Prisons' ability to deter crime

Prison as a deterrent for ex-convicts from re-Offending: A methodology

In understanding the efficacy of prison as a form of social control in contemporary society, a quantitative research paradigm is assumed, specifically using the descriptive and exploratory research designs. The main objective of this research is to determine whether prison is an effective deterrent for ex-convicts from re-offending, or committing acts of offenses against others in the society. Since the study will be quantitative in nature, the hypothesis of the study is stated as follows: there is a significant relationship between time spent in prison and the level of control that an ex-convict has to keep himself/herself from re-offending.

The method that will be used in the study is the survey research method. The dependent variable of the study is the presence or absence of re-offensing of the ex-convict, which can be measured categorically as a simple yes/no, that is, commitment of re-offense or non-commitment of re-offense. Further measuring the commitment of re-offense is through a scale, wherein the level of re-offense is rated in accordance to the level or degree of the offense committed, in order to further identify the intensity at which the subject has committed the offense.

The independent variables that the researcher posits as factors that contribute to the commitment or non-commitment of an offense among ex-convicts include the length of time spent in prison. Length of time spent in prison may be determined in ratio or interval measures, although an interval measure is suggested so that the researcher can best group the offenders depending of the subjects' length of stay within a prison. It is also relevant to look into the kind of offense the subject has committed, in order to determine whether there are differences among ex-convicts who have committed one kind of offense from another. This will also lead to the finding on whether the kind of offense committed translates to a lengthier sentence on imprisonment and in effect, on the likelihood that the ex-convict will commit the same or a different kind of offense again. Lastly, the researcher is also interested to determine whether the commitment of re-offense, if indeed committed by the ex-convict, changes in level or degree -- that is, whether the re-offense has a greater, lower, or the same level of punishment.