Turning to criminal life again is common among offenders,bringing them back to serve in prison upon coming back. I am of the opinion that reoffending happens because of the existing judicial system, which solely focuses on punishment. However, rehabilitation should be used instead to put an end to the never-ending cycle of criminal behavior.
To begin with, when people are charged with criminal activity, they are placed in prisons where they are made to feel ashamed and useless to society, leading them to think only negative sides of their lives. In such an environment, it is obvious that they cannot become better versions of themselves or to learn anything valuable that would help them to start a new life after being released from prison. Moreover, even petty criminals serve their time in the same cell as murderers and felons. This,in turn, affects their mentality, ultimately urging them to become even more violent. These conditions are clear reasons why criminals return to prisons, instead of adapting to a normal life.
The only effective solution, in my perspective, is using rehabilitation to actually help them to be better. In Scandinavian countries, particularly in Sweden, for instance, this practice has been used for over a decade now, proving its effectiveness on minimizing reoffending rates. To be more specific, prisons with rehabilitation facilities offer prisoners opportunities to learn soft and hard skills, improve their knowledge and broaden their horizons with special courses and therapy sessions. These opportunities assist in finding a job once they are free , making it far easier for convicts to reintegrate into society.
In conclusion, the existing system of punishment for criminals is the driving factor for reccuring crimes. However, this problem could be solved by using rehabilitation methods, like those in Scandinavian countries,which have proven their effectiveness over the “punishment only” system.