Barely twenty-four hours after his release from prison, a man raids the same shoe store he had robbed fifteen years earlier. Authorities say he took a bus from Atlantic City to Toms River and approached the store the exact same way he did 15 years ago. (Goldman) He was easily caught. It was as if the man wanted to return to prison, which might in fact be his only home. Was this a man who wanted to go back to prison or did he simply learn nothing from his fifteen year prison sentence the first time? Regardless, this demonstrates a clear flaw in the prison system we have today. Currently in our prison system there is an overabundance of punishment and a lack of rehabilitation and improvement for inmates. To many, this may seem completely wrong due to the fact that the prison was built as a place of punishment and a place to teach these evildoers a lesson. But the fact is that according to recent studies, the punishment system is not helping our society, which is causing the system to fail. Due to a high rate of recidivism (reoffending resulting in a return to prison), the United States is seeking modification. Many prisons have attempted to implement at least a little bit of rehabilitation which has seen success, but others still seem to be striving to maintain the old method of punishment. Because the majority of the United States continues to use a system of punishment, recidivism rates continue to climb. . In simple terms, this means that these prisoners are released back into our society, usually in the same way they arrived in prison. Recent studies show that when they are released, they end up doing many of the same acts and find themselves living out their lives behind bars. This shows middle of paper...... a life without corruption. By helping these prisoners recover and get back on their feet while giving them punishment, society will benefit greatly. By teaching people the morally correct actions, a chain reaction can occur, as it will benefit not only now but also in the future, as the children of these people will be more likely to escape the streets and crime. Works Cited Barrish Cris. "Study: 8 in 10 Released Inmates Return to Del. Prisons". The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal. July 31, 2013. The web. February 20, 2014. Goldman, Jeff. "Barely released from prison, man robs Toms River store again, cops say." NJ.com. Np, March 25, 2014. Web. March 28, 2014. Solveig, Spjeldnes and Yamatani, Hide. “Saving our criminal justice system: the effectiveness of collaborative social service.” Social Work 56.1 (2011): 53-61. ProQuest. Internet. February 26. 2014.