I agree with Peter Moskos that prisons will always fail at their goal of reducing crime if rehabilitation is not separated from incarceration. Incarceration is a punishment, not a solution. It does not address the underlying causes of crime, such as poverty, lack of education, and mental illness. As a result, prisoners are more likely to reoffend after they are released.

The purpose of correctional institutions has changed over time. In the early days, prisons were primarily used to punish criminals. However, over time, there has been a growing recognition that prisons should also be used to rehabilitate prisoners. This is because rehabilitation is the best way to reduce recidivism and make our communities safer.

The primary purpose of correctional institutions today is to rehabilitate prisoners and reduce recidivism. This can be done through a variety of programs, such as education, job training, and therapy. However, many correctional institutions are not adequately funded to provide these programs. As a result, many prisoners are released without the skills and support they need to succeed on the outside.

A correctional institution is considered “successful” if it reduces recidivism. Recidivism is the rate at which prisoners reoffend after they are released. The lower the recidivism rate, the more successful the correctional institution is.

There are a number of alternatives to traditional prisons that have been shown to be effective in rehabilitating prisoners and reducing recidivism. These alternatives include:

• Halfway houses: Halfway houses are residential facilities that provide support to prisoners who are transitioning back into the community.
• Electronic monitoring: Electronic monitoring allows prisoners to serve their sentences in the community while being monitored by an electronic device.
• Home confinement: Home confinement allows prisoners to serve their sentences in their homes while being monitored by a GPS device.
• Work release programs: Work release programs allow prisoners to work in the community during the day while returning to prison at night.

I believe that the most successful alternatives to traditional prisons are those that provide prisoners with the skills and support they need to succeed on the outside. These alternatives include halfway houses, electronic monitoring, home confinement, and work release programs. These programs allow prisoners to maintain their ties to the community and to develop the skills they need to find a job and support themselves.

In conclusion, I believe that correctional institutions are obligated to rehabilitate prisoners who have the opportunity to be released. Rehabilitation is the best way to reduce recidivism and make our communities safer. There are a number of alternatives to traditional prisons that have been shown to be effective in rehabilitating prisoners and reducing recidivism. I believe that these alternatives should be used more often to help prisoners get back on their feet and become productive members of society.

In response to my peers, I believe that they made a convincing case for their positions. They supported their positions with appropriate resources and they addressed the counterarguments. I found the following points to be the most convincing:

• Prisons are expensive and ineffective. The cost of incarceration is a major burden on taxpayers. In addition, prisons are not very effective at reducing crime. The recidivism rate for prisoners is very high.
• Rehabilitation is more effective than incarceration. There is evidence that rehabilitation programs are more effective than incarceration at reducing recidivism. These programs provide prisoners with the skills and support they need to succeed on the outside.
• Alternatives to traditional prisons are more effective than incarceration. There are a number of alternatives to traditional prisons that have been shown to be more effective at reducing recidivism. These alternatives include halfway houses, electronic monitoring, home confinement, and work release programs.

I agree with my peers that correctional institutions should be focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment. I also agree that alternatives to traditional prisons should be used more often to help prisoners get back on their feet and become productive members of society.