Rx FOR RECIDIVISM

Rx For Recidivism blends fact with fiction and suspense. It addresses a situation that has grown more urgent over time. The families live in rural, suburban towns far removed from large cities. These are stories of families that are rarely included in sociological studies. The lives of their children, whose crimes land them in the criminal justice system, are so unremarkable, in contrast to the high drama and spectacular criminal offenses that are happening in the large cities, that they receive little publicity. They are often the forgotten parents and children. They do not acclimate well to prison life, or to the alternative of probation that returns them immediately to an unstable home life. The result is twofold: if they are released on probation, the lack of a family and community support system almost guarantees a repeat offense. Or, after serving the traumatic months of a prison sentence, they leave prison 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 naiveté and inexperience of these young people. The reality of their circumstances can be harsh, and 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."