Visual Arts Essay Example for Free

Visual Arts Essay Every human being has a significant innate characteristic of being artistic in nature originating from his or her humanistic aspect. In this concept, every single individual has the ability to express him or herself through any form of artistic manifestations and on the other hand, also has the ability to view and recognize different forms of artistic expression. This idea is mainly because the very essence of existing as a human being is fully realizing their innate human behaviors of emotional manifestations and expression. Thus, the concept of humanistic art form as a means of expressions and communication of expression is born. In the general course of humanistic art form, the aspect of visual arts commonly roused much enthusiasm and recognition. The aspect of visual art expression usually manifest in the style of appealing to the basic humanistic senses of the human society particularly the sense of sight wherein one uses a concrete way of expressing him or herself to the society. In this form of artistic expression, the visual artist contemplate and transform his or her personal abstract emotions into a concrete form to captivate the interest and emotions of the public enabling them to realize the humanistic and artistic beauty in any chosen specific events. This concept commonly expressed in different fields such as through painting, music, theater, dance and others. In each of the mentioned visual art discipline, each one of them has their own mode of expression significantly characterized by the general theme of their respective discipline. For the field of painting, visual artists use expression mediums such as the most common namely the oil painting wherein the artist use oil-based ink or dye to create an art piece. Another is through using watercolor, which is basically similar to the oil-based medium but only cheaper and more accessible. Other uses spray painting medium employing either or both of the previously mentioned mediums. In addition, another style that is common is using charcoal, which produces sketches of monochromatic color. In this discipline, different mediums of expression are used to bearing similar elements of the said discipline namely color, shade, perspective, hue, contrast, texture, and others, which are all important in emphasizing the thematic aspect of the artwork. For the discipline of music, several styles are commonly used such as the classical that is in relation to the socio-cultural aspect. Another is the ballad or romantic theme, which is more focused on the emotional aspect of the art. In addition, there is the discipline of the jazz and blues manifesting more on the emotional and smooth music for relaxation. In the modern discipline comes the rock music employing contemporary musical instruments and some traditional. In this field, the artistic impression is basically based on three general elements namely the pitch, rhythm, and quality. Pitch which is through melody and harmony, rhythm through meter and tempo, and sound quality through texture, dynamics, articulation, and timbre. For the drama or the theatrical visual art is presented in different styles or genre. One of which is the musical theatre employing musical and dance elements in the presentation. Another is pantomime, which manifest in different forms and characteristic namely puppetry, slapstick and melodrama. Another is the tragedy, which presents the sorrowful and terrible events in a social icon’s life wherein the moral value of the experience is highlighted in the one. In addition, the drama also comes in the form of the opera, which is generally presented through singing. In this discipline, different important elements are used to create a thematic artistic presentation. Some of these elements are the character, plot, theme, dialogue, convention, genre, audience, design, and the stagecraft or the props. The discipline of dance also has its own mediums of artistic expression namely the interpretative employing visual presentation with relative musical attributes. The folk dance which is related to traditional dance methods. The ballet dance, which is focused on the gracefulness of the expression to symbolize its theme. In addition, the modern dance which represents the present society and their contemporary culture. In this discipline, artists employ several elements in their artistic expression namely the tempo or speed of the dance, the gracefulness or the texture of the movements, choreography, and the uniformity for group presentation. Thus, visual art is generally expression of humanistic emotions manifested through using different forms of disciplines. In each of these disciplines, the visual artists employ a particular style of mode of expression to emphasize the main theme or the particular idea of their artistic visual presentation thus capturing better the enthusiasm and emotional interest of their general audience. In employing a particular mode of expression style, the target audience can also better understand and realize the main theme of the presented visual art through relating it to the discipline used and the particular expression style that is applied. Through applying the mentioned visual art elements, the aspect of communication between the artist and the general audience can be bridged significantly promoting the thematic expression between the two. Bibliography Levi, Albert Smith, Ralph (1991). Art Education: Disciplines of Art Education, Context of Understanding. University of Illinois, USA. ISBN-10: 0252061853.

Importance Of Mobile Banking System In The Maldives Finance Essay

Importance Of Mobile Banking System In The Maldives Finance Essay INTRODUCTION Banks play a vital role in the economic life of a nation. The wellbeing of an economy is intimately correlated to a healthy banking system. Bankers borrowing; lending and related activities make possible the process of production, distribution, exchange and consumption of wealth. Therefore banks are very valuable associates of economic growth. Banks play an imperative role in utilization of the resources of the country. Banks mobilize the savings of the people for the investment purpose. In the absence of bank, a countrys major portion of capital will remain redundant. Mobile banking can be described as a common phrase used for performing balance checks, account transactions, making and receiving of payments etc via a mobile device; commonly mobile phones. Terms such as M-Banking and SMS Banking are commonly used for mobile banking. This report will look in to the importance of introducing a mobile banking system to the Republic of Maldives, A country formed of 1190 coral islands each separated by open sea. According to the MMA (Maldives Monetary Authority- Central Bank) they are gearing up to launch a mobile banking system in the country from 1st Feb 2011. MMA named its upcoming mobile banking system as Keesa a local word used for wallet. In an Interview given to National Television in 2010 (MNBC-One) the Governor of MMA Mr. Fazeel Najeeb quoted The Maldives Mobile banking system designed to bring a revolution to the financial sector and setting an example for the rest of developing countries in the world. (MNBC-One, 2010) OVER VIEW OF MALDIVES ECONOMY The GDP growth averaged 8.0% over the past two decades raising per capita income about US$ 2,800, the highest in the region and moving the Maldives well into middle income status. After contracting by 4.6% in 2005 due to the tsunami induced fall in tourist arrivals, the economy rebounded by 19.1% in 2006 and appears to have remained robust in 2007. The population of Maldives was estimated 2, 98968 according to the preliminary census 2006. Fishing and tourism plays a vital part of Maldives economic progression. According to MMA there are 6 commercial banks in Maldives with 176186 Account Holders. At present there are only two Mobile service providers in Maldives, who provides Service for 259889 Customers. Dhivehi Raajeyge Gulhun Pvt. Limited or Dhiraagu is Joint Venture Company formed between the Maldivian Government and Cable Wireless and commenced its operations in the Maldives in 1988. (Dhiraagu, 2009). Wataniya Telecom Maldives Started out operations in Maldives as a subsidiary of Wataniya Telecom in February of 2005, it has now become the preferred mobile network for Maldivian locals and tourists alike. The companys quest for perfection and dedication to complete customer satisfaction has placed it on the forefront of Telecommunication solutions in the Maldives. (Wataniya Telecom Maldives 2009) Tabulated profile of Maldives Details % No Total population 298968 Between 15 64 years 62.5 186904 In Employment 110231 Workers on Male 10.3 38971 Workers on Atolls 89.3 71260 Employment By Sector Fishing Industry 11 12125 Tourism 23 25000 Government 31 34000 Others 35 39000 Expatriate Workers 70075 Mobile Subscribers 259889 Resident on Male 41.5 106554 Resident on the Atolls 59.5 153335 Bank Accounts 176186 Resident on Male 65 113893 Resident on The Atolls 35 62293 ATM Cards Issued 62275 Source: Ministry of Planning and National Development Key Indicators 2006  ¨ Maldives 2006 preliminary census figures  ¨ Monthly Statistics, February 2008-MMA  ¨ CGAP survey results from Maldives mobile operators  ¨ CGAP survey results from Maldives banks