“Failure to Rehabilitate: Investigating Criminal Recidivism and Prison Alternatives in Baltimore City” (160 words)

The Baltimore City Correctional Center (BCCC) houses about 4,000 Baltimore residents on the average day, making it one of the largest jails in the United States.  More than half of BCCC’s population is incarcerated on a non-violent offense, and the majority of these men and women have served time in the past or will return on a similar charge.  Some believe that the problem of recidivism is a reflection of the need for harsher consequences and longer sentences. However, statistics reveal that men and women incarcerated on non-violent charges are 50% more likely to return to jail on a repeat offense than those who complete an alternative correctional program.   Through analysis of academic literature and ethnographic study methods, this study outlines the successes and shortcomings of Baltimore’s correctional system, identifies alternative methods that have succeeded in other urban jails, and proposes a theoretical alternative program that could reduce recidivism, cut down on crime, and improve the lives of Baltimore’s citizens.  

Failure to Rehabilitate: Examining Criminal Recidivism and Prison Alternatives in Baltimore City

I am focusing on the problem of criminal recidivism in the Baltimore correctional system because I want to find out how the system could be reformed to help my reader better understand how the shortcomings of the justice system influence society as a whole.

Baltimore City is home to one of the largest jails in the country.  It also houses the highest percentage of the cities’ population compared to that of other jails – about 4,000 people on the average day.  (Walsh)  From I-83, it’s easy to see the small square windows, the heavy brick walls, and the razor wire of the Baltimore City Correctional Center (BCCC), but how many drivers actually consider the men and women locked inside?  I’m on that stretch of road nearly every day, and I can’t help but think about who might be looking out as I pass by.

What do most people think about when they think of a criminal in jail?  I know I’m likely to picture serious offenders, like those who have committed assault, rape, or murder.  The reality is, most of the people incarcerated at BCCC are being charged with non-violent offenses, such as drug crimes, property offenses, and probation violations. More than half have been locked up before, or will be jailed again.  (Walsh) The U.S. Department of Justice reveals that those who serve short sentences for marginal crimes are 50% more likely to reoffend than those who receive an alternative sentence. (Langan, and Levin 1)

Based on this information, I firmly believe that overcrowded prisons are not the answer to preventing or reducing crime.  I’m interested in examining what these alternative rehabilitation options are, and how non-violent offenders respond to them.  I intend to use both quantitative research to evaluate correctional programs in other states and counties to discover what methods have the highest rates of success.  I also want to consider quantitative information, such as personal testimonies from correctional workers and inmates, to learn what they believe the best route to rehabilitation is, and what barriers get in the way of assimilating back into society.

Works Cited:

Langan, Patrick A., and David J Levin. United States. Department of Justice. Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 1994. Washington, DC: , 2002. Web.

Walsh, Nastassia. "Baltimore Behind Bars: How to Reduce the Jail Population, Save Money, and Improve Public Safety." Justice Policy Institute. Washington, D.C. June 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. <http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/10-06_REP_BaltBehindBars_MD-PS-AC-RD.pdf>.

Word Count: 343

I am focusing on the topic of chronic reoffending in the Baltimore correctional system because I want to find out how the system could be reformed to help my reader better understand how the shortcomings of the justice system influence society as a whole.


I gave some thought to changing my topic, but decided against it.  I remembered Dr. King talking about how if you feel lost, you're doing it right, so I figure I need to stay on this path.  I'm still not sure how to revise my x-y-z statement to be more concise though.  


Here's my idea for a working title:


Failure to Rehabilitate: Examining Criminal Recidivism in Baltimore City

No conscience, or no options?

I’m writing this after watching coverage of Troy Davis’s execution, which has given me plenty of reason to reflect on the shortcomings of the American justice system, and in turn the failure of our correctional system.  I don’t feel that prison is an effective method of reform for criminals of any kind.  At best, it prevents convicts from inflicting suffering on the general public, but it does not appear to rehabilitate them or to deter people from reoffending.   The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, and all those locked cells aren’t even making a dent in the problem of crime. 

