The Jamaica Observer main story a few days ago highlighting the wish of a child to have her incarcerated father returned to her has opened the door to a very troubling problem.

My own unpopular view is that dangerous, violent individuals who pose a threat to the citizenry should be removed from society. No one else should be in prison. There are sentencing options that are being used successfully in more enlightened jurisdictions.

Prison is proving to be a revolving door, with people going in, coming out, and going back in. This is known as recidivism. My own research has shown that the main reason people return to prison is because, on release, they sometimes find the world a little different than they had left it. And to compound matters, their families have scattered and are unable to offer the strong support and accommodation they need to successfully re-enter society. They, therefore, have no option but to return to the old cronies and the illegal activities.

It is difficult to imagine the confusion and the distress faced by children when a parent or some significant member of the family constellation is incarcerated. They are, for all practical purposes, plunged into mourning. There is an immediate avalanche of negative events. Foreclosures, rent arrears, disconnections, premature termination of formal education, shame, abuse, early pregnancy, and others and these herald a new round of criminal activities. In addition, the number of children separated by divorce in this country is dwarfed by the thousands separated by this prison arrangement.

Prison is a corrupting, toxic environment. People are exposed to all sorts of cruelty and the perverting influence of some of our most sick, twisted minds. Many who leave are never the same again. The fact that I sell ganja does not mean that I can’t be a good father. Sentencing options include fines, community service, restoration of property, compensation to victims, and various forms of probation. Locking up offenders, feeding them, and watching them is proving to be as hugely expensive as it is impractical. Food For the Poor pays fines for a number of inmates each year, enabling them to return to their families.

In one of Her Majesty’s Prison Service briefings in November 2000, Martin Narey, director general, in England and Wales said: “…I cannot overemphasise the important role that families play in helping to achieve effective rehabilitation and reducing re-offending.” The Scottish minister who was present endorsed those sentiments. Minister with direct responsibility for the correctional services, Senator Pearnel Charles, Jr, has made it clear in several speeches, that he is a strong supporter of efforts to maintain strong family ties during incarceration. Under his watch, a variety of programmes designed to prepare those presently incarcerated and available for rehabilitation are now in place. The real regret is that the wider society is not getting sufficient opportunities to see practical examples of these programmes. Inmates are being trained, educated and provided with the wherewithal to re-enter society as contributing citizens. But not enough is yet available for everyone. Minister Charles needs more public support.

If I had my way, all people guilty of non-violent crimes would be assessed through a social inquiry report and appropriate punishment and sentencing be determined from the list mentioned earlier, then sent home to their families. They would work, pay their fair share of taxes, and comply with the details of the order from the court. Minister Charles is not in a position to make these changes. Adjustments will have to be made to the relevant laws to grant judges wider sentencing options.

Prisons are presently holding some of our most dangerous and fearsome characters. They weren’t born that way. They are the products of events like those which went viral on social media three months ago. Remember the two mothers whom most of us wanted to forgive because the poor things were just stressed? But the system as it presently exists is making a huge contribution to the further breakdown in family life and grooming the next generation of criminals.

Glenn Tucker is an educator and a sociologist. Send comments to the Observer or glenntucker2011@gmail.com.