A MOBILE BANKING SYSTEM WILL RE-SHAPE AND AVANCE MALDIVIAN ECONOMY. Referring to the facts and figures given above (Under over view of Maldives economy) and Tabulated portfolio of Maldives, more than 95% of Maldives is covered geographically by the mobile operators in Maldives. Mean while nearly 90% of population owns mobile phone. According to the Ministry of Planning and National Development Ministry the mobile operators also already have the capacity of providing mobile banking service with minimal investment. (Key Indicators, 2006) The mobile banking system will benefit the Economy in following ways Implement state of the art inter-bank settlement and eliminate risk and increase the safety and efficiency in payment systems Introduce full cheque truncation and automate clearing Promote economic efficiency in the country Reduce dependence on cash and paper based instruments by facilitating electronic payments Establish a fully interoperable retail payment system using cards, mobile and Internet Make banking accessible to all citizens of the Maldives, despite adverse geographic conditions Government and banking sector Mobile banking would save costs associated with printing and supplying cash, free up resources currently used by banks to deliver banking services, automate the banking and clearing system, reduce the transaction costs of banking and payments settlements, deliver banking services to the whole country, increase national savings, and revolutionize the financial industry. Fishing industry According to preliminary census figures of 2006, 11% of Maldivian work force is engaged in fishing industry. Exporting different products of fish is also one of the two main sources of income for the government. Its estimated that there are more than 12000 fishermen in Maldives who spend more than 70 percent of their life in the open sea. Therefore introduction of the mobile banking system, all fishermen are led to access the bank and carry out important transaction any time. This will ease and solve lot of existing difficulties for them regarding banking. It will also circulate more idle cash and contribute to the economy as a whole. Tourism Sector Maldives economy is vastly dependent on Tourism Sector. According to former president of Maldives Mr. Gayoom, tourism is life blood of our nation more than 23 percent of economic workforce is deployed in tourism sector. There are roughly more than 25000 people from 190 different islands working. 90% of these people are stationed at resorts who basically only travels to their native islands twice a year. There are no personal banking facilities at present in most of the resorts. Therefore to send their earnings to support family and receiving money or accessing to banking services are very complicated presently. With the introduction of Mobile banking system, these existing complexities for banking will be solved. MOBILE BANKING: PROS CONS Mobile banking also have unenthusiastic side, though over all mobile banking system is very efficient and generous to business men and other individuals. Pros Banking everywhere any where: Banking is a basic necessity in todays economic world. Accessing a bank or carrying out a banking transaction is all most part and parcel of every day. Mobile banking allows banking from anywhere and everywhere. Physical presence is not required to make a banking transaction. Therefore mobile banking saves time and energy. Important Notifications: The important notifications such as when an account is debited or credited, it will inform in almost no time. Therefore basic banking functions becomes more simple informative on real time. Important means for Accounts Safe keepings It enhances to minimize unauthorized transactions. Since the account holder will be notified immediately via a text. Therefore to be a victim of a bank fraud makes less likely and in case can act upon fraud quickly. Fast and easy payment: Mobile banking allows paying bills, utilities, insurance or any other parallel payments on time. Important means of banking in case of emergency: Mobile banking allows banking 24/7, and more over no waiting time is required. Therefore it is a vital means of banking-in case of emergency Cons Security: Though there are few viruses and Trojans targeted for mobile phones, mobile phone users can be attacked by a phishing scam. For example when a mobile banking user receives a forged text requesting for account passwords it might goes to a hacker pretending as the banker or teller. Compatibility All transaction might not be able to proceed in any phone and for some of the cheaper -phones mobile banking is not compatible at all. To get most out of mobile banking a good smart phone is necessary. Cost Though mobile banking is relatively cheaper and save times, some of the banks charges extra fee for mobile banking and in most of the cases extra software charges are applicable and add upon banking expenses. LITERATURE REVIEW Mobile banking closes poverty gap (BBC, 2010) This report published in BBC by Jane Wakefield, highlights the importance of Mobile banking to transform the way people in the developing world, transfer money and how it is poised to offer more sophisticated banking service which could make a real difference to people This statement highlights that currently there are 2.7bn people living in developing countries who do not have any means to access financial service or banks. Simultaneously 1bn people throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia own a mobile phone (BBC, 2010) Further this report shed lights on Mobile banking as a very powerful way to deliver saving and money transfer services to the billions of people in countries like Kenya and Uganda where there are thousands of people with no means to any access to financial institutions. Over all, this report makes it more vivid that the success of mobile banking in such countries there by closing the poverty gap. Africas mobile banking revolution (BBC, 2009) This report by Luice Greenwood provides the facts and figures of how a mobile banking system could contribute Africas economy so vitally. It also highlights that Millions of Africans are using mobile phones to pay bills, move cash and buy basic everyday items. Africa has the fastest-growing mobile phone market in the world and most of the operators are local firms. Accordingly the statistical data provided throughout the report, briefs about the countries like South Africa and Kenya mobile banking service providers has touched millions of life by means of savings, security and transfer of cash. The simplicity of mobile banking system in Africa is also lessoning the rest of the world. To set up a bank account by a mobile phone is so easy and straightforward that all it requires is that just a phone and ID card to register anywhere from the country by an approved agent. The system activates the account in seconds and depositing and transferring of cash are right away at the fingers tips This report shows how practical mobile banking system can be and how easy it could be serving the larger population like In Tanzania just 5% of the populations have bank accounts. In Ethiopia there is one bank for every 100,000 people. EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE With the introduction of mobile banking system there has been a lot of progress in the socio- economic factors in many countries. The implication of mobile banking seems like more important for developing countries than developed countries where lots of branches of banks are available at a threshold. Countries like Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania has shown the world how important mobile banking system is for under developed and developing nations. Lessons from the lights of literature review, I personally believe in the importance of the introduction of mobile banking system in Maldives. This technology would contribute to government sector, banking sector, fisheries industry, tourism sector and islanders from all islands as a whole. To overcome the shadows cased on banking sector in Maldives, by its natural geographic obstacles mobile banking can be an important tool. PERSONAL VERDICT Providently I have had an opportunity to work for Maldives Tourism Development Corporations as an Operations Manager. To perform my duties and carry out the responsibilities; I have travelled more than 40 Resort Islands and above 45 inhabited islands across the country. During my career, I personally experienced and felt the difficulties of banking by resort workers and local island natives. Though implementation of Mobile banking system in Maldives will undoubted fully Increase economic efficiency and promote social welfare of nation as a whole CONCLUSION The Maldives may be one of the most difficult countries in the world in which to deliver financial services through traditional branch networks. The country occupies 90,000 square kilometres, 99.5% of water. Its 2, 98,968 people live on 198 scattered islands in 26 atolls, and 60% of the inhabited islands have less than 1,000 residents. Given the highly literate population and high coverage of the mobile phone network, there is great potential to use technology to overcome the barriers of geography, low population density and a small population, and deliver financial service at low cost across the country.

