There’s nothing worse than locking someone up for a given time and having them come out just to repeat the same crime. Hence the reason a system of correctional counseling is in place in just about every correctional facility. It starts with the juvenile delinquents and goes all the way to adults looking to change their lives and work their way back into society. It takes a strong individual to realize their wrongdoings and make an attempt to change their life. Correctional counseling is a good idea in just about every prison/ correctional facility. Here are a few reasons why we should encourage such counseling and its role in rehabilitating these offenders.
- Catharsis And De-Stressing
Prisons aren’t easy places to stay in. They are extremely volatile, and there is a considerable degree of violence that goes on in there. Prisoners are fairly stressed during their stay in a penitentiary. Having someone to talk to could play a major role in relieving their stress and helping them cope better in a hostile environment. A trained correctional counselor or forensic psychologist would be the perfect person for the job. A thorough idea of the criminal mind is important to properly engage with the client and let them speak their mind. Today, with many psychologists entering the market with online degrees, interested students can take advantage of the chance and get their online forensic psychology degree. Letting the inmates speak their minds once in a while will help them de-stress and work on improving themselves during their stay in the state prison.
- Reflecting On Their Actions
Time in the cell gives inmates the chance to reflect upon their actions and take responsibility for what they did. Solitude gives a person the chance to realize that they were wrong and how to fix the situation. Realizing that your actions have consequences is what the criminal justice system is all about. Without a change in these individuals, recidivism rates would be high, and repeat offenders would run rampant through society. Correctional counseling and reflective solitude profoundly affect the inmates and encourage them to right their wrongs.
- Opens Them Up To New Skills
Corrective counseling opens the inmates up to new ideas. One of the most common practices is for inmates to learn new skills. This allows them to develop skills and traits so that they can return to society and find meaningful employment. One of the biggest issues that inmates face is that they aren’t employable after being released from prison. There is a certain stigma that surrounds them, and they often don’t have the skills that most jobs would want. An open mind to learning through corrective counseling could go a long way in helping once criminals get back to normal lives.
- Reduces Depression In Inmates
It’s far too common to hear about inmates taking their life in prison. Depression is extremely prevalent in prisons, and a significant number of inmates fall victim to mood disorders. Not only does depression take a toll on the inmate who is thinking about taking their own life, but it can be contagious as well. Tending to depression is one of the most common roles of a correctional counselor. Though they may be dealing with hardened criminals, these are still people who feel human emotions. It’s important to talk to these people and gauge their emotions. This ties into our earlier point about catharsis. Once the inmate begins to communicate, you can work towards a therapeutic plan and relieving them of some of their symptoms.
- Encourages Other Inmates To Become A Better Person
If one inmate sees another making progress through counseling, they may be encouraged to take part in the same actions. One inmate has the chance to set an example for the rest, meaning that other inmates stand a chance to learn the principles of counseling as well. If they see that something is beneficial for them, others might jump on board to take counseling sessions as well. The more people that take part in the counseling sessions, the more they stand to benefit from what the therapist has to teach. Success stories of rehabilitated inmates need to be shown more often for other inmates to learn and acknowledge the benefits of correctional counseling
Conclusion
In this article, we have gone over several key reasons why counseling is important for inmates. With ideas ranging from learning new skills to reducing the prevalence of mental illness, all these factors are valid reasons why correctional counseling should be encouraged and why it plays such a detrimental role in rehabilitating inmates. Depending on the severity of the crime, a lot of criminals come back to society soon. It would be best if they came back to society as entirely new people, free from the remnants of their previous lives.
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