Rx For Recidivism [Paperback]

About the Book Rx For Recidivism blends fact-based fiction with suspense. The story line addresses a situation that has grown more urgent over time. The families depicted live in rural areas, far removed from large cities. This demographic is rarely, if ever, included in sociological studies in the field of criminology. The every-day lives of the teenaged children of these families, the children whose crimes land them in the criminal justice system, are often notable for their struggle to survive economically in geographic pockets of poverty. Family farms are disappearing rapidly as are other employment opportunities for unskilled workers. Finishing High School is not always a priority. In contrast to the high drama of media accounts of perpetrators of criminal offenses in metropolitan areas, the exploits of small town and rural teenage felony offenders and their families receive little publicity. Once sentenced and incarcerated for one or more felonies, the 16-18 year olds from rural areas do not acclimate well to prison life. Nor is the alternative of probation preferable, as that returns them immediately to their unstable home situations. The usual outcome is predictable. If they are released on probation, the lack of a family and community support system almost guarantees a repeat offense. Or, if they complete the traumatic months of a prison sentence, they leave the institution ill prepared for the return to their unstructured lives on the outside. The cycle repeats, and they often become lifelong casualties of the system. Over the years, I have seen instances of exploitation of the naivet? and inexperience of young men who are facing the harsh reality of life as convicted felons. I believe their story must at last be told. Rather than continuing to prescribe institutional remedies that are almost certain to be a prescription for a return to a life of increased criminal activity, it is time to break the cycle and implement instead an Rx for Rehabilitation. l“Î