in my opinion halfway houses can be a good thing and can also be a very bad thing.. i belive this because, as said in the video, theres very little security with these criminals, it doesnt matter if they have changed or have been on good terms, they could still hurt you. i think the halfway houses give the inmates too much freedom, like theyre able to get jobs and leave the building unguarded, i feel its not safe to our public or officers. on a second note it can be a good thing too because it gives them that second chance to prove that they are bettering them selves. it gives them freedom to go and basically rehabilitate themselves, i figured halfway houses as a rehab facility, it helps inmates better themselves and try to prove that they can be released back into the public.
I am with you to an extent. You think that halfway houses give inmates too much freedom and they are allowed to leave these houses unguarded. Yes it can be a problem, but its not like they are really going out on their own doing their own thing with no supervision. When they are released to work the boss of whoever they are working for has to come pick them up and check them out and once checked out they are under the supervision of that company or crew. They are under a watchful eye all day and they can not drive and when their shift is over they boss that checked them out must take them back and check them back in. I think there is a good amount of supervision for these guys while outside the house. Now am i saying things cant happen and there are loopholes these guys can jump through, no. Things can happen and we can probably take better steps to minimize that.USA456
True there are some type of loopholes that the inmate can jump through. And when they go to work that is some type of freedom and safe heaven for them. The problem is when they come back to the halfway house. The halfway house system is more down than up and i believe its a waste of time. cancer80-456
right... i just think we spend to much money storing these inmates in these facility and i think they are rewarded to much freedom, youre a criminal and i believe they should serve their full time in the prison or jail then can be released. i feel too much is given to our inmates.
How can they prove that they are able to rejoin society by not being part of society. That is the point of a halfway house. I agree there needs to be some supervison but the point is to reintegrate them back into society which involves giving them more freedom. If you are against giving them more freedom, why let them out of prison to go to halfway house to begin with? ISP456
As informative as this video was, I believe that it was biased. I do not think that the reporter was trying to say that halfway houses are a bad thing, I just think that he was stating there are many problems with them at this time. From his reporting he has found that there is significant gang activity, drug use, sexual assaults, and escapes while under the supervision of halfway house employees. These employees are making just over minimum wage and are outnumbered roughly 150 to 1. They have very minimal training.. I believe he said they get 8 days of training by the state for this job and corrections officers go through 15 weeks. To me this does not make much sense because these inmates/parolees have many more freedoms than inmates in prison. they can for the most part come and go as they please so why would these employees not be welcomed to the same training or similar training as corrections officers. Another interesting aspect he found was that there have really been no studies to support recidivism from the "rehab" or programs in these houses. Those are just a few of the negatives he touched on in his interview. The positives in my opinion on halfway houses are that it keeps inmates out of typical confinement to where they have the means to become a productive member of society. I know from personal experience working with an inmate living in a halfway house that they can definitely be productive members of society and this particular individual was one of the hardest workers i have come across. He had been exposed to drug rehabilitation which seemed to work and he would work from 8-12 hour days and never complained and worked great side by side with the rest of the crew. He was grateful for the opportunity to learn a new trade that he can carry with him after serving his time and help him find a job once released. Opening up beds in our jails and prisons can be a good economic booster as well from what he said in the report. Releasing inmates to halfway houses can save up to 50% of the cost of keeping them incarcerated and they can move federal inmates in which boosts profit for the state. I think that maybe we have to take a more careful look at the inmates we are putting in these houses and make sure they are ready for being "independent". We should be careful to put known gang members in these programs as well and that may cut down on gang activity thus decreasing problems in the houses.USA456
I totally agree with you. All the violent crimes in the halfway houses because it is little security. And the inmates who's not there for no violent crime is mixed up with all the violent crime offenders. Keeping employment at the halfway house is difficult because they don't have the education background, pay is small, and their scared. cancer80-456
exactly what i said. theres barely any supervision in these halfway houses and inmates are rewarded way to much freedom. theyre still criminals they did wrong and i believe they need to serve there full time in the prisons or jails. we spend so much money just to keep them in there. but on a side note we spend a ton of money either way.