Human Rights Violations Philosophy Essay

Human Rights Violations Philosophy Essay Human rights describe equal rights and freedom for anyone and everyone regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion or political affiliation. All humans live in societies together. As stated by the U.N. declaration of Human Rights in 1948 All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. This statement defines that each and every human is entitled to all rights. Human rights are fundamental to human existence. There may be disagreement on the details of human rights, but barely any on the basic aspects of them. Human rights were always violated in human history. The  leaders mostly oppressed people and did not grant their entitled human rights. Even religious leader in some cases were responsible for the violation of human rights. Maslows hierarchy of needs can attest to the basic fundamental human rights that we all share. In order to be at a level of satisfaction an individual must meet five basic criteria. The basic needs are the physiological needs (food, water, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), safety needs, needs of love and affection, needs for esteem, and once everything else is met, self-actualization or as Maslow describe it, the need to be and do that which a person was born to do. This ties in with human rights in that it can connect us and become equals. Even though the U.N. has made a declaration concerning human rights, we as humans should not have an international governing body lay it out for us. Leaders, citizens, all people should know that we are all free and have rights that should be met. If not, measures should be taken to make sure that every human beings rights are not violated. History of the Issue Human right has been constantly evolving throughout human history. They have been tied to the laws, customs and religions. An example of laws that contain references to individual rights is the tablet of Hammurabi. This tablet was created by the Sumerian king Hammurabi about 4000 years ago. While considered barbaric in todays world, the system of 282 laws created a model for the legal system. This kind of model protected people from arbitrary persecution and punishment. But the problems with Hammurabis code were mostly due to its cause and effect nature, it held no protection on more abstract ideas such as race, religion, beliefs, and individual freedoms or commonly called human rights. The term has only come into common use in the 20th century. The idea of human rights is not universal, it is the product of 17th and 18th century European thought. The idea itself does not exist in every society or civilization. This issue was a major cause in 17th century England. The protection of the peoples right (mostly right to political participation, and freedom of religious belief and observance) against an oppressive government was the start of the English Civil War of 1640. It was also the start for another revolution called the Glorious Revolution in 1688, which then led to the English Bill of Rights a year later. The Bill of Rights dealt with the fundamental concerns of that time. It subjected the King to the rule of the law like any other citizen instead of the King claiming to be divine. It protected some basic rights to justice, cruel and unusual punishments and unfair trials etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Near the end of the 18th century, the philosopher John Locke argued that it was part of Gods natural law that no-one should harm anyone in their pursuit of life, liberty, possessions, and health. These rights could never be given up. If these rights were threatened to be taken away it was necessary to do whatever to protect them. From this view the governments role was limited in that people could be not under control of a ruler without their consent. The responsibility of a government is to protect the natural rights of its people. This idea also led to the American Revolution with the formation of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration states that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness which assert that premise of human rights. Even with the declaration in place, and later the constitution; women were not recognized to have rights and slavery was still instituted throughout the whole nation. The doctrines of human rights that are in place now are a result of these ideas from early generation of thinkers. Human rights are natural in that every person owns them regardless of a system of law, religion, or government. Governments must be able to protect and respect these laws and promote them to all individuals. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made by the U.N. in an effort to make human rights part of international law. The greatest 20th century statements of natural or human rights can be dated to 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This preceded a range of international Conventions, Covenants, Declarations and other treaties that have followed the tradition. Most came from the United Nations. But other groups have also adopted human rights standards. Some common universal rights are the right to an education, freedom, life, and the right to own property and cultural rights. The declaration serves to protect these rights in those nations that signed it and helps make aware of nation-states that violate and suppress the rights of their own citizens. Causes and Impacts of the Issue There are many events in history that can be traced to the cause of human rights being a focus point. These events had probable causes to why there are human rights violations today. One cause is the state. The state or government may impose certain laws that infringe on individuals freedoms because they believe its necessary in order to maintain power or eliminate opposition. For example public humiliation, or punishment such as those taken place in some middle eastern can be seen as violations. Another cause is the lack of generosity or selfishness that states and individuals have. Companies that produce bottled water or provide it to countries often charge families more then they earn in a days wage just for water. Certain elements of cultures and religions can lead to practices that violate human rights as well. Based on these causes an increase of human rights violations has impacted the entire global community in the past to the future. The use of child labor has been dated back to the industrial revolution in England. According to  UNICEF, there was an estimated 158 million children aged 5 to 14 in child labour worldwide, excluding child domestic labour. Another violation is the ongoing mass murders that occurred and/are occurring now. Currently the Darfur conflict is a major human rights violation because the Sudanese government is destroying African Muslim communities because some among them have challenged Khartoums authoritarian rule. As a result, more than  400,000 civilians  have been killed and 2.5 million people are displaced from their homes. Other violations such as racism, the Rwandan genocide, and the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo in the 1990s are examples of some human rights violations that have occurred in history. It is estimated that at least 60 million people have die d in wars and human rights abuses since 1945 and this number continues to climb if no action is taken. Countries that fail to take action will see an increase in deaths due to human rights violations. Conclusion and Solutions There are many solutions out there to prevent the abuse of human rights. Through education and the media people can be aware of the numerous human rights violations taking place in the world today and gain some knowledge of whats going on in the world. Organizations have erupted in an effort to protect the rights of those that have been violated. One organization that does this is the Amnesty International. Amnesty International as quoted in their website à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦inspires hope for a better world through public action and international solidarity. We help stop human rights abuses by mobilizing our members and supporters to put pressure on governments, armed groups, companies and intergovernmental bodies. Another group is Doctors for Borders an organization created by doctors to help those in nearly 60 countries threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, principally due to  conflict, epidemics,  malnutrition,  exclusion from health care, or  natural disasters. These organizations reflect the impact of the Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration has paved the way for people to realize the potential threats of human rights abuse. I believe that the world and the people residing have had enough time to see what has occurred in the past. We need to learn from our mistakes in the past and never let such atrocities such as the torture of the Jewish families in the concentration camps, segregation in the U.S., or the gulags in Russia take place. Countries are more educated now and all should take a stand. We are all one people living under the same roof and I think human rights of all individuals should be protected. Being a Catholic, I hear sometimes hear people say to other people go to hell and they respond by Im already here. If we respected our fellow brethren and took the time help those in need, take of the earth etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we could turn this so called hell into heaven ourselves.

