The Power of Community: Redefining Rehabilitation for Offenders

 

Introduction:

In the pursuit of justice and societal harmony in the cacophonic world of today, a critical question emerges: What could be the most effective method for rehabilitating offenders? While imprisonment has long been the conventional approach, community-based recovery programs and community service prove to be compelling alternatives. This blog will, through a psychological lens, delve into these approaches, impartially examining their advantages while acknowledging potential threats and drawbacks. 

Surprisingly, community-based correction programs have been around for longer than imprisonment. The earliest such programs were used in England in about 1700, in which judges offered small-scale offenders ‘judicial reprieve’. This meant that the criminal would be convicted of the crime, but at the same time, would be given free citizenship with community service. However, it wasn’t until the late 18th century that the concept of incarceration emerged, with the first prison being built in Massachusetts, the United States.

The Human Need for Social Validation and Company:

As social creatures, humans yearn for validation and companionship, both psychologically and biologically. The isolating and depraved environment of prisons can exacerbate criminal tendencies, often leading to violent outbursts and re-offences. Community-based recovery programs fill this void by providing a sense of belonging, acceptance, and security within a supportive group. This atmosphere nurtures pro-social behaviours, significantly increasing an individual's chances of successful reintegration into society. By providing criminals with restorative justice systems and rehabilitation programs, Norway boasts of the lowest recidivism rates in the world– only around 20%! 

These programs promote interaction and collaboration, and bring to light the shared experiences among participants, fostering mutual understanding and empathy. Being part of a community enables individuals to realise and reclaim their identity beyond their criminal history. Thus, a much-anticipated shift in self-perception occurs, boosting self-control and societal dignity. This shift in self-perception is pivotal in breaking free from the cycle of criminal behaviour.

Moreover, community involvement offers a sense of purpose and sows the seeds of accomplishment. By participating in activities that are aimed at the betterment of society, offenders gain a renewed sense of self-worth. This boost in self-esteem can be a powerful motivator for continued rehabilitation efforts.

How does the Social Learning Theory support Community-based rehabilitation?

Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory posits that individuals learn behaviours through observation and imitation of others. In the context of rehabilitation, exposure to positive and appropriate role models within community programs can be truly transformative. By introducing offenders to a constructive environment that provides continuous training and demonstration, they acquire valuable skills, including coping mechanisms. Interaction with peers and similar individuals may provide new insights and ways of thinking of the world. Thus, allowing controlled interaction with society equips them with the tools necessary to navigate life outside the confines of criminal activity. Furthermore, such programs often incorporate educational components, providing offenders with opportunities to develop new skills and expand their horizons of knowledge.

Moral Development Theory:

Moral development, a topic of long-held interest for researchers, forms the foundations of community and social psychology. Lawrence Kohlberg, in his Moral Development Theory, suggested that individuals progress and develop through several stages of moral reasoning. Traditional incarceration or imprisonment often hinders this growth, offering limited opportunities for moral reflection. Community-based programs, however, encourage offenders to confront the real-world consequences of their actions; this fosters empathy, necessary regret, and a deeper understanding of ethical principles.

By engaging in meaningful activities that contribute positively to the community, offenders are allowed to make amends. Although these ‘amends’ may not compare to the gravity of the original crime committed, it helps offenders alleviate themselves of potential guilt and resentment. Somewhere, somehow, this helps them believe that they are mending the fabric of a society frayed by their actions. This process of restitution can be a crucial catalyst for moral growth, challenging individuals to reflect on the impact of their actions on others and prompting them to evolve in their moral reasoning.

Additionally, community-based programs often involve therapeutic interventions that focus on cognitive-behavioral techniques such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Unlike prison systems that almost always produce battered and emotionally agitated individuals that hold deep-rooted resentment for not only prison authorities but also the justice system, these interventions target underlying thought patterns that contribute to criminal behaviour, providing offenders with tools to challenge and reframe their thinking. By targeting the root causes of criminal behaviour, community based rehabilitation programs use respect, patience, and understanding, to reduce recidivism rates.

The Redemption of Robert Downey Jr: 

One of the most inspiring examples of successful rehabilitation through community-based programs is the story of Robert Downey Jr., the famous Hollywood actor. The actor stated that he spent almost his entire young adulthood and early career misusing and abusing drugs and alcohol. He was even arrested several times for high-profile crimes involving drug usage. In 1999, he was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment, after which he was granted parole. However, his prison sentence proved to be futile, since he reoffended twice within the next eight months. For several years after this, he sought recovery from numeus rehabilitation centers. Although his relationship with substances went through several ups and downs post-rehabilitation, there is no record that states that he re-offended after this. Today, he is one of the most successful and inspirational figures in Hollywood. And so, Robert Downey Jr.’s recovery through community rehabilitation serves as a reminder of the truly transformative power of support, understanding, and community.

References: 

Inslee, G. J. (2022, September 23). How Norwegian prisons prepare inmates to become better neighbors. Medium. https://medium.com/wagovernor/how-norwegian-prisons-prepare-inmates-to-become-better-neighbors-534409a90f33#:~:text=Norways%20rate%20of%20recidivism%20%E2%80%94%20the,Gov.

The evolution of community corrections. (2023, May 15). Kent. https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/sociology/criminal-justice/community/future-of-community-corrections

Recovery, D. (2022). Robert Downey Jr.’s heroic recovery: From addict to Iron Man. DreamLife Recovery. https://dreamliferecovery.com/robert-downey-jr-s-heroic-recovery-from-addict-to-iron-man/#:~:text=In%201999%2C%20he%20was%20sentenced,he%20visited%20over%20the%20years.

About the Author: 

Masumi Pradhan

Head of the PsyCreative Column,

Second-year student, B.Sc. Applied Psychology, NMIMS

Inquisitive and ambitious, Masumi Pradhan— born and brought up in Mumbai— believes in constantly exploring and nurturing her creative side, taking on new projects every opportunity she gets. Currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from SDSOS, she hopes to inspire other writers and artists around her while holding a light up to topics and ideas rarely spoken about on the daily. If not painting or writing poetry on everything under the sun, you’ll find her sitting at her her piano, playing yet another Taylor Swift song. Her most valued skills include communication and leadership, which she plans on honing further through exposure and experience in years to come.