“People Will Figure Something Out…”
That title reflects a common attitude toward people trying to overcome personal challenges, like incarceration or homelessness. Many people think this way. Politicians and talking heads are quick to tell you so. This perspective on personal responsibility defines the social conservative in the United States.
Personal responsibility matters, but so do plenty of other things. Those ‘other things’ are the subject of this article.
In a recent online discussion, someone opined that we don’t need prison education programs. Why not? Well, people who want to better themselves will figure something out. Prisoners who want to get their drug use under control or overcome a learning disability, or learn a trade can do those things if they really want to.
What “Is” Versus What “Should Be”
Should people be left to their own devices? If not, what kinds of help do people deserve? And, how do you decide that? Perhaps some people automatically think about how things SHOULD be. They stop there. They don’t spend the extra time to think about why a program exists and whether it actually helps to solve a problem. Consider prisoner education for a minute.
Why do prison education programs exist? Shouldn’t prisoners be able to figure something out if they want to better themselves? Ideally, they would all straighten themselves out and never go back to prison. Many prison inmates have mental health problems, learning disabilities, and substance abuse problems. If they can’t get their drug use and mental illness under control, what are the odds they’ll be able to go straight even if they want to? If 100 inmates with learning disabilities, and probably with no job skills, get out of prison at the same time, some are bound to commit new crimes.
Even without barriers like drug addiction, learning disabilities, or mental illness, getting a job with a felony conviction can be tough. Add a lack of recent work experience and a lack of up-to-date skills…well, we have to expect problems.
However, what if job training really does reduce the crime rate? What if coaching on resumes and interviewing can help a little more? A little thought experiment will help illustrate an important point.
Going Back to Prison is Almost Normal Now
Recidivism, committing a new criminal offense and going back into the criminal justice system, is what many consider a real social problem. Nationwide, a majority of people released from state prisons end up back in trouble with the law within a few years. This problem can’t be solved by saying that prisoners need to take responsibility for themselves. The problem won’t be fixed by complaining about social inequality either. If you would like to know a little more about the problem of recidivism, take a quick look at this Bureau of Justice Statistics research.
Scroll down to Products and Publications to find updates on 2005 and 2010 studies of recidivism.
Programs that help inmates overcome problems that got them in trouble will help. You can’t say the programs will “work” because nothing is ever 100% effective.
We also know what increases the odds of reoffending. Neither self-control nor capitalism nor demons appear in this research.
Education can play a role in reducing the odds of people going back to prison.
Prisoner Education:
Suppose 100 inmates get out of the nearest state prison this month. There were no programs for them, at all. No counseling. No access to training behind bars. A year later that won’t make a difference, in an ideal world. In that ideal world, all 100 former inmates learned their lesson and behave. In reality, 40 of them have committed new felonies.
Now, what if there were programs designed to help those inmates stay on the right side of the law by getting jobs, staying sober, learning to read, and so on. Maybe a year later, we find that only 20 of those guys are back in prison, and 2 are wanted for crimes. Now, you’ve got 22% of your former inmates back in trouble with the law.
The Point
When politicians and pundits talk about reducing crime, they often focus on what they WANT — more personal responsibility, more religion, maybe lower taxes. For these people, criminals have self-control problems or personal responsibility problems. They’ll rely on our lack of time and lack of knowledge about the subject to try and sell ideas we don’t want to buy.
In a future article, I’ll share more information on lack of time, lack of knowledge, and low commitment. Many dubious policy ideas catch on because people aren’t that interested in the subject.