The Door :: essays research papers

The Door stage 1 preparations In the short story â€Å" The Door â€Å" by author E.B. White, he relates one of the experiments that he conducted to one of his own personal experiences. This was done in a controlled environment, the purpose of this task was to create an alternate reality. An alternate reality is to simulate a substitution of what may be considered reality itself. To achieve this alternate reality this experiment must require an enclosure, in other words a rectangular prism where the walls will be high enough to prevent the rats escape. Not to mention, two other important materials are needed to complete the experiment which include a rat, and food for it. Then the food will be placed behind one of the three contiguous chambers in the enclosure. All three doors will closed yet unlocked, each having a marking of its own on it including a circle, a square and a triangle. Then the rat will be placed inside of the enclosure, thus signifying that the experiment has begun. This experiment will be done several times until an alternate reality is created. To set up this alternate reality it will take three steps. In the first step the rat will be placed in to open area of the enclosure. While the rat is in this enclosure all doors will be open. Then when the rat is hungry the food will be placed behind the door with the circle. Soon after the rat will try and find this food and to do so it will use the process of elimination. Until the rat finally finds the food it has been looking for, which is the food. This part of the stage will be repeated until the rat has figure out that circle equals food. Thus giving it a specific memory that will later on help create this alternate reality. Soon after that stage 2 will begin. Where the rat motor memory will be eliminated so that the rat must relay entirely on its visual image of the circle. The one difference in this stage is that the symbols will be changed after each trail. Un-like stage 1 where the circle was place in the center of the two other doors. Then the rat is placed in the enclosure yet again and the rat finds its self using trail and error. Until the rat starts to realize this process isnt working due to te fact that the symbol keeps being moved.

United States Involvement in Haiti :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We begin our story on December 29th in the year 2000. United States President Bill Clinton sends a letter to Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, urging him to restore democracy in his country as he had promised before. Clinton has written statements from Aristide assuring that Haiti will take part in a democratic reform in the interest of human rights. In the letter that Bill Clinton sends, he reminds Aristide of the United States’ role in his being brought back into power in 1994. Many republicans thought that President Clinton’s letter was far too polite for the situation at hand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristide had a lot of promises left to be fulfilled. Domestic and foreign policy reforms were yet to be seen. No members of the opposition could be found in his government. His police force and judiciary remained unprofessional. He failed to cooperate with the United States in a campaign against drug trafficking, as he was to allow the Coast Guard to patrol Haitian waters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Back in Washington, Senator Jesse Helms and Representative Porter J. Goss issued a joint statement: â€Å"Narco traffickers, criminals, and other anti-democratic elements who surround Aristide should feel the full weight of United States law enforcement.† It was of the opinion of the Republicans in America that we end all direct support for the Haitian government. With President Clinton out the door soon in the last few weeks of his term, the Republican Party members were anxious to see the differences the Bush administration would make in this situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fast-forwarding to November of 2003, President George W. Bush gave Aristide a warning. He needed to keep his word and begin some move on reforms. His country was crumbling. Not just in the sense that there was a strong division between Aristide’s government and the opposition leading to violent terrorism throughout Haiti, but more and more of Haiti’s eight million citizens were becoming impoverished, going hungry. Not only that, but the land was physically crumbling – roads were unusable and there was terrible telephone service. There is an indirect relationship between Haitian relations and demonstrations against its government. With less support, there are more attacks, and the Bush administration was not about to step in and help Haiti unless Aristide showed us some results. United States ambassador to Haiti James Foley said, â€Å"If Haiti falls into its historical path of authoritarian government, misrule, and abuse of human rights, its future will be as somber as its past.

Multinational organizations

Culture refers to the way of life that is defined by the behaviour, knowledge, and beliefs throughout the lives of people. It includes the way we think, our behaviour, and life which are shaped by the political, economic, and historical conditions prevailing in a particular geographical region. . A case study of Intel Corporation Expansion into China Intel Corporation is an establishment of the United States of America. It has a subsidiary in China. The set up of the plant in China wasn’t without challenges.Part of the problem included the Chinese educational system which wasn't up to par with the American university system, the home of parent company. Therefore, students hired by Intel in China lacked the high level expertise required. Language barriers were another challenge since people of China speak Chinese language and their form writing is different from that in America. Other cultural barriers included social inequalities and jealous, gender insensitivities, style of d ress, mode of communication, national pride, religious belief and local customs. Traditionally, filial piety and families are priorities.Thus outside organizations have great difficulty cultivating loyalty. Chinese are known to undermine others of lower class. To synchronise the level of expertise between the American employees and the Chinese employees, Intel Corporation sent the Chinese employees to America for further training. It also developed a policy that encouraged constructive confrontation, where employees would criticize their colleagues' and managers' ideas. The purpose of the policy was to allow constructive resolution rather than employees undermining each other during disagreements.Thus, employees had to prepare sufficient data to oppose a given decision before a scheduled date of implementation. Since confrontation alone cannot resolve all matters, a supplementing mechanism was put in place to implementing decisions in case disagreement persisted. Intel also promotes one-on-one consultations between managers and employees, where employees air their views to their seniors confidentially. These practices go well with the Chinese culture since Chinese by and large are more comfortable opening up on a one-on-one basis.Apart from encouraging employees to contribute ideas, Intel also allows them to error without fear of penalty. Why people may not appreciate the cultural point of view of others Attitude plays an important role in appreciating diverse cultural orientation. The mindset of people may cause one to disregard others people’s cultural standings. Lack of education, may lead to the perception that others cultures are inferior due to their norms, beliefs and values. Moreover characters in a person can contribute to rigidity in accepting contribution of people from societies with a different cultural setting.Past engagement may evoke feelings of rejection especially if the relation was unhealthy. Effect of appreciating cultural diversity on ability of people to communicate effectively in an international organization Cultural diversity is the multiplicity of cultures or human societies in a certain region. Appreciating cultural diversity is vital in an organization. The cultural limitations of employees are addresses. For instance, difference in education systems means the level of expertise is different. Through training programs, effective communication may be achieved.This would in return enhance human relation among employees and between management and employees. By recognizing the cultural variation, employees respect each others values and beliefs. Recommendation on steps to take and suggestion of appropriate policies that would ensure successful expansion of Sealwrap into Asia and Europe Introduction Culture refers to the way of life that is influenced by the behaviour, knowledge, and beliefs throughout the lives of people. Multiplicity of cultures in a certain region or organization