The United States of America is perceived as one of the greatest countries in the world, if not the greatest. We are known to have some of the best social and economic infrastructures, including healthcare, transportation, and education. However, for the past 40 years, our prison system has been our biggest failure. With 2.1 million inmates in custody and 4.5 million on probation or parole(Kaeble 2018), the United States prison system holds the largest incarceration rate in the world. No other country reaches these rates, which begs the question; Is the U.S. correctional system making honest effort change this. For years, the prison system in America has run itself under the ideology that retribution, deterrence, and incapacitation are more effective in changing criminal behavior than rehabilitation. Many issues can be to blame for America’s high incarceration rate, however, unsuccessful re-entry into society and the growing rate of recidivism heavily add to the problem. These factors are the result of ineffectiveness shown in correctional based programs. Therefore, the inadequacy of prison-based programs contributes to the challenges inmates face during re-entry into society, as well as the growing rate of recidivism.  

   Being released from prison is a thing many inmates dream of, eagerly awaiting their freedom from the time they are convicted. Contrary to what most people believe, inmates tend to feel timidity toward the outside world as they have adjusted to a life of incarceration, expressing that the thought of being released is overwhelming and brings them anxiety. “I was used to prison. It had been the only constant in my life. Freedom, on the other hand, made me feel lost and anxious” (Coffie 2017).  A study by the Journal of Criminal Justice reported that “The inmate group serving more than ten years since turning age 18 (long time group) was least prepared and perceived their readiness less positively (i.e., report feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or bitter) than the shorter duration groups” (Wolff, Shi, & Schumann 2012). Realistically, inmates who’ve served long sentences have more than enough time to prepare themselves for their release. This seemingly shows that the correctional system fails to provide efficient preparation to inmates while incarcerated.  

When inmates reintegrate into society, they’re often faced with a multitude of challenges throughout their transition such as lack of support from family, battling substance abuse and mental health issues, and difficulty finding employment. Family support is significant in the first steps of re-entry, as inmates rely heavily on family members and the community to not only guide them but to provide emotional and financial support as well as housing. According to a study by the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation “respondents placed greater value on the role of family in their reintegration process after their release from prison than they did when they were still incarcerated” (Naser & La Vigne 2008).  Therefore, support from family members plays a crucial role in the successful transition of one’s reintegration. 

In addition to a lack of support from family, addiction to illicit drugs poses a large threat to the success of inmates during the re-entry process.  Of the 2.3 million inmates incarcerated in the U.S., 1.5 million suffer from substance abuse addiction (The Nation’s Health). Studies show “In the first two weeks after a drug user is released from jail, the risk of a fatal overdose is much higher than at any other time in his addiction” (Vestal 20163). Inmates often see their time in prison as an opportunity to focus on their sobriety, hoping that withdrawal will solve their addiction (Treatment 1970). Although this helps in a way of reducing an addict’s tolerance, it does not diminish the desire to get high. Correctional facilities are aware of a large number of inmates with addiction problems and have made efforts to provide individuals aid by initiating prison programs like drug abuse education, RDAP (residential drug abuse program), and CTS (community treatment services) (Gonzales 2020). Yet and still with these programs available, only 11% of all inmates with substance abuse and addiction disorders receive any treatment during their incarceration (The CASA Report). For inmates who have entered prison with a substance abuse problem, confinement alone does not solve one’s addiction.

 Upon release, ex-offenders are eager and willing to work, employers, on the other hand, are hesitant and unlikely to hire individuals with a criminal record. “Studies show when companies receive two identical job applications; one candidate having a criminal record and the other not, the formerly incarcerated candidate is less likely to get an interview” (Holodny 2017). While the stigma of ex-convicts makes finding work with a record burdensome, inmates’ lack of basic employment skills makes it worse. As the outside world evolves, jobs that required a certain set of skills may have changed as well. For ex-offenders who were working before their incarceration, they may have forgotten their skills not having an opportunity to utilize them over many years. Correctional facilities have placed vocational programs in prisons to teach inmates basic skills that will help them find work. Sadly, these programs have proved to be inefficient, and contrary to belief are not as easily accessible to inmates as it seems. To begin with, the Department of Justice found that only 5

2 percent of state and federal facilities offered vocational programs (Zoukis 2017). Secondly, 29 percent of respondents wanted to obtain vocational qualifications could not because there was no program availability. Seemingly meaning the issue is lack of programs, not lack of inmate interest (Zoukis 2017). Lastly, reports found only 7 percent of inmates receive vocational certifications while incarcerated (Zoukis 2017). By correctional vocational programs not being offered at every local and state prison, facilities are essentially denying inmates the opportunity to acquire basic job skills and experience. After release, finding employment is crucial to establishing financial security. However, with inmates lacking basic job training combined with the stigma of ex-offenders many will experience failure in their job search. This inability to establish stability and income leaves prisoners feeling hopeless, desperation begins to kick in ex-convicts tend to their old criminal ways, being they see it as their only route of survival. This is an example of how unsuccessful re-entry into society leads individuals to relapse into crime, greatly risking their chance of recidivism. 

Too often prisoners end up back in incarceration not long after their release. According to the U.S. Department of Criminal Justice, “More than 650,000 ex-offenders are released from prison every year; studies show that approximately two-thirds will likely be rearrested within three years of release.” Inmates being re-convicted for a new offense after having been released for a previous crime is called recidivism. Obviously ex-offenders who’ve been giving a second chance at freedom have no desire to return to incapacitation. However, an unsuccessful attempt at reentering into society can induce a return to crime (Simmons Staff 2016). The correctional system is becoming aware of the hardships inmates face while reintegrating into society and have put in place re-entry programs to better prepare inmates.  

Re-entering into society can be a difficult transition, however, it shouldn’t be. While there are many contributing factors to the growing incarceration rate, the ineffectiveness of the correctional based programs is seemingly the largest factor doing the most damage. Though prisons have implemented programs in preparation of re-entering society, it is proven that prisons show a higher significance on punishing individuals versus molding them into becoming law-abiding citizens.  By doing so prisons place a higher significance on punishing individuals rather than helping them become law-abiding citizens. 

“Employment-focused reentry programs have had little success in reducing recidivism. This means that prisoner reentry efforts that rely mainly on job training and subsidized jobs are not likely to succeed. We should not support them expecting that they will serve as a cure-all.” In conclusion, the inadequacy of prison-based programs contributes to the challenges inmates face during re-entry into society, as well as the growing rate of recidivism.