Inmate’s Right to Rehabilitation during Incarceration: A Critical Analysis of the United States Correctional System

Abstract

Following recent studies into the U.S. Correctional System, it was revealed that more than 2 million men and women are incarcerated in the United States. This significantly high prison population percentage has made the United States the only country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Studies further show that the incarceration rate continues to rise because many released prisoners would return for violating parole terms or committing new crimes. Therefore, this paper argues that these are the results of the lack of an inmate’s absolute right to rehabilitation, which would prepare inmates for release. Granting such right to prisoners would compel the U.S. Correctional System to focus on rehabilitating inmates and ensure that prisoners are ready to overcome the barriers to reentry.