Determinate sentences involve sentences that have a fixed or flat time (Jirard, 2009). Determinate sentences play a large part in the increasing number of individuals in prison, which, as you can imagine, puts more strain on prisons financially. In the past two decades, we have become increasingly “tough on crime” which has helped to decrease crime to a certain extent. According to an article in the New York Times (2008), the US has fewer than five percent of the entire world’s population, but almost twenty five percent of the world’s prisoners (Liptak & , 2008). The author of the article goes on to say that people in the US are sentenced to do time for crimes that would not produce such a sentence in other countries.
In a numbers sense of the issue, it just seems completely absurd to be fighting over hundreds of thousands of dollars while they are making millions in a country where even dangerous and exhausting public service jobs pay just thousands. This is why Heeb also introduces a new perspective to the reader in which he still uses pathos and logos. “I am a high school teacher/coach from Missouri. In 2007, the average teacher in Missouri made $42,246.67. In 2009, that number increased by 1.19% to $42,750.
Due to wooden bats breaking at a much higher rate, they have to be replaced more often. Wyoming Valley Conference coach Matt Skrepenek states, “It’s a money issue and wouldn’t be cost efficient. It would just get too expensive” (Faiwell). For instance, a $1000 dollar investment by a team for bats could purchase 4 aluminum bats that will last the season or longer, or it could purchase 12 wooden bats that could last for several games or several months. Wellesley American League went through 600 bats in one season, which totaled to the amount of $8,000 (Greater Boston).
“Social structural perspective is a sociological perspective that emphasizes how a person’s social location in society influences their behavior” (Fuller, John, 2011). In this case regarding the Pelican Bay Prison, the location (the prison) causes the prisoners to develop more criminological tendencies and behavior. Gangs, in general, cause an individual to become more deviant and violent. This video supports the idea of social structure theory due to the environment changing the individual, and them being content with the lifestyle. Members of gangs enter the prison to be a part of an even bigger organization, and to gain the skills they need to have an even larger contribution within the gang
It is very important to make the public aware of the new bill passed and the new doubled prison terms if convicted of armed robbery. If the bill were passed there would be the issue of financial responsibilities, which the innocent public would be responsible for. Doubling a prison term could be costly and one solution would be to seek some funding through fundraisers and grants from the state. The bill would costs the citizens but it would keep them at ease and at peace knowing that almost anyone would be discouraged of committing such a crime. We hope that this bill would have an impact on the would be criminals because not only would their sentence be longer but their chances at parole would be harder to
Police chiefs recognize that death penalty cases are particularly burdensome in the early stages. Two-thirds of the police chiefs polled said that death penalty cases are hard to close and take up a lot of police time” (15). So in essence, the cost of man-power in capital cases is very high, however over time it costs millions less than keeping a criminal imprisoned for life. It is said that capital cases leading to the death penalty cost approximately sixty thousand dollars a year for six years while life imprisonment cases cost thirty-four thousand a year for around sixty years (Costanzo 15). Personally, I don’t want my hard earned tax money being used to keep a vicious criminal alive.
The influx of prisoners poses issues such as gang rivalries, and violent confrontations, not only among the prisoners themselves but also between them and the prison guards. At Corcoran State Prison, on “gladiator days” officers forced rival gang members to fight, and shot them both for entertainment(Schlosser). In private Juvenile detention centers such as YSI facilities, staff often choose to not report most assaults and major fights to avoid scrutiny for violating their contracts and the rules of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Overcrowding also leads to inconveniences such as double-bunking, which urges aggression, violence, and stress-induced mental disorders. The incarceration system in the United States has inflicted much damage on societal well-being, caused by privatization of prisons, war on drugs, and overcrowding of prison cells.
Breadwinners are lost, families destroyed, more kids grow up without fathers or mothers, welfare costs increase, the entire sex ratio is thrown out of balance and prisoners face grim prospects when released. The hyper-incarceration statistics for African-American males are much worse. We incarcerate one in nine African-Americans between the ages of 20 and 34. In 2003, it was calculated that "At current levels of incarceration newborn black males in this country have a greater than a 1 in 4 chance of going to prison during their lifetimes, while Hispanic males have a 1 in 6 chance, and white males have a 1 in 23 chance of serving time." By 2007, just four years later, the U.S. Department of Justice
“More than 1,700 college students in the U.S. are killed each year—about 4.65 a day—as a result of alcohol-related injuries” (The Marin Institute). With a number as high as this, lowering the drinking age would only increase this ongoing problem of underage drinking. It has even been proven by the Marin Institute to be the leading cause of death among teenagers. Many adults feel as if the 18 to 21 age groups cannot handle drinking responsibly, then they should not be permitted to use it. Alcohol is a very serious depressant and one of the leading problems for death (Hanson, 2007).
In total, taxpayers spend up $7.5 billion, or $23,500 per person, annually on feeding, clothing, and providing shelter for marijuana offenders (Donziger). Building new prisons, because there is such a vast number of marijuana prisoners, costs even more money. Since taxpayers have paid nearly $300 billion to fund the War in Iraq, it is time a burden is taken off the taxpayer’s shoulders (Office). Incarcerating drug offenders cost taxpayer 1.8 billion annually, according to most analyst (Stuart). Other substantial costs include enforcing marijuana laws.