The National Student Loan Debt - 1571 Words

STOP. In the time it took to read that word, 3000 extra dollars was just added to the national student loan debt. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, college debt now ranks second in the greatest debt owed besides a home mortgage. Unfortunately, the affordability of obtaining a post-secondary education no longer exists. Americans are now faced with over $ 1 trillion dollars in student debt. With such a huge escalation in college debt, we are facing a generation where over 50% of graduates will owe debt (McDaniel). While having debt after graduation is reasonable, it’s unimaginably difficult to assume that anyone considered middle class, could repay the average 25,000 dollars of debt (Tuition and Fees and Room and Board over Time†). Unfortunately, this crisis hasn’t been expressed as a pivotal concern for many citizens. As a college student myself, I understand firsthand and empathize with individuals who are overwhelmed with college debt. I remember looking at the price tags of each college before I submitted my application. The idea of being burdened with debt for trying to obtain a higher education, didn’t make much sense to me. It was hard for me to grasp that in order to increase my socioeconomic status, I would have to take the risk of being buried in debt. Financial aid was probably the biggest factor I took into consideration when selecting colleges because I wanted to avoid graduating with debt. College debt is not a light-hearted matter andShow MoreRelatedSh ould Student Loan Debt Be A National Crisis?865 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough many people are considering student loan debt to be a national crisis, we must understand the reality behind it. Unfortunately not everyone is fortunate enough to make it through college without accumulating debt. In Robin Wilson’s essay, â€Å"A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely†, she makes a compelling argument that shows how students get involved with really high debt. She claims, â€Å"†¦the problem among students who go heavily into debt is that they are determined to attend their dream collegeRead MoreStudent Loan Debt Has Become A National Problem With No Solution2311 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction: According to CNN, â€Å"Almost 19% of student loan borrowers owe more than $50,000.Only 6% of borrowers had that much in 2001.† (Gillispe, 1). Why has student loan debt increased so much? Student Loan debt has become a national problem with no solution. Many students are borrowing more money to keep up with the rising cost of tuition in universities, leaving themselves with thousands of debt after graduation. Students after gaining this debt, have to find jobs to support it which can comeRead MoreEssay on Student Loan Debt Should be Forgiven1256 Words   |  6 PagesDoes the amount of student loan debt have an effect on the economy? If so would forgiving student loan debt help lower the national debt or would it just increase it? According to Mary Claire Fischer, a writer for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, â€Å"two-thirds of students who receive bachelor’s degrees leave college with an average debt of twenty-six thousand dollars† (Fischer). This means that the average student debt has doubled since 2007 (Ross 24). The total student loan debt is $1.2 trillionRead MoreStudent Loan Debt1074 Words   |  5 Pagesof Financial Literacy Available in Regard to Student Loan Debt This personal finance paper will concentrate on the insufficient amount of guidance that is available concerning student loans. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how prospective and current college students are ill prepared in their education and understanding of student loans. Three major issues that will be outlined in this paper include the large majority of college students are no longer able to pay for college out of pocketRead MoreDebt Is Every American s Favorite Word1294 Words   |  6 PagesDebt is every American’s favorite word. In America, the population has accumulated $19.4 trillion in national debt, thus why it is the nation’s favorite word. The debt has been collecting significant value throughout the years between various school loans, credit card debt and much more ways to create debt. The average American family owes over $100,000 dollars to the government. Debt is typically created by the different loans needed in order to live in a highly d eveloped country like America. EveryRead MoreThe Vicious Cycle Of Student Loans1576 Words   |  7 PagesCycle of Student Loans Student loans are one of the top three national debts in the United States. Total student loans have reached an outstanding of one trillion dollars and are still on going. It would take the United States hundred-fifty years, twenty million dollars a day to fully cover this national debt. Student loans are intended for students to go to college but they come with a rising social and economic cost. As the expectancy of high return and tuition are increasing, more students are endingRead MoreStudent Loan Debt Is A Negative Effect On The Future1349 Words   |  6 Pagesobtain once they complete school. Some students are required to change their career choices due to the overwhelming debt; examples of this could be they are required to take a higher paying job, even if they do not want to, so they can afford their previous choices (Zhang). Many years ago the notion of being so overwhelming in debt seemed unfathomable; but as student loan debt is estimated at $870 billion to $1 trillion, students’ willingness to acquire debt is strong and has no signs of slowingRead MoreForgiving Student Loan Debt Essay examples822 Words   |  4 Pagesamount of student loan debt have an effect on the economy? If so would forgiving student loan debt help lower the national debt or would it just increase it? According to Mary Claire Fischer, a writer for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, â€Å"two-thirds of students who receive bachelor’s degrees leave college with debt in tow† (Fischer). Among these students, the average amount owed is twenty-six thousand dollars (Fischer). There is a six month grace period after graduation to allow the student timeRead MoreLoan Debt And Voting For A Presidential Candidate1396 Words   |  6 Pagesrecommendation, and many students require loans to pay for their tuition. These loans may appear beneficial at first glance; they permit students to attend class without working an occupation, concentrate on their school work and possess a relatively low-interest rate which regularly does not take effect until after the student graduates. However, students often overlook the fact that they need to repay the loans in a timely manner. The future is difficult to predict if students will be in a superiorRead MoreHow The Rising Student Loan Debt1318 Words   |  6 PagesHow to Control The Rising Student Loan Debt The American Dream teaches us that if we work hard, earn a good living, and do our best that we will be able to live comfortably and happily with the fruits of our labors. In today’s society to achieve the American dream, one must first obtain a higher education. In order to do that though many students are taking out student loans and putting themselves further in debt. Having an education has now become highly sought after, yet increasingly harder

