Posted: February 14th, 2023
Vulnerabilities
Vulnerabilities
Criminology
In the criminal justice system, a diversion program is a type of sentence in which the criminal offender joins a rehabilitation program rather than being incarcerated. The rehabilitation program thus aims at helping the offender remedy the conduct that led to the initial arrest. In some jurisdictions, diversion programs hide a criminal record (Brewer et al., 2019). This has led to debates on the implications of offering eligible offenders an opportunity to have their arrest and case stricken from the record. Having a criminal record can significantly reduce a person’s access to many opportunities in the society. Therefore, the implications of this policy may be positive. For instance, this policy will reduce the probability of recidivism. Offenders would not want to risk having a another criminal record after the initial one is stricken off; for this reason, they will ensure that they do not engage in any other criminal behavior since doing so would be tantamount to destroying their future (Walter, Viglione & Tillyer, 2017).
This policy would also serve to ensure that former offenders are employable. Without a criminal record, it would be easier for these offenders to get employment opportunities. When a person has a criminal charge in their documents, many organizations will despise employing them as full-time employees. Therefore, when this charge is stricken from the records, the person is able to become a productive member of society. Last but not least, the policy will make a person to be well integrated back into society. People tend to shun individuals with criminal records, and as such, judge them harshly (Walter, Viglione & Tillyer, 2017). Striking a person’s arrest and case from the record will go a long way in giving an offender a second chance to prove him/herself. Without negative judgments, the person will have an opportunity to prove that they can be beneficial to the society.
References
Brewer, R., de Vel-Palumbo, M., Hutchings, A., Holt, T., Goldsmith, A., & Maimon, D.
(2019). Positive Diversions. In Cybercrime Prevention (pp. 93-108). Palgrave Pivot, Cham.
Walter, R. J., Viglione, J., & Tillyer, M. S. (2017). One strike to second chances: Using
criminal backgrounds in admission decisions for assisted housing. Housing Policy Debate, 27(5), 734-750.