is referred to as cultur al diversity.Multinational organizations have experienced cultural challenges while expanding their business to regions that differ culturally from the country of origin. The cultural challenges include different education system of the beneficiary country. The system of education may fail to produce experts to much the job specifications. However foreign government often give incentives to multinational organization that hire local expertise. Moreover, an organization is by far acceptable if it involve local employees. Organizations often find it challenging to penetrate and operate in a foreign market due to language barrier.The difference between the organization’s official language and that of the country in which it is operating may require translators. Elsewhere, employees and managers may have to be trained. Other cultural barriers may included social inequalities and jealous, gender insensitivities, style of dress, mode of communication, national pride, religious beli ef and local customs. Organizations setting up their business across borders should appreciate cultural diversity both at the management and subordinate levels. Realizing and understanding cultures differences enhances human relation in an organization.The differences are addressed through an effective communication system. Managers understand their employees and apply the best strategy to resolve employees’ issues. As a suggestion, Sealwrap should consider involving more personnel of Asian and European when expanding their business in Asia and Europe respectively. It is advisable to involve these personnel at both the management levels and the subordinate levels. However, they must be trained accordingly. Elsewhere, in setting up the multinational in Asia, it is important to be flexible.The organization should consider allowing cultural norms that contribute positively to the organization to prevail. However these should be supplemented with professional management strategie s. Suggested policies It would be important for Sealwrap executives, especially the human resources executives, to take on policies that curtail negative elements of the Asian and European culture while maintaining the positive ones. This would help in progression of the corporate culture in the Asians and European business operations.The policies should neither allow the corporate culture in the parent company to be adopted in the subsidiary nor should the Asian culture dominate in the operation of Sealwrap. A policy to maintain a higher percentage of the local employees would improve the outlook of Sealwrap as a local company. Employees should be encouraged to contribute ideas through a policy that reward them. Besides boost the employee’s morale, the company would improve its outlook. The company could promote its business through a policy on corporate social responsibility.In conclusion, one important thing that Sealwrap could do is to set up a fair, open, and caring huma n resource system that would cater for the Asian and European cultures in their business at Asia and Europe. References: Almond, P. and Ferner, A. (2006): American Multinationals in Europe: Managing Employment Relations across National Borders, 1st edition, Oxford University Press Shapiro, D. L. and Von, M. A. (2005): Managing Multinational Teams: Global Perspectives (Advances in International Management), Vol 18, Jai Press

Overcrowding in America’s Prisons Essay

Abstract America’s prison system has become extremely overcrowded and managing it has become a job of staggering proportions. In 2001, there were 1.4 million men and women incarcerated in state and federal correctional institutions. This overcrowding has increased the cost to operate prisons at alarming rates. Due to a high recidivism rate, many experts believe that lack of rehabilitation has played a great role in this increase. One of the major reasons that prisons have become overcrowded is that crime control strategies and legislative changes have favored longer sentences. These approaches have taken several forms that, when combined, have incarcerated people for longer periods of time with less possibility for early release. Many factors such as new offenses, mandatory sentences, lengthening terms, and habitual offender laws, have added to prison overcrowding. Although an exact cost can not be associated with overcrowding, we can look at present costs incurred in prison and anticipate their increase as the system takes on more and more inmates. When looking at the cost of overcrowding, we not only have to look at the cost to taxpayers per inmate but also construction cost needed to build the new prisons to relieve the overcrowding. The operating cost for a prison over its life span cost about fifteen to twenty times the original construction cost. Overcrowding causes serious depravation in the quality of life for everyone in a correctional institution. Overcrowding may cause a number of problems such as emotional stress, increase in disciplinary infractions, and some physical health problems. Overcrowding also causes litigation forcing the federal and state prisons to build new facilities to relieve overcrowding. Rehabilitation has been around for many years and throughout those years the chance to study models good and bad have given us much research to work with in knowing which rehabilitation models work and which do not. Rehabilitation programs should change or modify the offender or help them to modify themselves, as well as changing or modifying life circumstances and social  opportunities. Some types of rehabilitation programs in use are mental health and counseling programs, educational programs, and substance abuse programs. The results of many studies are statistically aggregated and assessed as one sample an their findings showed that effective programs reduced the reentry rate by approximately 36.4 percent in 1998. Generally 25 to 35 percent of the experimental treatment programs studied achieved favorable results. With statistics like these, I feel we can reduce the number of repeat offenders through the use of effective rehabilitation programs. Overcrowding in America’s Prisons Can rehabilitation help lower the growing numbers of repeat offenders? With overcrowding, managing America’s prisons has become a job of staggering proportions. As of December 31, 2001. Over 1.4 million men and women were incarcerated in state and federal correctional institutions. Operating cost of U.S. prisons rose 224 percent between 1980 and 1994. The Federal Bureau of Prisons estimates that operating costs could grow $4.7 billion by 2006. Many factors have led tot this increase such as mandatory sentencing and recidivism of offenders. Many in the field believe that lack of rehabilitation training geared toward marketable skills, along with no treatment of substance abuse, have played a great role in this increase. One of the major reasons that prisons have become overcrowded is crime control strategies and legislative changes have favored longer sentences. These approaches have taken several forms that, when combined, have incarcerated more people for longer periods of time with less possibility for early release. There was a 22 percent increase in arrests from 1986 to 1997. Overcrowding has also created a problem with understaffing in the â€Å"job rich 1990’s†. However, as the crime rate increases and people become more frightened, the politician’s answer with â€Å"tougher sentencing legislation† and not rehabilitation. The desire to reform convicted offenders has a long history in policy and practice in the American correctional system. As early as the eighteenth century to the present, politicians, correctional professionals, religious leaders, scholars and prison inmates themselves have participated in an ongoing reform movement and experiments all designed to rehabilitate lawbreakers, towards being law-abiding, self supporting individuals. What I will look at in this paper is the overcrowding in today’s prison and some of the causes and costs of this overcrowding. I will define rehabilitation and what is has meant throughout history while exploring what options are available in today’s prisons and the effectiveness of those options. In conclusion, I will show that if we refocus the system on rehabilitation and not merely the warehousing of criminals; we could reduce the number of repeat offenders and relieve some of the overcrowding in America’s prisons. Overcrowding in the American prison system is a growing problem that we must tackle. The growth rate of the prison population since midyear 2002 was 3.8 percent that is 7.6 percent annually. The tremendous increase in the prison population has resulted in continuous overcrowding the last two decades. Neither prison construction not the availability of bed space to accommodate the growing prison population has kept pace. As state above, changes in sentencing legislation and crime control have played a major role in