Prison Rehabilitation Comparison - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 16 Words: 4769 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Sociology Essay Type Case study Did you like this example? Prison Works. Discuss. Websters dictionary defines prison as ‘a place of confinement especially for lawbreakers; specifically: an institution (as one under state jurisdiction) for confinement of persons convicted of serious crimes. The idea and reasoning behind prison has been an issue of great controversy especially in the 20th century. It has been greatly criticised due to its apparent lack of rehabilitation and early releases of paedophiles and rapists, especially in recent news with the release and re-offence of known paedophile Craig Sweeny. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Prison Rehabilitation Comparison" essay for you Create order However recent data and statistics have shown a significant decrease in levels of crime both in the UK and US. This paper will attempt to give a balanced argument both in support and against the imprisonment system and attempt to answer whether or not prison does in fact work. Prison systems across the world will be looked at and a comparison will be made between systems in the UK and those in other countries. There is a lot of evidence in the form of statistics which shows a decrease in levels of crime and re-offending. Evidence from the US shows that as the likelihood of going to prison increases crime decreases. In the UK statistics show that increasing likelihood of getting caught and being put in prison reduces crime. However there is also the issue of there being serious flaws in statistics offered by the British Crime Survey (BCS). The BCS focuses on crime against an individual, thus eliminating all crime against a business or organisation, including fraud. It fails t o take into account victimless crimes such as drug offences and crimes such as murder where the victim cannot, for obvious reasons, be interviewed. Rape and other sexual offences are not included, an acknowledgement that many respondents would be unwilling to disclose this information. Crimes against people under the age of 16 are also excluded removing large numbers of crimes that are common among this age group, such as mobile phone theft and child abuse. There was also a significant change in the way methodology was carried out as new offences were added to categories of crime in April 1998. No distinction was made between new and old offences which made comparing new statistics to old rather difficult. This shows statistics and figures referring to crime should be taken in to account rather carefully as it is difficult to see whether this data is accurate. The Government has set out to reduce crime, but the evidence from a study comparing the policies pursued in the USA w ith those in England and Wales suggests it has adopted the wrong policies. From the early 1980s until the mid-1990s the risk of imprisonment increased in the USA and the crime rate fell; while in England and Wales the opposite happened: the risk of imprisonment fell and the crime rate increased. Then, from 1993, policy in England and Wales was reversed and the risk of imprisonment increased, though it remained historically low. Even this relatively small increase in the use of prison was followed by a reduction in crime. How do we compare with Europe? During 2002, concern about prison overcrowding led Britains senior judge, Lord Woolf, to discourage judges and magistrates from sending criminals to jail. When he made his statement the BBC television news announced that the prison population was rising when crime was falling and Britain already had more people in jail per head of population than the rest of Europe. The implication is that judges and magistrates are deploying a rather barbaric instrument when everyone else in Europe prefers a more gentle approach. But a closer look at the figures suggests a different interpretation. The proper comparison is not between the number of prison inmates and the total population, but between the number of prisoners and the volume of crime. A country with a high level of crime would expect to have to put more people in jail. And England and Wales have one of the highest crime rates among industrialised countries. (See above.) In the EU the average number of prisoners per 100,000 popu lation (unweighted) in 2001 was 87, compared with 129 in England and Wales. But if we compare the number of prisoners to the number of recorded crimes the EU average was 16.9 and the figure for England and Wales was 12.1. In fact, 8 out of 15 EU countries had rates of imprisonment for every 1,000 crimes that were the same or higher. Comparison with countries outside Europe reveals a similar pattern. In 1999, Canada had 123 prisoners per 100,000 population compared with England and Wales, but 15.9 prisoners per 1,000 recorded crimes. Japan had only 43 prisoners per 100,000 population but 25.3 per 1,000 recorded crimes. Australia, which had the worst crime victimisation rate out of the 17 countries in the International Victims of Crime Survey, had 108 prisoners per 100,000 population and 15.4 per 1,000 crimes. On this evidence prison in England and Wales is under-used. But does overseas experience suggest that greater use of prison would reduce crime? The best available evidence compares England and Wales with the United States, below. The Government Line The Government claims to be cracking down on crime. In the foreword to the white paper, Justice for All (July 2002), authored by the Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor, and the Attorney General, tough language was used to back up this claim: Too few criminals are caught or convicted or prevented from reoffending. Justice denied is justice derided. This White Paper is designed to send the strongest possible message to those who commit crimes that the system will be effective in detecting, convicting and properly punishing them. But does the evidence suggest that the Government has adopted the best methods for reducing crime? For at least 20 years until 1993 the Home Office was strongly opposed to the use of prison, but when Michael Howard became Home Secretary the use of prison was increased for a time against the wishes of officials. Subsequently this policy reversal was weakened and the long-standing bias against prison continues to influence policy today. Custody, in the words of Justice for All, has an important role in punishing offenders and protecting the public, but it is expensive and should be limited to dangerous, serious and seriously persistent offenders and those who have consistently breached community sentences.