Instructions:
Using the assigned reading and viewing materials for Session 1, write a response that fully addresses the following points:
1. The History of Corrections
Explain how the correctional system has changed over time.
Discuss how sentencing philosophies like punishment, rehabilitation, and deterrence have influenced these changes.
Share how biblical ideas about justice and accountability align (or don’t align) with these philosophies.
2. Challenges in the System
Talk about the role of corrections in the criminal justice system compared to the other two main “legs of the criminal justice stool” (law enforcement and the court system).
Focus on two major challenges in corrections (e.g., overcrowding, disparate sentencing, understaffing, sexual assaults, or anything else you find interesting).
Use examples to explain how these challenges affect offenders, correctional staff, and the system as a whole.
3. Community-Based Solutions
Explore ways that individual community members, churches, businesses, non-profit organizations, etc., can help offenders successfully reenter society upon release from prison and address other challenges the corrections field faces today.
Include real-world examples when possible and explain how biblical principles like grace and redemption can guide these efforts.
Be thorough and concise and say all that needs to be said to fully discuss the above topics while not overly exceeding the page limit.