prison overcrowding. This is obvious because of the number of commitments to prison has grown disproportionately greater than increases in population, the number of crimes and the number of arrests or the number of convictions. To better understand how these changes have played such a major role in overcrowding we must look at changes that have occurred in most states. One change is the creation of many new offenses that can result in prison terms or the revocation of probation or parole, sending offenders from the community back to prison. Some examples would be the newly created laws against stalking, as well as laws that make it a felony to intentionally transmit Aids. There have also been new rulings regarding penalties that now make prison terms mandatory for some offenses not previously associated with incarceration, such as DWI or DUI and certain drug convictions. Judges can no longer use discretion in deciding which punishment the offender should receive. A finding of guilty mean that incarceration for a set term is automatic. These same laws prohibit probation for certain offenders. An example is in California, legislation has restricted or eliminated the possibility of probation for arson, specific sex offenses, not limited to child molestation and residential burglary. Most states have lengthened prison terms associated with some convictions, particularly if certain weapons (aggravated crimes), or types of victims (children, elderly, handicapped) were involved, or if certain quantitative amounts of drugs were present. These â€Å"special circumstances† are said to enhance the seriousness of the crime. We have also seen many laws directed toward repeat offenders, with the passage of the habitual felon laws in which life sentences are possible for offenders convicted for a third time of a similar felony. Previously, only the maximum sentence allowed for that particular felony was permitted. The life sentence is a cumulative punishment for what the courts have called a â€Å"criminal career†. Many modifications and alterations were made for other sentences as well. For example, felons may be given sentences of life in prison without parole. Previously, all prisoners, after a designated time, became eligible for parole, regardless of whether or not they were actually granted the release. Many modifications of existing parole eligibility requirement force offenders to serve more time before becoming eligible for parole. Alterations to the â€Å"good time† statues have occurred letting prisoners accumulate less time for good behavior and thus taking longer to acquire credits toward parole eligibility or discharge of the sentence. Although exact cost associated with overcrowding cannot be determined, we can look at present expenses incurred by prison and anticipate the increases as  the system takes on more and more inmates. Currently, taxpayers spend between $30,000 to $50,000 per inmate per year to maintain the state and federal correctional systems. That includes the operating costs and the cost of new construction. Depending on the level of security and the geographic region of the United States, it can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $130,000 to build each new bed space. The cost range was around $56,000 in 1992. Four out of five capital outlay dollars in construction, however, go for building expenses other than the housing area itself. Construction costs are only the down payment of a prison’s total cost to society. The Federal Bureau of Prisons explains the operating cost for a prison over its practical life span at about fifteen to twenty times the original construction cost. Cost per inmate per day varies from state to state, and within each state from prison unit to prison unit. The units with greater security or larger amounts of medical and psychiatric treatment services will, of course, be more expensive to build and operate. Personnel is the major operating expense, usually accounting for an average of 75 percent of an agency’s total operating budget. The results of overcrowding are serious deprivation in the quality of life for everyone in a correctional institution. Even though we have build hundreds of new prisons and expanded facilities in the last ten years, the average amount of space per inmate has decreased over 10 percent. Stretching resources beyond their capacity is something the courts watch carefully when monitoring prison conditions. Overcrowding may be measured in shortages of basic necessities, such as space, sheets, hot water, clothing and food. Vocational, educational, and recreational programs may become seriously overloaded. Medical services and supplies may be insufficient, thereby posing health risks. Throughout the total system, high inmate to staff ratios lead to poor supervision and scheduling difficulties, which result in less inmate activity and greater safety risks for both the employee and the prisoner. The nature of a crowded environment itself may have serious effect on the health and well being of inmates. Noise and the lack of privacy associated with crowding may contribute to emotional stress and the development of mental health problems. Studies have shown that crowding may increase the number of disciplinary infractions per inmate. Inmates in densely populated units may suffer from higher blood pressure. It has also been concluded that, as density of the population increases, so does the rate of mortality in inmates over the age of forty-five (Paulus 1988). Common conditions such as the spreading of colds, sexually transmitted diseases, and other infectious diseases are increased in overcrowded areas. Many studies have claimed the rate of psychiatric commitments and suicides reveal increases for inmate in crowded living areas. Research has also linked higher subsequent rates of criminal behavior to inmates from institutions that were overcrowded. Increases in violence, particularly staff and inmate assaults, are associated with overcrowded conditions as well. It is argued that living too close together heightens tempers and aggression, leading most likely to confrontations. The nation’s courts are sentencing and admitting more offenders in America’s prisons than the facilities can hold. The Government Accounting Office reported for fiscal year 1992-1993, twenty-five state correctional systems requested funds for eighty-five new facilities that would add over fifty-six thousand new prison beds. Texas alone asked for $600 million to finance the construction of twenty-five thousand new beds. The American Correctional Association guidelines call for a standard cell area of sixty square feet for inmates spending no more than ten hours per day in their cell. In many prisons, inmates are double bunked in cells designed for one or sleep on mattresses in unheated prison gyms or on the floors of dayrooms, halls or basements. Some are housed in tents, other sleep in the same bunk different times of the day. Many taxpayers do not consider overcrowding a problem because they believe that discomfort should be a part of the punishment. Research has only recently begun to explore the effects of crowding beyond those on individual inmates, groups of inmates and the programs and services they receive. Information is still needed on the effect crowding has on the  staff, on the management strategies, on budgeting and government responses, on facility and equipment durability, and on the cost of operations under various strategies to reduce overcrowding. In 1996, nearly half (48.4 percent) of the respondents surveyed by the Survey Research Program (College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University) thought that the most important goal of prison should be rehabilitation, while only 14.6 percent saw punishment as the most important goal of prison. One third thought that crime prevention/deterrence was the most important goal of prisons. Throughout most of American history correctional policy makers have positioned rehabilitation among the most important correctional goals. Treatment has appeared in many forms and clearly many ideas have proven ultimately to be unfounded. The earliest institutional treatment models, for example, place heavy reliance on the qualities of institutional life combined with spiritual contemplation as a source of individual reformation. The earliest penal facilities were founded under a Quaker influence supported either solitary confinement or a congregate model that imposed total silence upon its prisoners. It was assumed that in both systems would be isolated from the evil influences and subject to strong discipline. The outcome they believed would be a responsible citizen who had seen the error of their ways. More realistically, the practice of solitary confinement produced many instances of mental illness before its use was abandoned. Historians have referred to this period as a time in which harshness was too quickly assumed to be discipline, an abusive discipline that