(1) However, the old Home Office policy of reducing the use of prison has been tempered by acknowledgement that community sentences do not adequately protect the public. This realism has led the Government to the search for tough community sentences that are a credible alternative to custody, including community sentences with multiple conditions like tagging, reparation and drug treatment and testing. It is imperative, according to the Government, that we have a correctional system which punishes but also reduces reoffending through the rehabilitation of the offender.(2) Consequently, a genuine third option is also needed in addition to custody and community punishment. The planned new sentences combine community a nd custodial sentences. The list includes a modified suspended sentence called Custody Minus, under which offenders will be automatically imprisoned if they fail to comply with the conditions of the sentence. Custody Plus involves closer supervision by the Probation Service on release for those sentenced to up to three months in prison. The period of custody and supervision combined will be not more than 12 months in total. Intermittent custody is designed for low-risk offenders and involves serving time at weekends or overnight, but working or training during the day. Seven aims of sentencing are listed in the white paper: to protect the public, to punish, to reduce crime, to deter (others as well as the criminal), to incapacitate, to reform and rehabilitate, and to promote reparation. In the heyday of the anti-prison consensus at the Home Office, incapacitation and punishment were very much out of favour. Some even denied that prison had a deterrent effect, preferring to regard all criminals as victims of social forces. The list shows how opinion at the Home Office has progressed. But has it absorbed all the lessons revealed by the evidence from overseas? If the Government really thinks that too few criminals are caught or convicted or prevented from reoffending and, if the real aim of policy is to send the strongest possible message to those who commit crimes that the system will be effective in detecting, convicting and properly punishing them, would an independent and rational person choose the policies set out in Justice for All? What evidence is available? If we increase the rate at which criminals are caught, convicted and imprisoned, can we expect crime to fall? Two kinds of experiment would allow this theory to be tested. First, two countries would need to pursue opposite policies: one would need to reduce the risk of punishment and another to increase it. If it is true that crime falls when the risk of punishment increases, then crime wi ll rise in the country that reduces the risk of being caught, convicted and imprisoned. Or, second, a single country would need to reverse its policy, either by increasing or decreasing the risk of punishment, to allow an historical comparison of the impact on crime to be made. In the social sciences opportunities for such experiments are rare, but for once we are lucky and both an international comparison and a single-country historical comparison are possible. We can compare the USA with England and Wales from 1981-1996 and we can contrast the impact of the anti-prison policy in England and Wales up to 1993 with the effects of the increased use of prison thereafter. The policies pursued in England and Wales were very different from those adopted in America during the 1980s and 1990s. In America over the whole period, a vigorous effort was made to incarcerate more criminals. As a result crime fell dramatically. In England and Wales, however, the Home Office pursued an anti-pr ison policy up to 1993, preferring community sentences. During this period crime increased dramatically. After that date, criminals faced an increase risk of imprisonment. Crime subsequently fell. Ann Widdecombe undisputedly a conviction politician answered the question posed on law and order by the Howard League for Penal Reform with characteristic speed. Speaking on the Tory party conference fringe, the shadow home secretary said simply Yes to the question Does prison work? Of course it does, she continued speaking in a packed hotel function room in sunny Bournemouth. When people are locked up they cant commit any further crime, she said. By taking the persistent offenders off the streets the one-time Home Office minister said a significant dint could be made in the crime figures. But enough of incarceration. Miss Widdecombe quickly changed tack. Prison does not do anything like as much as it should to prevent crime. It only defers crime, it does not solve it. Rehabilitati ng offenders was not, she said some wet liberal extra, it is necessary. If people spend any length of time in prison they should not leave without being able to read and write. Self financing prison workshops were the way forward, she said. Something had to be done, said Miss Widdecombe, to change a situation where prisoners were set to work to produce 1.4m pairs of socks for a prison population of 67,000 people. Speaking for the National Association of Prison Officers, Harry Fletcher said that if model prisons run to rehabilitate prisoners and reduce re-offending could be shown to work then they should be taken up nationwide. But he said that the present size of the prison population made him pessimistic that the system could be made to work in such a way. Speaking for the Howard League itself was David Faulkner. Although welcoming Miss Widdecombes words, he said he had heard similar speeches made by ministers and prison officials for the last 40 years. He then attempted to a nswer the question his organisation had posed. Tackling crime requires so much more than incarceration. Policies should be framed within a sound respect for human rights and framed on evidence and experience and not constructed by following populist cries for action, he said. In the past three financial years, however, the three main types of rehabilitation scheme psychological offending behaviour programmes, drug treatment and basic skills education have been funded to the tune of  £213 million, and are set to expand substantially again. Last year, 6,127 inmates completed offending behaviour programmes, more than 11 times as many as in 1994. That figure will rise to 9,000 in 2002. Another 16,000 are being taught numeracy and literacy the basic skills of more than two-thirds of prisoners are so poor they are automatically excluded from 94 per cent of jobs. Research shows that nothing succeeds in preventing recidivism more effectively than employment. ETS is now in use in 79 jails and a similar programme adopted from Canada at another 24. Peer-reviewed research by Caroline