The efficiency of the penitentiary system has been doubtful, as a huge part of prisoners go back to criminal activity after being freed. That happens largely because of the system’s sole concentration of punishment, which might be addressed by providing mental health services which will focus on reforming the attitude of felons.
The main drawback of the prison system is its concept of punishment with no or very little attempts to change the mindset of the criminals. In other words, while serving the punishment, prisoners only face cruelty and inhumanity towards them, which escalates their anger and desire to get revenge. Furthermore, lawbreakers are allowed to spend only a restricted time with close people, which further isolates them and leaves only the negative feelings. Eventually, after being released, prisoners become even more aggressive and tend to violate the law again.
For this problem to be addressed, the actions for correcting the criminals’ behaviour should be taken. By receiving mental help of any kind, felons’ perspectives can be shifted and aggression levels downgraded. For instance, a specifically trained psychologist can help to reflect on previous actions, and extended family sessions can reinforce some positive feelings. By doing so, prisoners will hopefully realize the moral bankruptcy of their intentions by the time they are released and abandon the idea of being a career criminal.
Ultimately, modifying the prison system and giving criminals some access to mental therapy might help reduce the levels of repeated law abuse after release. Helping with the rehabilitation might consequently lead to former felons having a successful career and content life.