did more to breaks spirits rather than reform them. A more positive approach was introduced shortly after the Civil War and put into practice in 1876 at the Elmira Reformatory for youthful offenders in New York. That program used ideas that we recognize today a related to operant conditioning. Borrowing from earlier Australian reforms, know as the â€Å"mark†, system reformers planned a model in which inmates could earn transfers to less secure prisons and ultimately their release through good behavior and work performance. The reformatory system is known for the  contemporary introduction of the indeterminate sentence and post-release supervision or parole. This afforded the correctional professionals the opportunity to predicate a release decision based upon an inmate’s satisfactory rehabilitation. The Elmira Reformatory, and other built shortly after in other states, can be recognized for their educational and other programs designed to facilitate change instead of passively waiting for inmates to see the need for c hange. More intensive efforts appeared from 1900 to 1920, when progressive reformers seized upon the new clinical approaches offered by social and psychological sciences. The social wisdom of the day encouraged public education and the belief that social ills, including crime, could be prevented. Science, particularly social, medical and psychological sciences, also asserted that causes could be identified, diagnosed, and ultimately treated. The field of criminology during those years was characterized by the work of the positivists, researchers who found the roots of crime to be in biological traits and psychological ills, rather than in the rational choices made by offenders. The criminals, in other words, were ill. These progressive reformers sought to first diagnose the cause of crime and then treat them. They envisioned prisons like hospitals and diagnostic centers. Perhaps the greatest impact the progressive reformers had was in the development of a less adversarial and more rehabilitative ideology. While more treatment staff was later added, prisons did not become hospitals; maybe because public investment in treatment was never sufficiently achieved. Nevertheless, the goals of individualized treatment, classification, and community corrections, and substitution of humane, reform oriented programs of punishment dominated correctional policy throughout the first half of the twentieth century as rehabilitation enjoyed unchallenged status until mid-century as the correctional priority. Rehabilitation was also helped by two presidential crime commissions and resulting legislation that provided state and federal seed money for many new crime prevention and treatment initiatives. These promotions, however, were short lived. Conservatives were lamenting a high crime rate and asserting that deterrence and incapacitation, the â€Å"get tough† approaches to  crime, were more effective. In the mid 1970’s a review of the treatment evaluation literature by Robert Martinson (1974) concluded that rehabilitation had achieved â€Å"no appreciable effect on recidivism†. The Martinson report was indeed supportive of the subsequent swing to a far more conservative crime agenda. Over the next twenty years there was a move away from indeterminate sentencing toward determinate or presumptive sentencing models or guidelines. A drop in available money for new demonstration programs and cuts in many existing correctional treatment budgets only added to the conserva tive appeal. American prisons became frightfully overcrowded growing by 168 percent from 1980 to 1991 largely on the political promises to â€Å"get tough† on crime. However, correction agencies did not totally give up on rehabilitation. A growing drug problem required new strategies for dealing with drug and alcohol addictions. Treatment research and evaluation efforts continued and began to show more favorable results. While current use of treatment and rehabilitation technology is not what it should be in actual practice, most rehabilitation scholars conclude that a good deal has been learned over the past decades about specific strategies that work. Rehabilitation is synonymous with interventions or treatment. Sometimes rehabilitation might more accurately be called â€Å"habilitation†. â€Å"Habilitation†, in this sense refers to the offender whose behavior is the result of not having received the skills or personal qualities needed to live a life free from crime. The Palmer Model (1992) is a rehabilitation program model, which has shown favorable results. Whether speaking of rehabilitation, habilitation, intervention services, or treatment we are referring to distinct, correctional programs that a) change or modify the offender or help them modify themselves or b) change or modify life circumstances and improve social opportunities. Such methods should utilize, develop or redirect the powers and mechanisms of the individual’s mind and body in order to enhance the ability to cope and grow. Palmer excludes from his definition any correctional options that try to reduce, physically traumatize, disorganize or devastate the mind or body by means such as dismemberment or electroshock techniques. He includes measures that try to  affect the individual’s future behavior, attitudes toward self, and interactions with other by focusing on such factors and conditions as the individual’s adjustment techniques, interest, skills, personal limitations and/or life circumstances. Often correctional options are put forward as measures toward reducing future crime, while most options offer no real plan to change targeted criminal behavior. Halfway houses by themselves do not constitute treatment unless there is a treatment program in place. The distinction between treatment, control and custody may be a confusing one for policy makers and others, because one seldom hears of new correctional options put forward without some promise, to either solve the crime problem, or reform the offenders. Boot camps, for example, have been touted as short-term treatment programs for first time offenders, particularly drug offenders. But the military regimen has little basis in any treatment model, and often no interventions are specifically targeted to the drug problem. In the same fashion, intermediate sanctions such as intensive probation, house arrests, and electronic monitoring serve a custody and control function rather than one of treatment. There are many types of correctional rehabilitation programs. Rehabilitation may occur in mental health and substance abuse, educational or vocational programs. Some might also include spiritual programs, although there is very little research devoted to religious programs used for rehabilitation. Mental health programs comprise a wide array of strategies. In rare cases, an institution may provide in-depth psychotherapy for seriously troubled inmates. Such approaches would deal with internalized conflicts, anxieties, phobias, depression, uncontrollable anger, neurosis and other serious mental health problems. Many factors such as early abuse, trauma, abandonment or dysfunctional family like could cause these problems. Strategies known as â€Å"here and now† treatment models are however far more common approaches to treating or counseling prison inmates. As the names suggests â€Å"here and now† programs assist clients in dealing with  current issues in their lives, such as how poor attitudes might influence work performance. â€Å"Here and now† strategies include behavioral programs, social learning approaches and cognitive therapies. The â€Å"here and now† approach is preferred for a number of reasons. One is cost; much less the in-depth psychotherapy and does not require the use of highly skilled clinicians. Correctional personnel holding a bachelor’s or a master’s degree can be trained to use Reality Therapy and behavioral approaches. Also â€Å"here and now† strategies are more apt to deal with observable behavior that with the more abstract, subconscious processes that are the subject of psychoanalysis. Finally, â€Å"here and now† strategies work well in-group settings. In fact, most treatment approaches in the corrections area are group-counseling programs, necessitated by the large prison population and the limited resources. This is not necessarily a disadvantage, because group treatments offer more than just money savings. Group cohesiveness and peer influence can be vehicles for change in themselves. One other thing is group approaches afford an opportunity for social interaction that cannot take place in individual counseling situations. Education and competence of prison inmates speaks strongly of the need for prison educational programs. In 1984 a staggering forty-two percent of the incarcerated adult population functioned below a sixth grade academic level. Over half of the inmate population appears to lack basic reading skills. Many would qualify for special educational programs, especially those