculum form of education. This is meant to equip prisoners with skills so that when they are released they can take part in activities which contributes positively in building the nation. There are, however, challenges which affect jails and prisons as centers of correction. The main challenge is the growing number of inmates all over the nations of the world. Different countries are coming up with ways of correcting this challenge such as expansion of prisons and allowing minor offenders to work in community service, be in probation or parole.   Works Cited Bogue, Brad M., Anjali Nandi and Arthur E. Jongsma. The Probation and Parole Treatment Planner. New Jersey: John WIley & SOns, Inc, 2003. Hall, Daron. "Jails VS. Prisons." n.d. Aca.org. 23 April 2014 . Maruschak, Laura M. and Erika Parks. "Probation and Parole in the United States, 2011." 17 April 2014. U.S Department of Justice. 23 April 2014 . Samaha, Joel. Criminal Justice. Minnesota: Wadsworth/Thomson, 2005. Sweeney, Emily. How Technology is Changing Probation Work. Boston, 2012. Read More