Prison Governance and Positive Reinforcement in Inmate Rehabilitation
Importance of Prison Governance
Although inmates are limited in their ability to enjoy various human rights, their safety is a critical concern. Prison governance is important because it helps to keep the inmates safe. The prison system is governed in a way that keeps society safe from individuals who may have committed crimes. Prison governance should ensure that the prisoners are securely confined to reduce the risk of potential public harm or escape.
Prison governance should be able to keep the prisoners busy to ensure they are rehabilitated from their negative behavior. The wardens should provide educational and therapeutic programs that occupy prisoners (Peirce & Fondevila, 2020). Such programs will help the prisoners identify the root cause of their negative behavior. They will also acquire skills to help them reintegrate into society upon release.
Prison governance is crucial, as it ensures the health and well-being of inmates throughout their jail term. The inmates need to be fed healthy meals and encouraged to engage in regular exercise. Meals are prepared cautiously, and the diet is planned to ensure a balanced diet (Weaver, 2019). The governance of the prisons ensures that food purchases are made on time and that sufficient food is stored in the stores to provide for the inmates’ daily meals. Therefore, prison governance is central to the safety and health of inmates.
Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement with the Incarcerated
Behavioral change among incarcerated individuals is essential to avoid criminality. Positive reinforcement works best for me because the desirable stimulus is incorporated into behavior modification (Weegels, 2019). The positive stimulus brings positive reinforcement into the inmate’s life, which may differ from their negative experiences in the outside world. Positive reinforcement is also better than negative reinforcement because it has longer-lasting effects on behavior change and focuses on the inmates’ positive and beneficial attributes.
Pros and Cons of Positive and Negative Reinforcement
The pros of positive reinforcement are that it brings a pleasant experience, and the inmates may feel motivated to repeat the positive action. The cons of positive reinforcement are that it is expensive to implement in prisons, as many inmates expect rewards (McLeod et al., 2020). The benefits of negative reinforcement are that it tends to have a lasting effect and will be recalled by the inmates for a long time. The cons of negative reinforcement are that it may cause the inmates to rebel and continue practicing negative behavior.
References
McLeod, K. E., Butler, A., Young, J. T., Southalan, L., Borschmann, R., Sturup-Toft, S.,… & Kinner, S. A. (2020). Global prison health care governance and health equity: a critical lack of evidence. American journal of public health, 110(3), 303-308. Web.
Peirce, J., & Fondevila, G. (2020). Concentrated violence: The influence of criminal activity and governance on prison violence in Latin America. International Criminal Justice Review, 30(1), 99-130. Web.
Weaver, B. (2019). Co‐production, governance and practice: The dynamics and effects of user voice prison councils. Social Policy & Administration, 53(2), 249-264. Web.
Weegels, J. (2020). Prison riots in Nicaragua: Negotiating co-governance amid creative violence and public secrecy. International Criminal Justice Review, 30(1), 61-82. Web.
