Does rehabilitation work?
This past week, I had the opportunity of attending the sentencing of a person accused of murder.
During the sentencing, the magistrate explained the reasons the sentence she handed down to the perpetrator.
The judge said there were two main pillars on which she based her sentence.
The first was that the punishment should fit the crime he was accused of.
The second was the perpetrator’s age and prior actions before the murder.
Based on the fact that the accused was 18 and that it was his first offence, she felt that he could be rehabilitated.
However, there are those who feel this was very unfair.
They question is, where is the justice in rehabilitation?
A murderer can spend 15 years in prison and come out of there with better skills than the average man.
Why does the government believe in rehabilitation?
“The department wants to return rehabilitated offenders to society as healthy and responsible community members.
“Parolees who obtained skills in correctional centres are being provided with work tools and start-up kits to start their own businesses.
“These include welding machines, sewing machines, car wash machines and vacuum cleaners to create entrepreneurs and employment for parolees.
“Rehabilitation activities in correctional centres include correctional programmes, skills development programmes, as well as psychological, social work and spiritual care services,” says the department on its website.
Do these sound like services and opportunities people on the street have?
No, it doesn’t.
Even if they do have the opportunity, they have to pay for them.
Taxpayers are already feeding and clothing prisoners, turns out they are educating them too.
No wonder there are those who have resorted to committing crime just to be incarcerated.
Additionally, one should question if these rehabilitation programmes are worth the cost.
Do they actually work?
How many prisoners leave jail and go on to lead productive lives?
I don’t know because I’ve never seen the stats.
How successfully have these former prisoners reintegrated into society?
The choice of careers available to people with criminal record are limited.
So is their quality of life.
How many countries would grant visas to a person who spent 15 in the slammer for murder?
Not many.
So before we go on to spend even more taxpayers’ rands on rehabilitation, I’d like to see some proof.
I’d like for victims to get free counselling.
I’d like for children who were made orphans through crime to be given free education.
I’d like to see those who were not great academically, get a chance to learn some artisanal skills.
However, at the end of the day, no matter what we do or don’t do for prisoners, it won’t change the lives of their victims or bring them back.
We do, however, have options to do things differently.
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