Friendship, a Prison Service psychologist, compares 670 inmates who went through these courses with 1,801 offenders matched by offence and social categories who did not attend a programme. All types of offender who had the treatment were significantly less likely to be reconvicted within two years. Among those judged medium-low risk, for example, only 18 per cent were reconvicted, against 32 per cent in the comparison group. The research concludes that prisoners who take the courses in 2002 can be expected to commit 21,000 fewer crimes. The effects of rejecting the bleak nothing works philosophy go beyond the courses themselves, to prison culture as a whole. The rapid spread of offending behaviour, drugs and education programmes, and the increasing involvement of ordinary prison officers in running them, means the old, militaristic ethos is breaking down in many prisons. Smal l signs point up deeper changes most prisoners address their officer tutors by their first names, for example. From the staffs point of view, convicts struggling to overcome dyslexia, or to analyse their worst past actions, are less easily dehumanised. To use a word from a previous era which believed in rehabilitation, albeit through religion, they have begun to appear redeemable. At the same time, as research from Canada has long suggested (see box below), prisoners on programmes are less violent, more sociable, and easier to work with. Im more outgoing, more relaxed, says Dave from the CSCP. And if someone calls me a wanker now, Im OK with it. Thats their opinion, thats all. It doesnt mean everyone thinks that. At Pentonville, all staff, not only those running programmes, attend an awareness course to learn what they entail. You see a prisoner develop, so your attitude to him changes, says officer Steve Oliver after one such session. Hes no longer the prat he was, so you treat him better. When you see a prisoner doing something you never thought he would, its an incredible buzz. There have always been people in the service prepared to treat prisoners decently, Narey says. But sometimes they might have felt they had to treat prisoners decently by stealth. Recently I took a guy into Wormwood Scrubs who had worked with Lord Woolf on his report into the [1990] Strangeways riot. He was astonished at the change. The best testimony comes from prisoners themselves. After 16 years inside, Dave says the changes are palpable. Its much less hostile. The medias constantly saying that society has got so much more violent. The funny thing is, its got less violent in here. Politicians and police officers complain about dropped cases and acquittals in court, but the facts remain that judges and magistrates are much more likely than they were a decade ago to send convicted criminals to prison, and they are awarding longer sentences. The stresses on the prisons are i mmense and they may, in the end, obliterate the good Narey and his staff are trying to do. The effects on the programmes are already being felt. Peter is on his third attempt to settle into the CSCP far from ideal for such a demanding programme. At Ranby, near Nottingham, where he started, the course has been closed altogether; he then moved to Dartmoor, where it met the same fate. He says he knows the course is valuable to him and may indeed be essential for release. But he is being forced to spend a year hundreds of miles from his family in the North. They cant visit me. And believe me, doing this, I could really do with their support. In other jails, overcrowding means prisoners are disappearing from courses just as they get into their stride. This first concern is substantive, that is, whether deterrence-based programmes are effective in reducing crime. Current scientific opinion on an international basis is that punishment through imprisonment does not reduce crime rates and, in some instances, even worsens crime rates. For example, in a recent review of 29 evaluation studies of boot camps, this approach was considered ineffective in reducing crime.1 Analysis2 of 50 studies from 1958, involving nearly 350,000 offenders, showed that prison slightly elevated the risk for recidivism. Also, lower risk offenders tended to be more negatively affected by the prison experience. Therefore, recent research has failed to establish a link between length of prison sentence and recidivism as predicted by deterrence theory. As a product of numerous factors, crime requires varying interventions targeting problem-specific areas. Best practice rehabilitation programmes are those that target factors empirically linked to the risk for re-offending. These include pro-criminal attitudes, problem-solving deficits and creating opportunities for education and employment. Evidence from a wealth of studies shows that the risk for re-offending is modifiable when such progr ammes are delivered. For example, recidivism rates in serious or persistent young offenders can be reduced by 40% in community treatment and 30% in institutional treatment.3 A second concern is methodological, that is, whether the right measures have been used. Incarceration rates should have been computed as the ratio of persons admitted to prison for a particular offence in a given year to the number of persons arrested for that offence in the same year. In this way, the likelihood of the results accurately capturing cross-national differences in the willingness to incarcerate is enhanced. By using number of prisoners in custody on a given day (stock data), the authors have confounded sentence length with imprisonment rates. Stock data often over-represent more serious offenders with longer sentences, with the potential for over-estimation of the propensity to incarcerate in those countries with higher serious crime rates. By contrast, the number of admissions to prison (flo w data) is not affected by the accumulation of more serious offenders, thereby allowing the separation of the propensity to incarcerate from the length of sentence served. For instance, in a comparison of the use of incarceration in US, Canada, Germany and England, Lynch4 found that, in terms of either population-based stock rates or population-based flow rates, the US was several times more likely than any of the countries to incarcerate for homicide, robbery, burglary, and larceny. For homicide, the US was incarcerating 7.5 times and 5.3 times more frequently than England and Germany, respectively. Flow rates based on police arrests revealed a different pattern, showing a broad similarity in the probability of incarceration for the offences. It appears that Saunders and Billante have not adjusted for variations in size of unsentenced prisoners. Failure to make a distinction can affect comparisons of stock-based incarceration rates since not all those held in a prison have been convicted of an offence.5 To minimise bias in comparative studies, police arrests, rather than crimes reported to police, seem to be the most appropriate