I agree with snakebite456 that violence within the halfway houses could be a factor of the minimal security that is implemented and also the lack of training that these security officers have. For example, these officers could interpret some behavior that could revoke their parole/probation, but in reality wasn't harmful at all. BadWolf456
Even though SOME criminals could be given too much freedom, this type of freedom is an opportunity for offenders to prove themselves that they can become integrated back into society. Yeah there may be some slip ups and offenders go back to jail, but the one's that really want to get their life back on track would do anything possible to not get their probation/parole revoked. BadWolf456
I agree with USA456 that having employees that have such little training and that are getting paid little as well is a negative aspect of these halfway houses. without good training and little pay some of these employees either dont know how to do in certain situations or they just dont feel like putting themselves in tough or dangerous situations because of how little they are getting paid. -Arrow456
I agree I feel like they have to much freedom there should be more security to supervise and lock them down. Also so they can prevent crime from happening in there. I agree with badwolf456 when they said it gives them the opportunity to become integrated into society and also get them to work with others better. T456
The halfway house system is dysfunctional... Department of Corrections not doing what their suppose to do... basically the department looks at it like the halfway house isn't on their radar so inmates and parolees are committing violent crimes inside halfway houses. The petty crime offenders are having difficulties because they are a mixed up with high level inmates. A lot of inmates rather stay incarcerated than be put in the halfway house. Inmates are free to walk around with little security and able to just walk out. And the employees don't nor can't take there job serious because they're scared and they're only getting paid a little over minimum wage. Keeping employment for the halfway is very difficult. My opinion is halfway houses are a waste for the tax payers and the inmates. 71 million funded to Department of Corrections, Parole Boards, and Different County Agencies.... REALLY ! Halfway houses get fined $5,000 for escapees and many are still at large ! cancer80-456
I dont necessarily agree with you. You say that the halfway house system is dysfunctional... yes and no. They are not all dysfunctional at all times. This video pretty much only said the bad things about halfway houses and didnt touch on the good. They are given a good bit of freedom, but you cant honestly think that they are under absolutely no supervision. I dont agree with when you say that they are a waste for taxpayers. What do you suggest we do with people out on parole? just throw them on the street and say hey buddy good luck. At least in halfway houses they have a little bit of structure and rules regardless if they are completely followed or not. They have some kind of reintegration into society without just putting them on the street. Another thing i believe is good is the guys on work release. They are helping better themselves and the community while making money for themselves and for the halfway houses/state. All around i dont think its a perfect system, however i do not believe that its a total waste of time and money. If it was i dont think these programs would exist. USA456
I agree with cancer80-456 that the halfway housing system is dysfunctional as it stands now their are way too many problems that they have to fix in order to make it acceptable housing for offenders. a lot of the problem comes from the employees they hire and the way they house the offenders. Many of the employees are inexperienced and are getting paid little to the point that the job is getting preformed lightly. -Arrow456
I also agree with the majority of these posts that these halfway houses can be either good or bad. I do love the fact that these half way houses are implemented for rehabilitating offenders. Since not every prison/jail do not have to luxury of having many programs to rehabilitate these offenders while they’re doing their time, they have to rehabilitate while they’re in the outside world after being locked up after so much time. Yes this type of housing is good because it helps offenders get back into society, but also bad because most of these offenders come out of prison worse than they already were. Especially with having more freedom and less supervision, these types of offenders could run rampant as long as they are abiding by these halfway house rules. It could be possible that these offenders could have an increased recidivism if these halfway houses are worse than the cells themselves. BadWolf456
I would have to agree with you.If you're going to leave almost 100 or more inmates in housing having free roam around society with recidivism almost some who deserve not to be in housing. Halfway houses are meant for reintegration persons who have recently been released from jail or mental institution. Shinigami-456
Offenders of violent crimes shouldn't have the option of going to a halfway house. I do understand that they have to be reintegrated into society, but I think them being in a halfway house is giving them too much freedom, too soon. The "runaway" rate of criminals who have escaped from halfway houses seems awful high. If they are running away, they are still a criminal... committing another criminal act. I think halfway houses would be more useful if they didn't mix violent offenders with offenders of less serious crimes, such as drug counts, probation/parole violators, ect. Maybe they should introduce a separate "level" of halfway houses so at the beginning of the stay they are supervised more and having to follow more guidelines, then if the offenders prove they can handle that, move them to less supervision, allowing them to work and visit with family after they have earned it. tay456
