CRIME & Punishment
Recidivism: Punishment and reformation of the criminals
Shakila Yeasmin Suchana
The word recidivism is not that much familiar with us. However, of late, specially, after incarceration of serial killer 'Rasu Kha' we are talking about it; in newspaper, television, or even in our home. Recidivism means repetition of crime, although, not only serial killing but also repetition of every kind of crime is supposed to fall within the ambit of recidivism. As it is one of the reasons for increasing crime in Bangladesh, we have to take proper step against it as soon as possible.
Recidivism is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have treated or trained to extinguish that behavior. It may be said as the habit of relapsing into crimes by the criminals. Those who are committing the same crime repeatedly, even they had punished for that crime are called recidivists. Recidivists have a long criminal record and have frequent inmate of penal laws or correctional institutions.
Even recidivist know the punishment of crime, they do. In our country, the main reasons of recidivism are:
* Poverty
* Lack of education
* Lack of parental guidance
* Psychological problems
* Lack of proper rehabilitation
* Involve to gangs etc.
Poor people, who could not fulfill even basic needs of life, sometimes indulge into crime for leading life. Biting of the poverty and subsequent criminalization puts them into a point of no return and makes them an incorrigible offender.
In Bangladesh, juveniles are committing crime, for the lack of parental guidance and for their peer groups. They also take drugs which is a prime reason of being recidivist. If they are punished, they are not capable to be free from committing crime because of addiction.
However, if anyone is treated once as criminal, always s/he is neglected by the society and even by the family. Nobody provides him/her job. Friends, neighbors and family members mistreats with them. They fell in frustration. Most of them are unskilled, so they are unable to do something single-handedly. Therefore, they could not revert back to the normal life any way.
Psychopaths, who commit crime for there psychological problem, are not treated properly. Proper rehabilitation often a misnomer for the criminal. If they are in prison, they get punishment but never are they re-socialized. We never think that, 'nobody born as a criminal' and 'every man has the right to back in normal life.
For these reasons, the problem of recidivism is increasing day by day. According to crime statistics of Bangladesh police, numbers of register cases of last five years are:
* 2004 - 119320
* 2005 - 126167
* 2006 - 130578
* 2007 - 157200
* 2008 - 157979
It is evident; crime rate is increasing over the years. Serial killer Rasu Kha is a recidivist having psychological problem. He was not only a killer but also a rapist and thief. Many other types of recidivist are committing different crimes repeatedly. We have to protect our country from the bad effect of them and make a positive thinking about crime prevention, 'hate the crime not the criminal'.
In early criminology, it was thought that crime could capably prohibited by inflicting severe punishment or penalties on the criminals. By these, a criminal could realize his fault, be penitent and pays for the crime and refrains from repeating crime in future. Now, in the newer world criminologists are contending that it is hard to prevent crime by applying this theory. To prevent repetition of crime, we have to treat juvenile delinquents for intensive rehabilitation; psychopath should be under proper treatment. Reformation should also be the prime concentration of criminal justice.
The writer is a student of Department of Criminology and Police Science, Mawlana Bhasani Science and Technology University.
