Question

Are there any ways that escapes from halfway houses could be better prevented? If so, what are they? If not, why not?

Answer 1

1. Halfway House- A halfway house is a residence for people either serving part of their criminal sentence or transitioning back into society after being released.

- There is freedom in Halfway Houses but still have rules and restrictions for residents, including treatment programs, work requirements etc.

- The ideal halfway house focuses on inmates for jobs and treating them for substance addictions

- The Bureau of Prisons make the decisions for which inmates go to halfway houses and how long they spend there.

2. Issues In Halfway Houses:

- The Halfway houses are improperly supervised and staffed with unqualified employees.

- There have been instances of violence, drug use and escapes.

- Profit companies run halfway houses to save money, this has caused further more problems

3. There are ways through which escapes can be prevented:

- Increase in oversight and motivation between society and the private companies.

- Introduction of legislation to increase government vetting of halfway houses, including meaningful ways to track facility conditions and processes.

- Ending the practice instead of sending former inmates to companies that view them as profit margins as opposed to people in need of rehabilitation and reintegration.

- Financially incentivize lower recidivism (The act of a person to repeat an undesirable behaviour) rates would be helpful.

- If financial pressure is forcing state governments to use for-profit companies for halfway houses, safety and security needs to be enforced to ensure success rates at these institutions.