for the learning disabled. Even with these tragic statistics and the fact that academic and vocational education has long been identified as an important goal of correctional agencies and correctional professional organizations, the status of educational programs in American prisons is not a commendable one. Adult populations are largely under-served and program effectiveness is questionable. The most common programs in today’s prison are those that address academic deficiencies. Adult basic literacy programs or Adult Basic Education programs for example promote literacy and address the basic academic  deficiencies. Such programs can be self-paced and require the use of programmed materials rather than classroom instruction, thus are cost efficient by using outside volunteers and other inmates to facilitate instruction. General Education Diploma (GED) classes are available in most adult correctional settings. Participation in these programs for adults is usually voluntary and part time. Both the GED and the basic education programs are sometimes criticized for their failure to stress important like skills and competencies. GED for example is said to be a test-driven model used to certify rather than to educate. This criticism extends to other areas of prison education. Vocational education programs are faulted for their failure to teach inmates marketable job skills; those that would prepare inmates to enter the work force. Many of today’s fields have become much more technical in recent years, and the correctional agencies cannot afford to keep up. These advances and the machinery needed to train inmates in their applications is cost prohibited. Women’s programs are also criticized for emphasizing traditional women’s jobs, which usually equate to lower pay. Many of the women prisoners are single mothers with a real need for higher paying non-traditional jobs. Finally, careers that require licenses or apprenticeships are not well suited to prison, because prison terms are often too short to meet a typical apprenticeship period. By 1978, the federal prison system was operating thirty-three drug treatment units. Although many programs today have been severely limited by budget cuts, attempts have been made to involve not only those inmates under court order to receive treatment but also those who volunteer for treatment. Still, only eleven percent of federal inmates are involved in drug abuse programs. A survey of 277 prison facilities in 1991 determined that about one-third of all inmates participated in some type of drug treatment program. Most had been involved in-group counseling; others were in self-help programs, and some received in-patient services. In prison most common program formats are group therapy, self-help, and drug education programs. Education programs can be offered in short segments, and  reach large audiences for a lower cost. But these programs have been criticized for using scare tactics or for not acknowledging the realities that make drug use attractive to those with troubled lives. Drug education is most effective on a very young population who has not yet used drugs, and this profile does not describe most incarcerated offenders. One of the biggest criticisms of prison treatment programs is that they offer fewer services for shorter periods of time than those of outside programs. Outside programs are more likely to involve family and to provide follow up referral as well as components for instance as job counseling, education, and vocational training. When paroled, continued drug use many result in re-incarceration. In 1990 drug related parole violations in California accounted for thirty-two percent of returns to prison. Several studies have linked substance abuse treatment while incarcerated with later success on parole. Unfortunately many programs do not follow up on their participants to evaluate their success. Four programs that have had a relatively low rate of recidivism were reviewed in 1989. The shared characteristics included offering a wide range of activities, teaching practical life skills, using nontraditional correctional employees who were realistic about the program goals, and formal and informal follow up with participants after release. Spending more time in treatment also appeared to be related to lower arrest rates and successful completion of parole. Recent correctional history shows us that treatment endeavors can be toppled quickly by those who question their effectiveness. When these doubts are voiced in the context of an unfavorable political climate, the results can be devastating. Yet one favorable outcome of the discouraging setbacks to correctional rehabilitation has been approximately two decades of research designed to check the accuracy of the unfavorable reviews. Clearly the most valuable contribution to our knowledge in this area comes from the advent of meta-analyses, in which the results of many studies are statistically aggregated and assessed as one sample. Across these studies, findings typically show that effective programs reduced recidivism rates by  approximately twenty percent. Generally, 25 to 35 percent of the experimental treatment programs studied achieved positive results. The meta-analyses, along with several extensive reviews of the literature, also identify the treatments most likely to succeed. These include behavioral, cognitive behavioral, life skills, family intervention and some multi-modal approaches. The meta-analyses also show us that the treatment modality is only one of the factors that differentiate a successful intervention from an unsuccessful one. Programmatic characteristics also have an impact. These characteristics include: 1. Whether the program is well matched to its clients. 2. Dosage, or how much of an intervention is received. 3. Therapeutic integrity. 4. Administrative management style. 5. Provision of a relapse prevention component. 6. Whether the program was designed according to theoretical model. In an unfavorable, punishment-focused political climate, the relative success of rehabilitation appears to go unnoticed. Politicians quell the public’s fear of crime with promises of yet stricter incarceration policies, more police officers, and occasional digressions into the latest correctional fad. Sadly, the singular focus on punishment is not purely representative of public sentiment. While it is true that the public favors â€Å"get tough† policies, support for rehabilitation is also strong. A series of surveys conducted on the past decade show that indeed the public is punishment oriented, but, the surveys also clearly show the public experts treatment-oriented programs to accompany incarceration. In other words, â€Å"Get tough on crime† does not mean â€Å"to warehouse† or to ignore treatment and  education. As we continue in this new millennium we must make some important choices about what we want our prison system to be. It is clear to me that we can no longer sit back and continue to let our prisons mainly be â€Å"warehouses† for keeping those individuals whose problems we choose not to recognize or treat. The reduction in the recidivism rate by twenty percent when effective programs are used is reason enough for the American public to demand that rehabilitation become more of a focused priority to prison officials as well as politicians and also a priority with the politicians. We are incarcerating large numbers of people who actually have a disease, since most experts consider substance abuse a disease and not criminal behavior. Until we concentrate on curing the problems of society that cause most of these criminals to adopt behavior that they are being punished for, we will continue to see a rise in the numbers incarcerated. I believe rehabilitation can lower the number of repeat offenders if we are willing to redirect the focus of our prisons. It will not be easy and it will not be cheap; but it will be worth it for the good of society as a whole. Rehabilitation of criminals can be greatly improved, and the successful measurement documented by implementing a very old but successful scientific theory of â€Å"cause and effect†. Work Cited Begun, Abbey M. B.A. ed., Jacobs, M.A. ed., Quiram, Jacquelyn F. B.A. ed. Prisons and Jails a Deterrent to Crime? Information Plus 1999 ed. Davis, Bertha. Instead of Prison. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Franklin Watts publishing 1986. Lacayo, Richard, â€Å"Law and Order, Crime rates are down across the U.S.-Some dramatically. Is this a blip or a Trend? With so many factors in play, it may be a bit of both. 15 January, 1996 Volume 147, No. 3 (http://www.time.com/time/mag/†¦e/1996/dom/960115/cover.html) McShane, Marilyn. D. ed., Williams III, Frank P. ed. Encyclopedia of American Prisons. New York and London, Garland Publishing,Inc., 1996 Menninger, Karl. The Crime of Punishment. New York, Viking Press, 1968 Oliver, Marilyn Tower. Prisons, Today’s Debate. 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