Blog, SBoentaran, Thoughts

On Correctional Facility

Correctional Facility, as it is called, is a strictly guarded place where unfortunate convicted individuals are physically confined for certain period of times or even for life. Their lack of personal freedoms, the minimum standard of living conditions they receive and the lack of personal safety they sometimes have to face, are parts of the consequences they have to deal with in places that are also widely known as prisons.

The inmates’ activities normally circulate within the correctional facility's compound, namely performing group works or daily individual assignments, family visitations, workshops, recreation or spiritual times. Understandably, a visit to a nearby hospital to get medical assistance can already be exciting moments for them.

Whilst at the moment there are urgent needs to build a lot more new correctional facilities across the country, as number of inmates have far exceeded the normal capacity that those facilities can accommodate, there's as well a need to look into few other issues while the convicts serving their terms in prisons.

It is really a pity that many of those convicts, particularly those who are well educated and highly intelligent, are forced to be non productive during their terms that cause their minds idle and rotten over time. The question is how the system can turn these non productive times into productive ones, in which, the results of such productive times can provide meaningful contributions to the country.

Fortunately, a few percentage of prisoners manage to negotiate to get the luxury of obtaining further studies remotely, but then, only them who will benefit from their studies.

There’s a true story of FBI. Frank Abagnale Jr., a brilliant young impersonator who in 1969, at the age of 21, was caught in France, and was wanted by 12 other nations for similar violations. Before finishing his terms, someone in FBI, in 1974, turned Abagnale non productive times into his association with FBI in cracking down fraud crimes. He is now still associated with FBI while also running his multi million dollar legal fraud detection and avoidance consulting business.

Another FBI example, a computer hacker, instead of serving normal prison terms, he was serving under tight supervision in tracking other computer hackers while also completing his high school diploma.

The advantage of such system is that the convict remains highly productive while serving their terms, and the country receives meaningful contribution. It’s win-win situation. The key is that there should be a match between the convicts' abilities and the country's need, and it should be voluntary works in exchange of possible rewards of extra remissions.

The service shall not be seen or considered as additional punishment for the convicts, as based on the existing law the only punishment a convict shall receive is the loss of freedom.

If the judicial system is willing to identify the match, adopt the opportunity and use of idle minds for the good of the convicts and the country, then the true correctional intent can probably be achieved.

, Diperbarui: September 09, 2008.

Leave comments

Type it first, then click "Login ..." or "Posting".

« Newer©2021 FollowOlder »

Treat me for a cup of coffee, or just pray for those who make your life better.