Wilbert Rideau Analysis

This week I found the paper written by Wilbert Rideau most interesting to write about. Rideau wrote an essay arguing to convince us that the prison system does not work. The prison system was built and designed to house criminals who committed crimes for punishment, and to deter people for committing criminal acts. Rideau states, “Although prison is set in place to, ensure public safety it has minimal impact on crime, because the response is after the fact.” Rideau believes when criminals commit crimes they are in a desperate situations and their state of mind is distorted so they aren’t thinking of the consequences, or many criminals think they won’t get caught. Although the prison system is put in place to punish criminals, and correct their
behaviors does it really do the job? Many criminals that are placed in jail and released, eventually returns for committing another crime. I agree with Rideau that many, not all of the criminals placed in jail go in unskilled, uneducated, and impulsive. But while in prison if the inmates aren’t given the tools to better themselves in life and succeed, once they get out they go back to their old ways. Prison is not the cure all to ending crime. It takes a combination of correcting the behavior, and providing them with skills, and education.