Prison Education Program The major role of the prison is to correct offenders from repeating their previous crime by transforming them into law abiding citizens. The Missouri Prison records the highest rate of recidivism. Appropriate measures are necessary to curb this trend and ensure the released convicts become good members of the society. To achieve these two major processes are necessary. These are prison education system and a society re-entry program that helps the released offenders integrate safely into the society.
In the offender management approach, pathway to change is an important element that the Missouri correction department utilizes. By building cognitive skills the department has established the most effective intervention technique to address recidivism. The program aims at addressing issues such as decision making, successful relationships in the society and corrects thinking errors that result to criminal behaviors (Boehm, 2007). The cognitive behavioral program should target offenders’ attitude, anger, and beliefs. Peers, substance abuse, and they are more action oriented. These actions help the offender in replacing the negative actions and association with the new leant behaviors.
A better prison education program is the most appropriate and recommended correction method for Missouri prison. The program should involve providing the inmates with education and skills that enable them to secure employment opportunities once they are out of prison. The state government should launch a program such as PERU (prison education revolutionary unit) that will ensure inmates acquire more skills in Automotive, Information Technology, Welding, Culinary Arts, and basic Engineering courses (Jackson & Lyons, 2007). The program will improve vocational education by availing highly trained, experienced, and skilled educationalists that will positively influence the lives of the prisoners. According to the studies by the University of Missouri, it was found that inmates who earned their General Educational Diploma Certificate (GED) in prison had a higher rate of getting employment and, consequently, less likely to repeated crime. The research showed a 33% decrease in the likelihood of recidivism on the inmates who obtained a full-time job. Implementation of PERU will ensure that inmates acquire technical skills that will match the needs and preferences of the contemporary labor market and in a position to obtain employment. The PERU program will ominously improve prison vocational education and resolve the delinquent of recidivism in Missouri department.
References
Boehm, J. (2007). Missouri Makes Its Moves Move Toward a New Reentry Philosophy. Missouri Department of Corrections.
Jackson, J., & Lyons, K. (2007). A Plan to Reduce Recidivism and Improve Public Safety. Report from the Community Safety and Reentry Commission.
