Answer

Alternative Sanctions

Historically, incarceration was preferred as the most suitable and only approach to convicting people of their crimes. However, with the persistent problem of increasing cost burden and overcrowding of prisons, it has been deemed viable to introduce new approaches to punishing and rehabilitating offenders. As a result, alternative sanctions also known as alternative sentencing has become enforceable. Yan (2017) defines is as any form of punishment that is more restrictive compared to traditional probation but less punitive compared to incarceration. This background guides the scope of this paper in stating and defending the use of alternative sanctions.

Types of Alternative Sanctions

There are a number of alternatives for sentencing people. This ranges from home detentions, drug treatment, day reporting, court-ordered community service, intermittent sentence or work release, community corrective programs administered using electronic monitoring, intensive supervision in lieu of others, psychological counselling and victim-offender programming among others. According to Tonry (2017) there are many forms and types of alternative sanctioning programs. However, the main ones could target crimes that can easily be corrected. Other seek to rehabilitate underage children and make them useful members of their communities. These sanction programs are administered through alternative incarceration centers, day incarceration centers and residential treatment. Additional forms of alternative sanctions include subscribing to adult behavioral health programs, domestic violence programs, special population activities, zero-tolerance drug program and community service labor program. These alternatives are seen as suitable options to the traditional sanction of fines and imprisonment of offenders.

Reasons for Supporting Alternative Sanctions

These programs are advantageous since they not only help in deterring people from involving in crime, but also offer an avenue for rehabilitating offenders. For instance, work release programs or intermittent sentencing allows the offenders to work in the community during the day and returning to prison at night. This allows inmates to generate income and save for their release. They also reintegrate the offenders into the community. The option for house arrest is equally suitable compared to traditional incarcerations. House arrests and community services reduces overcrowding of prisons which saves tax payers money that could have otherwise been used to provide for the offenders in prison. It also allows the offender to keep in touch with their family which offers them support to reform. The third advantage of alternative sentencing is that is allows juvenile offenders to learn from the community programs. Such lessons are important in rehabilitating these offenders. Collectively, alternative sanctions are advisable to fines and incarceration because they punish an offender while helping them rehabilitate and become useful members of the society. Additionally, it helps reduce overcrowding in prisons while lowering the cost burden associated with sustaining prisoners.

As much as alternative sanctions are beneficial to society, Bondeson (2017) argues that allowing offenders to interact with other members of the community puts the whole community at risk. Second, it is argued that parole and probation are minor punishments that do little in deterring offenders from committing crimes in future. Third, alternative sentencing is equally expensive since it attracts associated costs inform of child support, housing expenses, welfare costs, indigent health care, and costs for legal aid.

In conclusion, this paper defends the use of alternative sanctions against offenders of petty or small crimes. This alternative is a viable option to fines and incarceration as they were used in the past. It is noted that subjecting people to imprisonment did little to rehabilitate them and is costly to the state. On the contrary, alternative sanctions ensure that offenders continue interacting with the community thus, a viable tool for deterring people, rehabilitating them and making them useful to the society.