The Causes of Recidivism
Causes of Recidivism:
The fact that there are such high rates of Recidivism in Scotland suggests that there has been no sufficient action to address the causes. It would be too general to assume Recidivism occurs as a result of factors that influenced any initial crime, or due to a single factor alone, although this may be the case in some instances.
Prisons:
One such cause of Recidivism is prisons. It is a common-held public view that prisons do not do enough to eliminate Recidivism, as I found from my questionnaire sample. Of 30 responses, 28 said that they felt prisons did not do enough to tackle re-offending.1 Evidence in chapter 1 supports this view.
It is part of the Scottish Prison Service’s mission statement to provide “correctional excellence” in which they look to tackle Recidivism as effectively as possible. However, if 31% of first-time offenders are being reconvicted within 48 months of release, constituting to 37%, more than a third, of all recidivists, then either prison or action beyond prison are failing.
Italian professor and criminologist Cesare Lombroso stated in his book “L’Uomo Delinquente” (The Criminal Man) written in 1876 that he believed prisons were “criminal universities”. By this, he meant that prison might simply act as a criminal education rather than a form of punishment or rehabilitation. This belief is very credible due to the exposure in prison to renowned and experienced criminals – hardened criminals as they a referred to - and the criminal culture and environment of prisons. This would go some way to explaining why so many first-time offenders are reconvicted within four years of release, having been influenced by those of a criminal nature around them.2
Prisons may also fail in their attempts to fulfil their aims. One aim is to rehabilitate criminals. A potential stumbling block is that some people - despite perhaps showing promise in certain rehabilitation programmes - simply do not change or cannot remain
The fact that there are such high rates of Recidivism in Scotland suggests that there has been no sufficient action to address the causes. It would be too general to assume Recidivism occurs as a result of factors that influenced any initial crime, or due to a single factor alone, although this may be the case in some instances.
Prisons:
One such cause of Recidivism is prisons. It is a common-held public view that prisons do not do enough to eliminate Recidivism, as I found from my questionnaire sample. Of 30 responses, 28 said that they felt prisons did not do enough to tackle re-offending.1 Evidence in chapter 1 supports this view.
It is part of the Scottish Prison Service’s mission statement to provide “correctional excellence” in which they look to tackle Recidivism as effectively as possible. However, if 31% of first-time offenders are being reconvicted within 48 months of release, constituting to 37%, more than a third, of all recidivists, then either prison or action beyond prison are failing.
Italian professor and criminologist Cesare Lombroso stated in his book “L’Uomo Delinquente” (The Criminal Man) written in 1876 that he believed prisons were “criminal universities”. By this, he meant that prison might simply act as a criminal education rather than a form of punishment or rehabilitation. This belief is very credible due to the exposure in prison to renowned and experienced criminals – hardened criminals as they a referred to - and the criminal culture and environment of prisons. This would go some way to explaining why so many first-time offenders are reconvicted within four years of release, having been influenced by those of a criminal nature around them.2
Prisons may also fail in their attempts to fulfil their aims. One aim is to rehabilitate criminals. A potential stumbling block is that some people - despite perhaps showing promise in certain rehabilitation programmes - simply do not change or cannot remain