I agree with you about violent offenders shouldn't be able to stay in a halfway house at all,they need to remain in prison or a separate facility. Non violent offenders should but even still they all need supervision. I also agree that they should have to earn the right to work and visit family and/or friends. Love456
You make a good point, halfway houses should have separate levels based on the cooperation of the offender and their willingness to do better. Aside from that, I feel there needs to be different kinds of halfway houses, some that are suited for handling violent offenders, sex offenders and drug offenders. Have houses that a catered to a specific offense, to better rehabilitate the offender. BHS456
I didn't know halfway houses were unorganized and unsafe. My mother knew of somebody that stayed in a halfway house and i have a cousin that stayed in one and they both came out in one piece, I just assumed it was a safe and structured environment. After watching this video I realize that it isn't well structured and the security is low. That needs to change it should be more security and they should get paid the same amount as a correctional officer they're still dealing with prisoners who are able to go out and bring in weapons if they wanted to and harm others. I believe the Department of Corrections should be able too fine a halfway house because it should be no way that a prisoner can escape. Halfway houses need to be looked into deeper than they already are. Lots of changes need to be made. Love456
Like you, I also had the notion halfway houses were secure environments. I wasn't so naïve to think the people in them weaved baskets and sang songs together, but I assumed it was a stable place. Having watched the video I have completely changed my opinion on halfway houses. You raise I good point, there needs to be more security at the houses and have a staff that is better equipped and qualified to handle the kind of offenders at the halfway houses. BHS456
I was very surprised by some of the things that I learned in this video. I also believe that something needs to be done to fix these halfway houses. I think having them run directly by the Department of Corrections would be a step in the right direction. The intent of that would be more oversight which would have to improve the situation. ISP456
Halfway houses, too me at least, are programs that rest on the fence of being good or bad. On the good side, it is a great last phase for an offender to fully rehabilitate and reintegrate back into society. That last thought however only goes as far as the willingness of the offender to want to rehabilitate and go back to society. Not everyone is meant for a halfway house, those who are violent offenders and sex offenders shouldn't be released back into society. In my opinion, they need to be locked away and have to key destroyed. There are those offenders who would benefit from the halfway house, those who aren't violent offenders should get an opportunity to rehabilitate and become better. From what the reporter has to say, there clearly needs to be more improvements to security. A more formal training lasting longer than a week should be implemented and those who want to work at a halfway house need to be better qualified with some experience in the field. BHS456
I definitely agree with you. There are good and bad sides to halfway houses. They are meat for reintegration and rehabilitation. Although many halfway houses can give that to offenders because of the situation they are in. They do not have well trained staff or they just do not have enough staff. They also have limited to practically no funding. I also agree that violent offenders should never have the opportunity to be released. fdemt456
Halfway houses should be a place where offenders can go and get help reintegrating into society and get the rehab they need, they should be places where offenders and employees feel safe. Unfortunately these halfway houses are unsafe places ran by gangs, where low level offenders are mixed with higher level offenders, and recidivism rates are fairly high. Some offenders can be helped by halfway houses but most are still committing the same crime or committing new ones. High level offenders should not be mixed with other offenders, they should either stay in jail or have "special" halfway houses that have higher trained staff and security. Also more care should be taken on halfway houses so offenders are able to get help. fdemt456