I don’t know any exact figures off the top of my head, but as a general rule, convicts who serve time in prison are extremely likely to reoffend.  With each subsequent trip to prison, the likelihood of committing yet another crime increases exponentially.  It would be easy to write off these criminals as bad or broken people who are incapable of being rehabilitated, but I think there is more than one side to this issue. 

How does the correctional system contribute to the problem of reoffending?  Given the long history of the prison system and the amount of money that gets poured into it every year, wouldn’t you think that they would have developed more effective methods of rehabilitation?  I think there must be something to be gained from having so many people consistently locked up, and the convicts aren’t on the receiving end of that benefit.

I know that there are education programs offered to prisoners to help them gain the necessary skills to live a crime-free life on the outside, but the recidivism rate remains high.   What happens to criminals once they are released?  From what I can gather, the parole system is in place to help keep an eye on people.  I assume they probably offer helpful resources to people trying to assimilate back into society, but I can’t know for sure.  It seems like a lot of the time, convicts are released from prison right back into the situation that got them locked up in the first place.  What’s really going on?  Do they feel like the system has already given up on them?  Do they often find their way back to prison because they know no other options?

I’d really like to interview some people who have gone through (or are still involved in) the correctional system.  How do they feel about the men and women on the other side of the bars?  What is lacking?  What are the reeducation methods really like? 

Obviously at this point I have more questions than answers, but that makes me feel confident that I’ve chosen a topic that warrants further research.

Word Count: 460

I like puppies and rainbows and cookies and...

I've always been a reader, probably to a pathological degree.  My parents used to fight with me to keep from reading books at inappropriate times.  I used to read at the dinner table, while cleaning my room, while in the bathroom, in the car, in church, anywhere I could get away with it and lots of places where I couldn't.  Any time I ran the risk of growing bored, even for a minute, I had to have a book on hand.  I am 27 now, and not much has changed.  Yes, these days I read via the Kindle app on my iPad instead of the good old-fashioned paperback, but I still read all the time.  Just a few minutes ago I was reading while I made dinner.  Once I'm done writing here, I'll resume my book while unloading the washing machine.  Reading takes me out of where I am.  Its not that my reality is bad at all, but books are so much better than the mundane tasks of pseudo-adulthood.

I read a lot of things, from junk food-esque novels (I read all of V.C. Andrews' Flowers In The Attic series a couple of months ago, and nearly injured myself from laughing too hard) to more respectable works of literature to biographies.  Regardless of the genre, it's always about people.  I love to read about authors before I read their books so I can see how they emerge in their characters, even if their work is fiction.

People are the most interesting things on this planet to me.  I always want to know/understand everything about anyone that I can.  Not just individuals though, groups of people, cultures, households, the folks that loiter outside of Royal Farms.  I used to think this meant I should study psychology, so I could learn about the human mind.  However, I don't like viewing everyone through the lens of mental health, or lack thereof.  People are far, far more complex and interesting than the DSM-IV could ever begin to cover.  Fortunately, I took a course to fulfill a cultural requirement and realized that the American Studies department was an excellent fit for me.

I work, too.  I am a copywriter for a company that raises money for non-profit organizations.  Basically, when you get those things in the mail with a picture of a child you could help, or from someone asking to donate money to help build a school someplace, you're reading my work.  I like it fairly well.  I spend a lot of time thinking of ways to make someone feel moved to give money to a cause, or writing about people's experiences with various organizations and how their lives have been changed as a result. While all of the people I write about have different stories, there are several common themes.  I'm particularly drawn to the issues of homelessness, poverty, and prison.  I want to understand why it's so hard to break out of the cycles of these three things, because it seems that a significant portion of our country's population is hopelessly stuck in at least one of them.

So, to review, I like books and people, and I want to be in everybody's personal business because it is endlessly fascinating.  I don't know how to make a career out of these things yet (which is something I have agonized over for more than a decade) but I feel like I'm on the right path to figuring it out.  For now, I'll try to enjoy the journey.

...or at least distract myself with a book.