Rehabilitation or Punishment
Should a person rehabilitate, or receive a punishment when he or she has been released from the prison? In many countries, there is no solution whether rehabilitation or punishment is more effective. Most of us will think that they should be punished, as they are more likely to repeat the history itself. But some of us would think that they should be rehabilitated too, as they should be given a second chance to turn over a new leaf. Both rehabilitation and punishment are important, but asking if which is more effective than the other, we still have to depends largely on the attitude of a person. Whether if he or she is likely to change, or strike again.
Rehabilitation is the re-establishing of one's reputation, as to help him or her to redapt to the society or a new job by vocational guidance, or retraining. By doing so, a person who has been released from the prison will reflect, and also feel regretted for what they had done. So if they are given a chance to change, a chance to start anew, and a chance to prove themselves as a person, they will work harder to achieve their new goals in life.
But all of these have to be judged by a person's character and attitude during the time they are in the prison. Through counselling and by observing their actions, we can tell whether that person is more likely to change for the better and if it is worth giving them a second chance.
Punishment is a requisite consequence for an offence done, by canning for man and being also jailed as well as being fined. By doing so, they will be reminded and also act like a 'wake-up call' for them, as well as other people who are planning to follow their foot steps.
We would not have punishment if we had rehabilitation. A potential criminal is much more likely to commit a crime if they know that they would not be punished for it. After the punishment, they will then start to reflect and decide for themselves.
Before we punish them, we have to know what kind of crime they have done. Many prisoners suffered from psychiatric disorders and had long histories of drug addiction, alcoholism, and trauma. We learnt that rehabilitation is more effective than punishment to this kind of prisoners. They need more care from their family member, friends and including the society. If we choose to punish them, we would be unable to learn from their mistake and continue to lead the life without changing.
Both rehabilitation and punishment are important. Rehabilitation helps to fix people who are unstable or are going through hard time in their life, and thus causing them to make mistakes. Punishments help to make a person realise that he or she should not repeat it. As for those without punishments, they will be more likely to incur an offense thinking that they would just have to go for rehabilitation. In fact, we think that both rehabilitation and punishment are required, that a person should go through punishment followed by rehabilitation.
For example, there was a case in Canada where a man who was drunk, thus lost his two daughters in a blizzard and had admitted he was wrong, and pleaded guilty. But the judge ignored the sentencing circle and gave him 3 years in prison. By punishing him in prison for 3 years, he will blame himself for it and thus loses his confidence, which will cause him to feel demoralized and lack of self-confidence in the future. We felt that the man should have stayed in the community since he admitted his mistakes, and moreover, he was drunk. Based on his attitude, we can see that he regretted drinking, and that he should be given a chance to stay in the community to help the society rather than staying in prison for 3 years which was wasting his time as well as wasting resources.
This make it effective as that person will be punished for what they had done, and starts to change, followed by rehabilitation which helps that person to re-establish their reputation and start a new life.
However, there is a need to be a mix of both. Firstly, sincerely offer the prisoner a chance of rehabilitation and the tools to reintegrate themself into the community; if they refuse or betray the society's trust again, the punishment must be harsh and unrelenting or vice versa. We are unable to give these people chances again and again.
Just take Singapore as for an example; we punish them at first by putting them into jail and after that, we give change to people who are willing to change. That is why we have the Yellow ribbon project to let them have a second chance and to be accepted by the society.
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