When we imagine a prison, we often conceptualize a grisly scene of hardened rapists and murderers aimlessly wandering the dark corridors of Alcatraz, as opposed to an institution pleasant meeting the needs of people in difficulty. souls. Prisons have long been a source of punishment for inmates in the United States, and debate continues over whether or not an overhaul of the U.S. prison system should take place. Such an overhaul would reorient the prison toward rehabilitation and incarceration of inmates instead of current priorities toward punishment and incarceration. Changing the purpose of the entire state and federal prison system for the purposes of rehabilitation, however, is an unrealistic goal. Rehabilitation should not be the primary focus of the prison, as there are external factors that negatively affect the success of rehabilitation programs and such programs would be too costly for prisons currently struggling to meet the additional needs of inmates. Throughout his novel, Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire, author and professor Robert Perkinson describes the three dominant purposes of the prison today. The first, punishment, involves disciplining offenders with the aim of preventing them from committing a particular crime again. Harsh punishment encourages prisoners to behave well, as many will not want to suffer the consequences of further incarceration. Although the purpose of punishment is often denounced, many agree that prison should continue to be used as a means of protecting law-abiding citizens from violent offenders. Inmate isolation, the prison's second purpose, exists to protect the public. Reintegration is currently the third purpose of prison. Rehabilitation is considered successful when an inmate commits...... middle of paper ...... further sexual offenses should be allowed (554). It is too dangerous to risk potential victims for the offender to complete his rehabilitation program by repeatedly assaulting one person. In the event that a prisoner (especially a sex offender) completes rehabilitation, he carries with him a stigma to his reentry. Company. People are often afraid of living near a former drug addict or convicted murderer, and sensational media hype around released criminals can ruin a newly released convict's life before it is. Between resident notifications, media scare tactics, and general concern for safety, a sex offender's ability to rehabilitate into society is severely hindered (554). This justifies that the life skills retraining applied to him will be useless, as he will be unable to even attempt to make the right decision regarding new criminal opportunities..