Can Tough Love Work in Prisons?
For those who have passed the point of prevention, we must implement alternative forms of intervention. “Tough love” is typically used to corral loved ones who have gone astray from the values by which law-abiding and respectful people should live. If “tough love” were woven into the American penal system, it would, in part, probably resemble the cognitive behavior intervention program that North Carolina Correction Secretary Theodis Beck has implemented for state inmates. Under this program, inmates are taught to make responsible choices based on logic and reason, the underlying rationale being that quality choices will likely affect their ultimate quality of life. Also, teaching inmates how to make better choices for themselves may impact the recidivism rate because inmates who yearn for freedom will learn the life skills they need to enjoy that freedom longer, once it is earned again. When tough love works, the “offenders” become enlightened and learn from their errors. In the penal