data to use. One of the reasons for establishing the International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) was to provide an alternative mechanism to inaccurate police records on crime. The trends reported have not controlled for differences in the seriousness of crime across the countries compared. Countries could have similar crime rates but the nature of the crimes committed could vary. The ICVS (the fourth round, 2000) reported that ‘there was a higher than average use of weapons in the US, Spain, Scotland and Portugal.6 Guns were used more often in the US and Spain. Without standardising for such variations, it is incorrect to attribute differences in incarceration rates to punitiveness. Therefore, offence-specific analyses provide a better approach. Correlation between crime rates and imprisonment rates A third concern is largely empirical, that is, whether crime rates can necessarily predict imprisonment rates. Simple correlation analyses are insufficient for exploring the complex and multi-dimensional association between crime and incarceration propensity.7,8 Several studies have shown the influence of crime rates on imprisonment rates to be limited.7,9,10 In Canada, where the criminal law is the same across the country but administered provincially, Sprott and Doob 11 found that crime rates did not predict incarceration counts. Numerous and complex factors, such as the organisation of the criminal justice system and reward structure, need to be examined. More detailed analyses are required to substantiate Saunders and Billantes claim that ‘the rate of crime and incidence of punishment are closely associated. Conclusion The observed differences reported by Saunders and Billante in the propensity to incarcerate cross-nationally have been made in terms that are too general to serve as a useful and valid basis for policy guidance. Stringent requirements focusing on more sensitive measures and specific crime categories are critical. Analyses of comparable crimes minimise the effects of variations in crime seriousness cross-nationally, thereby yielding more credible results. Well-designed studies show that deterrence-based programmes are ineffective in reducing crime and the focus should be on developing rehabilitation programmes that do reduce the likelihood of recidivism. The case for Australia adopting the US approach to crime reduction through the use of imprisonment has not been established. It is common sense that the only guarantee of protecting the community from an offender during the period of a sentence is a custodial sentence. It has been calculated that over a quarter of offenders se rving community sentences will have re-offended at least once by the time an offender has served an average length sentence. The majority of offences are minor ones. For offenders who present a risk of serious harm, prison is quite properly used. Prison provides absolute protection from an individual only for the duration of the sentence. This will not always mean protection from crime. It was suggested to the Home Affairs Select Committee in 1998 that demands for drugs from people inside prison results in crime outside. The Home Office collects information on serious offences allegedly committed by offenders under supervision by the Probation service. In 2000, among those serving community sentences 103 convictions for very serious crimes were reported-about one in sixteen hundred of those starting sentences in that year. Better longer- term protection may be provided by community supervision. If prison has not done anything to change offending behaviour, it cannot be said in the long term, to protect the public. If community sentences are effective at weaning offenders away from a criminal lifestyle, they may, in many cases offer the most effective long-term protection of the public. It has been shown that even allowing for selection effects, prisoners released early under parole supervision are reconvicted less than those serving the whole sentence. For the Lord Chief Justice â€Å"many things can be done as far as offenders are concerned without sending them to prison which actually provides better safeguards for the public†. Lord Chief Justice Woolf 27.12.2000. Some community sentences offer more intensive supervision than others. Probation hostels can offer 24 hour monitoring at 50-66%% of the cost of prison. There are just over 100 hostels providing 2,200 places. ISSP for under 18s combines intensive supervision with close monitoring. The community surveillance element of the programme aims to ensure the young offender know that th eir behaviour is being monitored and demonstrate to the wider community that their behaviour is being gripped. ISSP schemes tailor individual packages of surveillance to the risks posed by each offender. They have available either: Tracking by staff members Tagging Voice Verification Intelligence led policing 12 We know from research and statistics that There is no clear relationship between the use of imprisonment and the rate of crime in the UK or internationally. The 12% increase in recorded crime in France between 1987 and 1996 was similar to that in Holland although the percentage rise in the Dutch prison population (143%) was twenty times greater than the French Incapacitation has only a modest effect. If a drug dealer is locked up, another will enter the market. If one of a gang of burglars is locked up the others may well carry on regardless. The Home office estimates that a 15% increase in the prison population produces only a 1% reduction in recorded crime. (Home Office) Properly designed community measures or early interventions are a more cost-effective route to prevention than imprisonment. The American Rand Research Institute found that graduation incentive programmes and community supervision were considerably more cost effective than prison building in reducing crime. People subject to community alterna tives commit no more crimes afterwards than people who have been to prison and in some cases the results are even better. The Home Office say there is no discernible difference between reconviction rates for custody and community penalties. 56% of prisoners discharged from prison and commencing community penalties in 1995 were reconvicted within two years. Reconviction rates do vary by type of order. 2 year rates for probation and combination orders were 59% and 60% respectively considerably higher than the 52% for community service. Reconviction rates for prisoners released after short sentences of up to 12 months were higher (60%) than those for longer term prisoners. Actual re-offending may be higher than that which is measured by reconviction rates. Crude measures of reconviction do not allow distinctions to be made between the seriousness of types of offence. Some individual projects report markedly better rates. The HASC concluded that â€Å"some evidence suggests th at the most successful forms of community sentence can reduce re-offending more effectively than prison.