Countries Beyond Bars: A Cross-National Comparison of Punitive and Rehabilitative Methods of Incarceration

56 pagesThe culture of incarceration in the United States has long been rooted in punitive practices intended to punish incarcerated persons rather than to rehabilitate these populations in preparation for re-entry into society upon release. Alongside the high recidivism rates among prison populations, the United States is long overdue for an overhaul in prison practices, specifically pertaining to punitive practices of incarceration. Using the incarceration model of the Netherlands as an exploratory country of comparison, this research delves into varying methods of incarceration and criminal sanctions, primarily centered on rehabilitative measures of incarceration. While rehabilitative methods of incarceration assist in some aspects of post-release aid, it is through areas of community support outside of the criminal justice system that occur prior to incarceration that this research shows an effective reduction of recidivism and crime rates. By looking at alternate examples of incarceration in relation to published rates of recidivism in each country, this research works to call into question the efficacy of incarceration measures as a whole in easing prisoner reentry into society