This past week in class, one of the topics we discussed were intermediate sanctions. This video discusses halfway houses. I’ve always known halfway houses as a place convicts go after prison to reintegrate them back into society but in class we learned intermediate sanctions to be a form of punishment more severe than probation and less severe than incarceration—a middle ground. That is when I became a little confused because a halfway house doesn’t fall under that definition—or at least what I thought to be the definition of a halfway house. A quick look at my notes show halfway houses to be “residential community centers”. Maybe there are two types of halfway houses and that’s why I’m confused. Some things I found interesting in the video were when they mentioned that some of the residents of halfway houses would rather be in prison than in the halfway house. They also said they a large as prisons. I was very surprised by this, I’ve always thought of a halfway house as being just that, a house but shared with other offenders and having watchful supervision. In the video, they mentioned that escapes are one of the problems. Residents of halfway houses are allowed to leave during the day, mainly to go to work. They have to report back and stay there at night. Are they escaping at night and participating in unlawful activity and then returning unnoticed before morning? I think with the concept of halfway houses that they would work in theory but they clearly don’t if they have all of the problems discussed in the video. The point is to rehabilitate. How can someone be rehabilitated in that sort of environment? ISP456
Having halfway houses is a good alternative to housing prisoners in prisons. Looking at the recent boosts in the prison populations many prisons have been getting overcrowded with prisoners that many prisons cant afford programs of rehabilitation for the prisoners. Without these rehabilitation programs many prisoners get out of prison and what do they do? They go right back to the crimes that got them incarcerated in the first place since they didn’t get the help they needed to get back into society. A halfway house is their so that offenders can be placed their instead of housing and crowding them in prisons and so that prisoners getting out of prison can get the rehabilitation they need to reintegrate into society. Halfway housing can be a good thing but they have employees with little experience in what they do, are getting paid only $11 dollars an hour to house sometimes dangerous criminals, and that many of them are afraid of the work they do. If the companies that is in charge of halfway houses can fix this and other issues, then halfway housing could be an appropriate way to house offenders but if not why have them? -Arrow456
I feel like the half way houses definitely need more security, if the place is as big as a prison there shouldn't be two guards working all day more should be available. Also I feel like they should have some type of locks or cells for security use to prevent the gang activities, drug use, escapes, etc. I feel like better people should be working there instead of people working there with low wage because they barely know what they doing. It also can help in different ways and make people re-enter society better T456
It really depends on Half way house they are put in, it matters on much security or supervision they being pressured on or how many many others are with them. Some who have other reason of leaving the facility and who some oppose the idea of having kipped.They should find a better way on being kept on a restrain for other peoples protection. Housing cells should be placed inside the halfway housings to be maintained on escaping and to change the increase on recidivism. Shinigami-456
in my opinion halfway houses can be a good thing and can also be a very bad thing.. i belive this because, as said in the video, theres very little security with these criminals, it doesnt matter if they have changed or have been on good terms, they could still hurt you. i think the halfway houses give the inmates too much freedom, like theyre able to get jobs and leave the building unguarded, i feel its not safe to our public or officers. on a second note it can be a good thing too because it gives them that second chance to prove that they are bettering them selves. it gives them freedom to go and basically rehabilitate themselves, i figured halfway houses as a rehab facility, it helps inmates better themselves and try to prove that they can be released back into the public.
ReplyDeletesnakebite456
I am with you to an extent. You think that halfway houses give inmates too much freedom and they are allowed to leave these houses unguarded. Yes it can be a problem, but its not like they are really going out on their own doing their own thing with no supervision. When they are released to work the boss of whoever they are working for has to come pick them up and check them out and once checked out they are under the supervision of that company or crew. They are under a watchful eye all day and they can not drive and when their shift is over they boss that checked them out must take them back and check them back in. I think there is a good amount of supervision for these guys while outside the house. Now am i saying things cant happen and there are loopholes these guys can jump through, no. Things can happen and we can probably take better steps to minimize that.USA456
DeleteTrue there are some type of loopholes that the inmate can jump through. And when they go to work that is some type of freedom and safe heaven for them. The problem is when they come back to the halfway house. The halfway house system is more down than up and i believe its a waste of time. cancer80-456
Deleteright... i just think we spend to much money storing these inmates in these facility and i think they are rewarded to much freedom, youre a criminal and i believe they should serve their full time in the prison or jail then can be released. i feel too much is given to our inmates.
Deletesnakebite456
How can they prove that they are able to rejoin society by not being part of society. That is the point of a halfway house. I agree there needs to be some supervison but the point is to reintegrate them back into society which involves giving them more freedom. If you are against giving them more freedom, why let them out of prison to go to halfway house to begin with?