† HASC 1998. Since then, the most effective community supervision programmes have been shown to reduce offending 15% more than a prison sentence. The Wiltshire aggression replacement training programme achieved a 14% difference and the West Midlands sex offender programme reduced overall offending by 22%. Among the individual projects which report better results are Sherborne House and the Ilderton Motor Project in London; C-Far in Devon and two Scottish projects, the Airborne Initiative and Freagaarach. The Home Affairs Select Committee in 1998 found â€Å"the absence of rigorous assessment astonishing†. While the position is getting better, we still do not know as much as we might about effectiveness. As the then Home Secretary Jack Straw said in 1997: â€Å"We know that community sentences can be effective. But we need to ensure that they are consistently ef fective†. Research has confirmed the common sense view that offenders with no legitimate source of income, no settled place to live and or addiction problems are particularly likely to re-offend. Studies (e.g.) have found that a number of social factors affect the likelihood of re-offending. These suggest that successful approaches need to; Get offenders into work. In a comprehensive North American study getting young offenders into work was by some way the most effective way of reducing recidivism (Lipsey et al) Solve accommodation problems. A Home office study found that in Nottinghamshire 44% of those with stable accommodation were reconvicted compared to 62% with unstable accommodation (May 1999) Address and treat drug use. A Home office study found that drug use was highly related to reconviction in all areas; offenders with drug problems were more likely to predict that they would re-offend (ibid) Help with financial problems Research has found some relations hip between debt and reconviction (ibid) For some offenders, approaches are needed which deal with relationship problems and engage the question of peer pressure (ibid) All of these factors are capable of positive resolution through community intervention and likely to be made more problematic by imprisonment. â€Å"Evidence certainly exists to show that imprisonment creates additional challenges when prisoners are released- for example through loss of job or accommodation, or reduced prospects of obtaining either or both. (Home Office 2001). A research study from Scotland found that â€Å"the supervision of offenders in the community can bring about positive changes in behaviour†. (McCivor and Barry 2000). Reconviction rates were lower following the imposition of a probation order than before, the majority of probationers believed that their circumstances had improved since they were on supervision. In the literature on effectiveness, community based programmes hav e shown more positive results than those in custodial settings. (Vennard) This is not surprising given the then Prison Commissioners insight 80 years ago that â€Å"it is impossible to train men for freedom in conditions of captivity†. References 1. Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Lord Chancellor and the Attorney General, Justice for All, Cm 5563, London: 2000, p. 87. 2. Justice for All, p. 87. 3. BBC News: Does Prison Work? â€Å"yes†. Monday, 2 October, 2000, 14:15 GMT 15:15 UK https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk_politics/2000/conferences/conservatives/953257.stm

Disillusionment in the Stranger Free Essays

In Albert Camus’ The Stranger the Meursault is clearly disillusioned of life and two examples of this disillusionment occurred in the instances of his mother’s death and an offer to be transferred to another work environment. The novel The Stranger by Albert Camus portrays how Meursault is disillusioned about things that seem to be the most normal basic human concepts of understanding such as his mothers death. With his mother’s death, he seemed indifferent at the loss of her life in every way possible. We will write a custom essay sample on Disillusionment in the Stranger or any similar topic only for you Order Now He was so uninterested in her funeral that he remarked the following: â€Å"†¦ I can be there for the vigil and come back tomorrow night† (Camus 3). His mother appeared to slow him down. As if he felt he had better things to do. He claimed he never went to visit her in the nursing home because she enjoyed it too much. Nonetheless, he admitted, that the visit â€Å"took up my Sunday — not to mention the trouble of getting to the bus, buying tickets, and spending two hours traveling† (Camus 5). This shows the true lack of care in his mothers death. To further define his insensitivity, Meursault shed not even one tear in this part of the novel; moreover, he expressed no form of sorrow whatsoever. Secondly, Meursault’s attitude and reaction toward an offer to be relocated to a Parisian location was a monumental indicator of his insensitivity. One would expect him to accept or decline the offer graciously and respectfully. Meursault proved, again, to be unpredictable when he states, in regard to his then current life in Paris: â€Å"†¦ it was all the same to me† (Camus 41). Caught off-guard by his response, Meursault’s boss asked yet another question: was Meursault interested in a change of life? Unmoved, Meursault further retorted that one life was as good as another, and, furthermore, he wasn’t unhappy with his current life in any way. Meursault’s boss screamed at him, crying that Meursault never gave him a straight answer and had no ambition; his boss sad both of which were â€Å"disastrous† qualities in business (Camus 41). Both scenarios are synonymous in that they are prime examples of Meursault’s stolidity and relentless un-appreciation of life. In both cases he was unexpressive, unmoved in either direction: happiness or sorrow. The funeral director and Meursault’s boss were indeed taken aback at Meursault’s attitude. Neither, however, was successful in swaying Meursault and drawing him away from his uncaring way of thinking. How to cite Disillusionment in the Stranger, Papers

Disillusionment in the Stranger Free Essays

