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Social Work Speaks Abstracts

Correctional Social Work

With 1.6 million Americans behind bars and the cost of their care rising, NASW believes preventative services, alternatives to incarceration, and an emphasis on prisoner rehabilitation must be undertaken. Adequate services both inside and outside of the prison could reduce rates of incarceration and recidivism for the betterment of individuals and society as a whole.

A number of facts about the prison population, although disturbing, point toward solutions for stemming the growth in numbers of incarcerated individuals:

• People of color are disproportionately represented in the prison population.
• Substance abuse and mental illness underlie many offenses committed.
• An estimated 200,000 prisoners have severe mental disorders, while others have mental health problems that are undiagnosed and untreated.

Although the effectiveness of some practices to promote rehabilitation—such as helping prisoners maintain family ties and responsibilities—are known, the social work profession should identify others through research (for example, other options for dispute resolution, alternatives to prison, and effective treatments within correctional settings). In addition, social workers in correctional settings need specialized training, including the ability to communicate with prisoners from other cultures. Finally, social workers should participate in national policy debates, collaborate with other organizations that deal with prisoners, and advocate preventative efforts, including community-based services to treat addiction and mental illness before these become criminal justice issues.