DeleteISP456
As informative as this video was, I believe that it was biased. I do not think that the reporter was trying to say that halfway houses are a bad thing, I just think that he was stating there are many problems with them at this time. From his reporting he has found that there is significant gang activity, drug use, sexual assaults, and escapes while under the supervision of halfway house employees. These employees are making just over minimum wage and are outnumbered roughly 150 to 1. They have very minimal training.. I believe he said they get 8 days of training by the state for this job and corrections officers go through 15 weeks. To me this does not make much sense because these inmates/parolees have many more freedoms than inmates in prison. they can for the most part come and go as they please so why would these employees not be welcomed to the same training or similar training as corrections officers. Another interesting aspect he found was that there have really been no studies to support recidivism from the "rehab" or programs in these houses. Those are just a few of the negatives he touched on in his interview. The positives in my opinion on halfway houses are that it keeps inmates out of typical confinement to where they have the means to become a productive member of society. I know from personal experience working with an inmate living in a halfway house that they can definitely be productive members of society and this particular individual was one of the hardest workers i have come across. He had been exposed to drug rehabilitation which seemed to work and he would work from 8-12 hour days and never complained and worked great side by side with the rest of the crew. He was grateful for the opportunity to learn a new trade that he can carry with him after serving his time and help him find a job once released. Opening up beds in our jails and prisons can be a good economic booster as well from what he said in the report. Releasing inmates to halfway houses can save up to 50% of the cost of keeping them incarcerated and they can move federal inmates in which boosts profit for the state. I think that maybe we have to take a more careful look at the inmates we are putting in these houses and make sure they are ready for being "independent". We should be careful to put known gang members in these programs as well and that may cut down on gang activity thus decreasing problems in the houses.USA456
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. All the violent crimes in the halfway houses because it is little security. And the inmates who's not there for no violent crime is mixed up with all the violent crime offenders. Keeping employment at the halfway house is difficult because they don't have the education background, pay is small, and their scared. cancer80-456
Deleteexactly what i said. theres barely any supervision in these halfway houses and inmates are rewarded way to much freedom. theyre still criminals they did wrong and i believe they need to serve there full time in the prisons or jails. we spend so much money just to keep them in there. but on a side note we spend a ton of money either way.
Deletesnakebite456
I agree with snakebite456 that violence within the halfway houses could be a factor of the minimal security that is implemented and also the lack of training that these security officers have. For example, these officers could interpret some behavior that could revoke their parole/probation, but in reality wasn't harmful at all. BadWolf456
DeleteEven though SOME criminals could be given too much freedom, this type of freedom is an opportunity for offenders to prove themselves that they can become integrated back into society. Yeah there may be some slip ups and offenders go back to jail, but the one's that really want to get their life back on track would do anything possible to not get their probation/parole revoked. BadWolf456
DeleteI agree with USA456 that having employees that have such little training and that are getting paid little as well is a negative aspect of these halfway houses. without good training and little pay some of these employees either dont know how to do in certain situations or they just dont feel like putting themselves in tough or dangerous situations because of how little they are getting paid.
Delete-Arrow456
I agree I feel like they have to much freedom there should be more security to supervise and lock them down. Also so they can prevent crime from happening in there. I agree with badwolf456 when they said it gives them the opportunity to become integrated into society and also get them to work with others better. T456
DeleteThe halfway house system is dysfunctional... Department of Corrections not doing what their suppose to do... basically the department looks at it like the halfway house isn't on their radar so inmates and parolees are committing violent crimes inside halfway houses. The petty crime offenders are having difficulties because they are a mixed up with high level inmates. A lot of inmates rather stay incarcerated than be put in the halfway house. Inmates are free to walk around with little security and able to just walk out. And the employees don't nor can't take there job serious because they're scared and they're only getting paid a little over minimum wage. Keeping employment for the halfway is very difficult. My opinion is halfway houses are a waste for the tax payers and the inmates. 71 million funded to Department of Corrections, Parole Boards, and Different County Agencies.... REALLY ! Halfway houses get fined $5,000 for escapees and many are still at large ! cancer80-456
ReplyDeleteI dont necessarily agree with you. You say that the halfway house system is dysfunctional... yes and no. They are not all dysfunctional at all times. This video pretty much only said the bad things about halfway houses and didnt touch on the good. They are given a good bit of freedom, but you cant honestly think that they are under absolutely no supervision. I dont agree with when you say that they are a waste for taxpayers. What do you suggest we do with people out on parole? just throw them on the street and say hey buddy good luck. At least in halfway houses they have a little bit of structure and rules regardless if they are completely followed or not. They have some kind of reintegration into society without just putting them on the street. Another thing i believe is good is the guys on work release. They are helping better themselves and the community while making money for themselves and for the halfway houses/state. All around i dont think its a perfect system, however i do not believe that its a total waste of time and money. If it was i dont think these programs would exist. USA456
DeleteI agree with cancer80-456 that the halfway housing system is dysfunctional as it stands now their are way too many problems that they have to fix in order to make it acceptable housing for offenders. a lot of the problem comes from the employees they hire and the way they house the offenders. Many of the employees are inexperienced and are getting paid little to the point that the job is getting preformed lightly.