In Albert Camus’ The Stranger the Meursault is clearly disillusioned of life and two examples of this disillusionment occurred in the instances of his mother’s death and an offer to be transferred to another work environment. The novel The Stranger by Albert Camus portrays how Meursault is disillusioned about things that seem to be the most normal basic human concepts of understanding such as his mothers death. With his mother’s death, he seemed indifferent at the loss of her life in every way possible. We will write a custom essay sample on Disillusionment in the Stranger or any similar topic only for you Order Now He was so uninterested in her funeral that he remarked the following: â€Å"†¦ I can be there for the vigil and come back tomorrow night† (Camus 3). His mother appeared to slow him down. As if he felt he had better things to do. He claimed he never went to visit her in the nursing home because she enjoyed it too much. Nonetheless, he admitted, that the visit â€Å"took up my Sunday — not to mention the trouble of getting to the bus, buying tickets, and spending two hours traveling† (Camus 5). This shows the true lack of care in his mothers death. To further define his insensitivity, Meursault shed not even one tear in this part of the novel; moreover, he expressed no form of sorrow whatsoever. Secondly, Meursault’s attitude and reaction toward an offer to be relocated to a Parisian location was a monumental indicator of his insensitivity. One would expect him to accept or decline the offer graciously and respectfully. Meursault proved, again, to be unpredictable when he states, in regard to his then current life in Paris: â€Å"†¦ it was all the same to me† (Camus 41). Caught off-guard by his response, Meursault’s boss asked yet another question: was Meursault interested in a change of life? Unmoved, Meursault further retorted that one life was as good as another, and, furthermore, he wasn’t unhappy with his current life in any way. Meursault’s boss screamed at him, crying that Meursault never gave him a straight answer and had no ambition; his boss sad both of which were â€Å"disastrous† qualities in business (Camus 41). Both scenarios are synonymous in that they are prime examples of Meursault’s stolidity and relentless un-appreciation of life. In both cases he was unexpressive, unmoved in either direction: happiness or sorrow. The funeral director and Meursault’s boss were indeed taken aback at Meursault’s attitude. Neither, however, was successful in swaying Meursault and drawing him away from his uncaring way of thinking. How to cite Disillusionment in the Stranger, Papers

Contextual Factors Of Beauty And Fitness Centre - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the Contextual Factors Of Beauty And Fitness Centre. Answer: Introduction Contextual Factors are those factors which affect organisations differently based on their characteristics. Globalisation has been changing the way countries do business since many years. Australia joined the wave of globalisation in 80s until then Australia was practising mercantilism. But mercantilism gave rise to unemployment and high inflation, it was then that Australia opened its doors for global companies. This report will discuss about impact of globalisation on service industry in Australia and how as a contextual factor does globalisation affect the business strategy of a beauty and fitness business in Australia. As awareness of benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is increasing, Beauty and wellness industry has become popular choice for investment by entrepreneurs. Fitness industry includes everything from gyms and spas to beauty salons and male grooming(Business Franchise, 2014). Beauty and wellness Industry in Australia Wellness market of Australia has attracted lot of investment recently and has attracted lot of innovations. In 2014, IBISworld report stated that in next five years Australian fitness industrys revenues are expected to reach $ 3.4 Billion which includes personal training and weight Loss services(Business Franchise, 2014). Fitness and beauty industry has also seen a surge in employment, 25% increase in fitness instructors and 25% increase in beauty therapists since 2011(Australian, 2017). Internal Organisational Factors Internal business environment comprises of factors which are within the control of company and which impact the strategy it follows for success(Pestle Analysis, 2015). Following are some internal Factors and their effects on business: Well Trained Staff: Labour in this industry is the major determinant of cost. Labour comprises of personal trainers, instructors, customer service executives and marketing professionals. Beauty and fitness businesses are heavily reliant on labour which is the main reason of growing trend of unstaffed gym. These gyms operate 24 hours and saves wages as well. Well trained staff is key driver of a gyms success as demand for personal trainer is also on a high(Fitness Australia, 2016). Technologically Advanced Equipment: Its important to keep the latest training equipment. Although innovation in this industry is limited as exercises like cardio and weights generally are done by tried and tested methods. Innovations are limited to CrossFit equipment only. Location: Areas wide outdoor spaces and pleasant weather see lower demand for gym facilities on the other hand more commercial regions tend to use private fitness facilities more. Hence, fitness centres are mostly located in metropolitan areas and suburban shopping areas. So the location of Beauty and fitness centre plays important role in determining its success. External Organisational Factors External factors are those which affect the functioning of an organisation and are not in control of organisation(Root, 2018). Following are some external factors which effect businesses: Customers: Baby Boomers have started to retire now. This generation will now look for health and fitness services. Medical professionals are also referring their patients to health and fitness centres to treat and prevent chronic conditions. Government is also focusing on preventing health as a result of which there is increased interest in fitness programs at workplace, community setting and school. Increased obesity in Australia has also played an important role in promotion of fitness businesses(Whytcross, 2014). Political and economic environment: Economic slowdown of 2008-09 had affected the industry revenues. State government initiatives in schools, community centres and workplace are creating awareness health and benefits of attending gym. Policy decisions such as health fund rebates and FBT tax exemptions for businesses that provide subsidised fitness for employees will help fitness centres in getting more membership. Fitness industry in comparatively less regulated the new Australian Consumer Law covers issues memberships, making misleading communications and marinating consumers confidentiality. Competition: Online services weight management sites and nutrition guides are posing increasing competition to fitness clubs. Availability of beauty products from all over the world on online shopping portals is enabling buyers to perform beauty treatments at ease of their homes. As fitness industry largely serves the needs of locals extent to which they face international competition is limited to international franchise. Technological advancements: A lot of technological innovations are happening in the field of beauty and fitness like the bands which monitor daily calories expenditure, food intake and sleep patterns, workout DVDs etc. In order to maintain its customer base fitness companies will have to stay updated technologically because