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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.
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