Delete-Arrow456
I also agree with the majority of these posts that these halfway houses can be either good or bad. I do love the fact that these half way houses are implemented for rehabilitating offenders. Since not every prison/jail do not have to luxury of having many programs to rehabilitate these offenders while they’re doing their time, they have to rehabilitate while they’re in the outside world after being locked up after so much time. Yes this type of housing is good because it helps offenders get back into society, but also bad because most of these offenders come out of prison worse than they already were. Especially with having more freedom and less supervision, these types of offenders could run rampant as long as they are abiding by these halfway house rules. It could be possible that these offenders could have an increased recidivism if these halfway houses are worse than the cells themselves. BadWolf456
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with you.If you're going to leave almost 100 or more inmates in housing having free roam around society with recidivism almost some who deserve not to be in housing. Halfway houses are meant for reintegration persons who have recently been released from jail or mental institution. Shinigami-456
DeleteOffenders of violent crimes shouldn't have the option of going to a halfway house. I do understand that they have to be reintegrated into society, but I think them being in a halfway house is giving them too much freedom, too soon. The "runaway" rate of criminals who have escaped from halfway houses seems awful high. If they are running away, they are still a criminal... committing another criminal act. I think halfway houses would be more useful if they didn't mix violent offenders with offenders of less serious crimes, such as drug counts, probation/parole violators, ect. Maybe they should introduce a separate "level" of halfway houses so at the beginning of the stay they are supervised more and having to follow more guidelines, then if the offenders prove they can handle that, move them to less supervision, allowing them to work and visit with family after they have earned it. tay456
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about violent offenders shouldn't be able to stay in a halfway house at all,they need to remain in prison or a separate facility. Non violent offenders should but even still they all need supervision. I also agree that they should have to earn the right to work and visit family and/or friends. Love456
DeleteYou make a good point, halfway houses should have separate levels based on the cooperation of the offender and their willingness to do better. Aside from that, I feel there needs to be different kinds of halfway houses, some that are suited for handling violent offenders, sex offenders and drug offenders. Have houses that a catered to a specific offense, to better rehabilitate the offender.
DeleteBHS456
I didn't know halfway houses were unorganized and unsafe. My mother knew of somebody that stayed in a halfway house and i have a cousin that stayed in one and they both came out in one piece, I just assumed it was a safe and structured environment. After watching this video I realize that it isn't well structured and the security is low. That needs to change it should be more security and they should get paid the same amount as a correctional officer they're still dealing with prisoners who are able to go out and bring in weapons if they wanted to and harm others. I believe the Department of Corrections should be able too fine a halfway house because it should be no way that a prisoner can escape. Halfway houses need to be looked into deeper than they already are. Lots of changes need to be made. Love456
ReplyDeleteLike you, I also had the notion halfway houses were secure environments. I wasn't so naïve to think the people in them weaved baskets and sang songs together, but I assumed it was a stable place. Having watched the video I have completely changed my opinion on halfway houses. You raise I good point, there needs to be more security at the houses and have a staff that is better equipped and qualified to handle the kind of offenders at the halfway houses.
DeleteBHS456
I was very surprised by some of the things that I learned in this video. I also believe that something needs to be done to fix these halfway houses. I think having them run directly by the Department of Corrections would be a step in the right direction. The intent of that would be more oversight which would have to improve the situation.
