Introduction
Halfway houses and correctional facilities are integral to the rehabilitation period for different vulnerable groups. For all the different types of these institutions, they have a common goal, which is to help people with different backgrounds to socialize. These centers are supposed to provide their visitors with access to the necessary basic benefits, including education, medical, and psychological support.
Main Body
The functions that correctional facilities perform in society are aimed at helping members of vulnerable groups to adapt to a normal way of life.
First-time offenders who are able-bodied and mentally healthy and have no drug or alcohol problems may be sent to correctional centers, but only if they have chosen this alternative to incarceration. This is also the case for inmates nearing the end of their prison term – if the court has ordered that their conditions of incarceration be reduced and that they be allowed to prepare for life in freedom. Those incarcerated in these centers must take a socialization course, attend a special education program, work (full-time employment), and perform free community service. Out of the money they earn, they pay for their stay at the center, court costs, and reimbursement of damages to the victim.
Halfway House, located in California, is under the authority of the National Council on Behavioral Health. The purpose of this organization is to provide employment and rehabilitation to drug and alcohol addicts. The main condition for membership in this center is the absolute sobriety of all visitors. The organization itself has a developed horizontal structure without much hierarchy. In the halfway house, there are several groups formed according to the severity and type of addiction, which individual specialists with psychiatric education supervise. There are also addiction specialists, rehabilitators, and therapists on staff, coordinated by several managers.
The California Correctional Center is dedicated to providing alternatives to incarceration for certain offenders. The latter are provided with more favorable conditions of confinement than those in the colonies (Cole et al., 2022). This facility reports to the Department of the Interior and actively cooperates with the state correctional system, which guarantees the appropriate conditions for prisoners. An important feature of the work of this institution is to provide conditions for rehabilitation not only for the convicts but also for their family members (Cole et al., 2022). The organization’s structure includes representatives of law enforcement agencies, human rights activists, volunteers, psychologists, and public figures (Cole et al., 2022). Police officers and local guards supervise offenders in both facilities.
The facility is financed for the most part from the budget of the State Department of the Interior. In contrast, various public foundations and the state Department of Social Policy support the halfway house. The main problems that people risk encountering within these facilities are psychological (Cole et al., 2022). People who are accustomed to a criminal lifestyle will find it difficult to adjust to a new rhythm of life, and the same applies to people with addictions (Gaines, 2021). Both centers offer professional daily psychological support for everyone to facilitate the process of rebuilding the body and psyche.
Conclusion
Thus, these organizations are a successful counterpart to traditional places of confinement, as they create a milder and more favorable environment for correction. A person is less likely to be aggressive or violent in a community surrounded by the care of different professionals. Moreover, an important factor is the opportunity to spend time with family members and undergo joint psychological therapy.
References
Cole, G. F., Smith, C. E., & Dejong, C. (2022). Criminal justice in America. Cengage.
Gaines, K. (2021). Criminal justice in action. Cengage learning.