Correctional officers

Aside from frequently putting their lives on the line, correctional officers are a combination of police officers, social workers, counselors, security specialists, managers, and teachers. A corrections officer oversees individuals who have been arrested, are awaiting trials, or who have been convicted and sentenced to jail. The purpose of corrections is to separate criminals from society in which they would operate. Corrections operate as part of the Criminal Justice system, providing housing and programs for offenders who have been convicted of crimes.

The government has imposed punishment as a means to control crime. There are four key justifications for punishing criminals: 1.Retribution, 2. Incapacitation 3. Deterrence 4. Rehabilitation. These four justifications serve as the goals of the United States correctional system. Retribution can be simply stated that when an offender commits a crime, he must be punished for his actions. Retribution serves as a means to keep the general public safe. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" quoted by Hammurabi's law (cited on the historical website), illustrates the philosophy underlying retribution. In so many ways offenders are punished due to the crimes they commit. You are locked up in a cell and you stay there until you go in front of the judge and receive a sentence if found guilty. Now, there are fines you must pay for certain crimes, community service is another consequence for a crime you have committed. No matter what the crime, you will have to suffer the consequences for them. Many people think of criminal punishment as a way to affect the future choices and behavior of individuals. Deterrence, can be defined as a theory that states that criminal laws are passed with punishments to discourage criminal defendants from becoming repeat offenders and to discourage others in society from engaging in similar criminal activity. Incarceration is the most common example of punishment in the correctional system today. Incapacitation can be defined as the act of depriving an offender of the ability to commit crimes against society, usually by detaining the offender in prison. If the offender will likely commit future crimes, then the judge may impose a severe sentence, even for a relative minor crime. Under the theory of incapacitation, for example, a woman who kills her abusive husband as an emotional reaction to his abuse could receive a light sentence. Why? Because, she is a one time impulsive killer who felt the driven need to kill by unique circumstances, She is not likely to commit additional crimes. So punishment is all up to the severity of the crime. They that know better should do better, right?

Rehabilitation can be defined as the goal of restoring a convicted offender to a constructive place in society through some form of vocational or educational training or therapy. To rehabilitate means to instill new values and core beliefs in the offender. It is a series of different programs being implemented to offenders in prison in an attempt to reduce recidivism. So according to this step, offenders have the privilege oppose to being locked up, to fix their problems and be sent back out into society. For the most part, rehabilitation is synonymous with interventions or treatment. Sometimes rehabilitation might be accurately called "habilitation." Habilitation in this sense can be referred to the correctional offender whose criminal behavior is the result of not receiving skills needed to live a life free of crime. Wither we use rehabilitation or habilitation it's still all the same concept that can be referred to correctional programs that are designed to change or modify the offender to help him or her, so that they can change life circumstances and improve social circumstances. Corrections implement this step on offenders by devoting considerable resources to the delivery of psychological treatment programs that are designed specifically to reduce re offending. Correctional officers use this step as a way to a clinical, educational, and vocational intervention.