DeleteISP456
Halfway houses, too me at least, are programs that rest on the fence of being good or bad. On the good side, it is a great last phase for an offender to fully rehabilitate and reintegrate back into society. That last thought however only goes as far as the willingness of the offender to want to rehabilitate and go back to society. Not everyone is meant for a halfway house, those who are violent offenders and sex offenders shouldn't be released back into society. In my opinion, they need to be locked away and have to key destroyed. There are those offenders who would benefit from the halfway house, those who aren't violent offenders should get an opportunity to rehabilitate and become better. From what the reporter has to say, there clearly needs to be more improvements to security. A more formal training lasting longer than a week should be implemented and those who want to work at a halfway house need to be better qualified with some experience in the field.
ReplyDeleteBHS456
I definitely agree with you. There are good and bad sides to halfway houses. They are meat for reintegration and rehabilitation. Although many halfway houses can give that to offenders because of the situation they are in. They do not have well trained staff or they just do not have enough staff. They also have limited to practically no funding. I also agree that violent offenders should never have the opportunity to be released.
Deletefdemt456
Halfway houses should be a place where offenders can go and get help reintegrating into society and get the rehab they need, they should be places where offenders and employees feel safe. Unfortunately these halfway houses are unsafe places ran by gangs, where low level offenders are mixed with higher level offenders, and recidivism rates are fairly high. Some offenders can be helped by halfway houses but most are still committing the same crime or committing new ones. High level offenders should not be mixed with other offenders, they should either stay in jail or have "special" halfway houses that have higher trained staff and security. Also more care should be taken on halfway houses so offenders are able to get help.
ReplyDeletefdemt456
This past week in class, one of the topics we discussed were intermediate sanctions. This video discusses halfway houses. I’ve always known halfway houses as a place convicts go after prison to reintegrate them back into society but in class we learned intermediate sanctions to be a form of punishment more severe than probation and less severe than incarceration—a middle ground. That is when I became a little confused because a halfway house doesn’t fall under that definition—or at least what I thought to be the definition of a halfway house. A quick look at my notes show halfway houses to be “residential community centers”. Maybe there are two types of halfway houses and that’s why I’m confused. Some things I found interesting in the video were when they mentioned that some of the residents of halfway houses would rather be in prison than in the halfway house. They also said they a large as prisons. I was very surprised by this, I’ve always thought of a halfway house as being just that, a house but shared with other offenders and having watchful supervision. In the video, they mentioned that escapes are one of the problems. Residents of halfway houses are allowed to leave during the day, mainly to go to work. They have to report back and stay there at night. Are they escaping at night and participating in unlawful activity and then returning unnoticed before morning? I think with the concept of halfway houses that they would work in theory but they clearly don’t if they have all of the problems discussed in the video. The point is to rehabilitate. How can someone be rehabilitated in that sort of environment?
ReplyDeleteISP456
Having halfway houses is a good alternative to housing prisoners in prisons. Looking at the recent boosts in the prison populations many prisons have been getting overcrowded with prisoners that many prisons cant afford programs of rehabilitation for the prisoners. Without these rehabilitation programs many prisoners get out of prison and what do they do? They go right back to the crimes that got them incarcerated in the first place since they didn’t get the help they needed to get back into society. A halfway house is their so that offenders can be placed their instead of housing and crowding them in prisons and so that prisoners getting out of prison can get the rehabilitation they need to reintegrate into society. Halfway housing can be a good thing but they have employees with little experience in what they do, are getting paid only $11 dollars an hour to house sometimes dangerous criminals, and that many of them are afraid of the work they do. If the companies that is in charge of halfway houses can fix this and other issues, then halfway housing could be an appropriate way to house offenders but if not why have them?
ReplyDelete-Arrow456
I feel like the half way houses definitely need more security, if the place is as big as a prison there shouldn't be two guards working all day more should be available. Also I feel like they should have some type of locks or cells for security use to prevent the gang activities, drug use, escapes, etc. I feel like better people should be working there instead of people working there with low wage because they barely know what they doing. It also can help in different ways and make people re-enter society better T456
ReplyDeleteIt really depends on Half way house they are put in, it matters on much security or supervision they being pressured on or how many many others are with them. Some who have other reason of leaving the facility and who some oppose the idea of having kipped.They should find a better way on being kept on a restrain for other peoples protection. Housing cells should be placed inside the halfway housings to be maintained on escaping and to change the increase on recidivism. Shinigami-456
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