Why do criminals repeatedly re-offend?

1) It seems that in todays society criminal activity is a result of repeat offenders, but what causes these offenders to repeat and make another offense? 2) The result of re-offenses by criminals could be a result of how their behavior or mental processes were affecting the criminal in the first place. Influences obviously have a dramatic effect on what we do and why we do things. The effect of influence on a person can either be positive or negative and can come in many forms and ways. The point is that why repeat offenders do what they do, is because of what has influenced them throughout their lifetime. Thinking about why repeat offenders is like thinking why people are addicted to drugs. Once the person starts smoking the likely hood of them being an addicted smoker rises and that can be the same for repeat offenders.

3) Usually these are negative influences that affect biological, psychological and socialcultural aspects. A criminal with bad behavior probably has been affected throughout his or her life with the association of negative influences. For example, if the criminal has been associating himself or herself with the wrong people throughout his or her life then usually that will have a direct impact on the persons lifestyle as a result of the socialcultural influences.

4) Assumptions can be made that the cause for repeat offenders is the lack of structure in ones life (biological, psychological, social-cultural influences). This in term affects the mind, behavior and even the mental thought processes of a criminal. If the person is influenced in any part of their life, being negative, then chances are that influences will stick with the person in his or her life. It is kind of like how in the textbook reading Oliver Wendell Holmes describes, Once expanded to the dimensions of a larger idea, [the mind] never returns to its original size. That being said once that negative influence impacts the persons life, it will stay with them through life and cause them to behave in that sort of way.

5) In addition data from a website 2 know myself, seems to suggest that 50% of people who are released from jail are to reoffend within a month according to M.Farouk Radwan, MSc. From this data it is clear that once a criminal is released from jail or prison, which he or she will likely to reoffend because that persons behavior has not

changed or has turned for the worse. Radwan goes on to say that maybe the psychological behavior is to accomplish this goal to satisfy him or herself so that person goes out to reoffend once again. This goes to show that the mental process or behavior of a criminal in his or her life will likely continue to affect his or her actions and behaviors even after offending, will offend again.

6) 6a.) With this issue of repeat offenders and the reason for repeat offenses is an important issue to consider. With the statistic of 50% of criminals who are released will eventually commit another crime affects the entire population. If we could limit the reoffenses by somehow psychologically revaluate and help these people then maybe the re-offenders will psychologically learn. (Cultural/social context: Group, national, ethnic behavior/attitude Scientific context: Conceptual, basic science, scientific method)

6b.) If crimes that are related with re-offenses are limited then the amount of money spent on the person in doing re-trial or sending them back to jail/prison again would help immensely with costs to the courts and prisons. (Economic context: Trade, business concerns costs)

6c.) There will always be repeat offenders because of how they were influenced or raised in life. The only thing against crimes is the law system which has been established to enforce the law and make people abide by it. (The Ethical context: Values, laws, norms) 7) The reason why people do what they do is a result of their behavior. If criminals offend for the first time there is a likelihood of them doing it again. It is in their nature because of the influences that ultimately shape their behavior. If something can be done to change that persons behavior or limit those influences in the first place, then the result will be less offenders committing an offense in the first place. Psychology can be a tool for this with the study of observations in what goes on in an offenders mind. (Identifies and assesses conclusions, implications and consequences)