The United States prison system is where those who have broken the law spend their sentence. For many of them it is life behind bars and for others it is only a few years. For a select few, they will find themselves back behind bars because they keep committing similar crimes. The endless cycle of imprisonment becomes a way of life for some criminals. They get out and taste a few months of freedom and end up back in prison. This cycle does not make any sense for people who are on the outside looking in. Why would a person who has been released from years behind bars want to find themselves there again?

The answer is not so clear cut as many people seem to think it is. Some prisoners commit the same crimes because it has become a way of life for them. Others may not know how to function in the system outside of the bars of prison. Steps have been taken to help criminals learn the acceptable way of life in society. For some, it has helped and yet others, not so much. Time will tell if there is a better way of handling prison releases and keeping them out of jail.