members are now more interested in benefits and results they can get by spending less. Business Idea This beauty and fitness centre will offer services of a gym, yoga centre, beauty and skin clinic, slimming centre and ayurvedic massage centre under one roof. This centre will be first set up in Sydney and subsequently in other parts of country like Canberra, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne. Globalization Globalisation is integration of economic activities due to increased integration of human society around the world(Mussa, 2003). Economic globalisation means exchange of goods and services from across the border, foreign investments, reduction in tariffs and relaxation in trade barriers and spread of knowledge and technology across geographical borders(Samimi Jenatabadi, 2014). Australia opened its markets for global trade in middle of 1980s and since then it has seen considerable growth in service industry. Service sector in Australia offers some of the highest salaries and contributes up to 50% in GDP. Challenges of globalisation Competitive Pricing: With presence of international fitness brands it will be very difficult for start-ups to sustain without offering competitive prices and discount offers. There is a growing trend of offering huge discounts on gym memberships in order to attract more customers. In order to maintain a competitive edge over MNCs it is important for start-ups to build their expertise and market their products well. No Industry assistance: Beauty and Fitness Industry does not have any protection or assistance from any kind of body. Although some local council also run fitness centres but they are also for profit entities. Competition: Since Australia is an open economy entry of international brands in beauty and fitness industry is also an obvious phenomenon. International Competition especially from Korean beauty products and international gym chains like Curves and Golds Gym pose a major threat to start-ups in this industry. They have the advantage of innovative and advanced equipment and internationally trained man-power. Internet: Online weight management programs have emerged and are giving competition to fitness clubs and availability of international beauty products on online stores at affordable prices has encouraged consumers to have beauty treatments at home. Benefits of globalisation Hollywood and beauty standards: Globalisation has standardized how people idealize beauty and fitness(Johansson Andreasson, 2014). Hollywood and some other international consumer culture have homogenised the way people perceive beauty and physical appearances(Jones, 2011). In addition to this, TV shows like The Biggest Loser have also contributed in growing awareness towards fitness. These trends have also created a new customer segment as males are increasingly getting conscious about their appearances. Social Media: More brands are now using social media to target the internet generation and to generate online leads. Presence on Social media also plays important role in giving worldwide recognition to a business. Increase in international travel and tourism has also increased mobility of customers, which means if they identify a brand from internet they will look for it and associate with it in other countries as well(Queensland Government, 2016). Franchise option with international brands: Many international beauty and fitness clubs like Curves and Golds Gym try to enter new markets through offering franchise. For start-ups struggling to build their customer base option of taking up a franchisee of international brand is a very profitable option(Business Franchise Australia New Zealand , 2008). Conclusion Contextual factors have different impacts on different industries. For fitness and beauty industry impact of globalisation is moderate but it is rapidly growing with growing awareness among consumers and influence of international cultures. For a start-up to survive in this industry it is very important to be technologically updated with innovative and advanced equipment. Growth of 24 hours gym is an innovative idea for tapping the corporate professionals, who do not find time to go to gym, and it also saves a lot of costs because it is mainly unstaffed. Franchising an existing multinational Beauty or fitness chain is also a benefit of globalisation it gives start-ups with much needed credibility but it requires a lot of investment. It can be concluded that globalisation has brought opportunities as well as threats for a start-up in fitness industry, but by developing effective strategies they can achieve tremendous growth in this industry. Bibliography Australian, T. W. (2017). Census 2016 reveals huge surge in fitness, beauty, barista jobs while manufacturing work falls 24pc. Retrieved January 6, 2018, from thewest.com.au: https://thewest.com.au/business/economy/census-2016-reveals-huge-surge-in-fitness-beauty-barista-jobs-while-manufacturing-work-falls-24pc-ng-b88636861z Business Franchise. (2014). A HEALTHY BOTTOM LINE. Retrieved January 5, 2018, from https://www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au: https://www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au/expert-advice/feature-health-beauty-and-fitness Business Franchise Australia New Zealand . (2008). N THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. Retrieved January 6, 2018, from https://www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au: https://www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au/expert-advice/special-feature-health-fitness-beauty-franchises-issue-25 Fitness Australia. (2016). Profile of the Fitness industry in Australia. Fitness Australia. Johansson, T., Andreasson, J. (2014). The Gym and the Beach. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 45(2), 143-167. Jones, G. (2011). Globalization and Beauty: A Historical and Firm Perspective. EURAMERICA, 41(4), 885-916 . Mussa, M. (2003). Meeting the Challenges of Globalisation. Journal of African Economies, 12(1), 1434. Pestle Analysis. (2015). Internal Factors that May Affect the Business Organization. Retrieved January 6, 2018, from https://pestleanalysis.com: https://pestleanalysis.com/internal-factors-affect-business-organization/ Queensland Government. (2016). Using social media to market your business: the basics. Retrieved January 9, 2018, from www.business.qld.gov.au: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/marketing-sales/marketing-promotion/online-marketing/social-media Root, G. N. (2018). Five Components of an Organization's External Environment. Retrieved January 6, 2018, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-components-organizations-external-environment-17634.html Samimi, P., Jenatabadi, H. S. (2014). Globalization and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence on the Role of Complementarities. PLoS ONE, 9(4). Whytcross, D. (2014). Gyms and Fitness Centres in Australia. IBIS World.