This large increase in the rate of incarceration is the biggest dertermining factor for the rise of private prisons in the US and because the United States has setup a system in which we are putting people in prison at a much faster rate than anywhere else in the world private prisons have become more and more acceptable. "In 1980 about half the people entering state prison were violent offenders; in 1995 less than a third had been convicted of a violent crime. The enormous increase in America's inmate population can be explained in large part by the sentences given to people who have committed nonviolent offenses. Crimes that in other countries would usually lead to community service, fines, or drug treatment—or would not be considered crimes at all—in the United States now lead to a prison term, by far the most expensive form of punishment." (Schlosser) The creation of the Rockefeller drug laws in New York state is what appears to be a major proponent in this
Sociology 2962-721 October 29, 2012 Thought Piece #3 Case Study Two: The Prison Industrial Complex In the late 12th century the United States prison system exploded. Mass incarceration has caused a slew of economic and social problems for this country. Steven R. Donziger, author of “Crime and Policy,” noted that America is both obsessed and fearful of crime. American media is saturated with criminal drama, and news coverage is constantly reporting drastic displays of violence (488). Donziger’s studies show that crime rates since the 1970’s are remarkably stable, and violent crimes such as those displayed in the media have dropped by sixteen percent (489).
In prior decades, there were few federal crimes and a few criminals sentenced to federal prison but that was changed after the Civil War. The numbers began to grow and then the issues of overcrowding started to occur. As time passed, more institutions were built in several states and began to house offenders on a federal level. The federal was looked at as stricter than the state level. In this day that feeling remains.
Not to also mention, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world (Senator James 1)! But how is all of this happening when crime rates are going down? People in today’s society are getting locked behind bars for lesser crimes then in the past. Criminals are serving more time in prisons nowadays than any previous year. Another significant issue with the United States prison system is its ability to spend money.
The first cost arises from the number of prisons that have been built across the nation to accommodate the booming number of inmates. The second cost comes from the amount it takes per year to house a prisoner, which he estimates at around $30,000 (Barnet, 192). It is mentioned, and I would have to agree, that the costs to society would be much higher if we turned inmates loose instead of caging them up. The overpopulation of prisons is something that is reiterated throughout the news. If we as a nation could come up with a solution to this problem, it would be
This would perhaps help their system with putting people that need to be in prison. With implementing the correctional system of the United States, they would not have to resort to imprisonment all the time. They could use other methods that would rehabilitate their offenders. Some of those methods could include community supervision, treatment programs. This would cut down on head count of their prison.
Prison gangs are much better organized than the average street gang. When an inmate is released he is typically more savvy about keeping a low profile and so it becomes more difficult for authorities recognize criminal activity. Prison gangs have risen some four hundred percent during the last decade and are still climbing. Gangs inside the prison walls have become experts at communicating through coded messages. Prison gangs originated as a form of protection from predator inmates, but expanded to include contraband.
Corrections, Bay State Correctional Center, Baldwin State prison and etc. are all examples of state prisons. State prison's population has increased to 739 per 100,000 people. That is the highest incarceration rates in the world. The U.S. Correctional professionals can solve this problem by focusing ,not only the structure of the confinement to hold this outrageous number of incarcerated prisoners, but to also turn their focus on reducing the population by changing one's character with
Society argues that criminals should be punished with lengthy jail terms for the security of society. However, the outcome of this objective would allow the offender to return back into society so that he/she can become a productive citizen. Moreover, offenders are given the opportunity to gain rehabilitation and education while they are incarcerated. This result brings up another question. Is the justice
A solution to helping keep the cost of incarceration down would be to cut the spending inside of the prisons. Cutting cost such as coffee, cable, extra’s that offenders to not have to have will free up funds and cut cost to tax payers. An adjustment that might be considered before the bill is passed is to make sure that the juveniles are not excluded from this law. Crime is learned trait and can be passed down from person to person threw corrective conditioning, including juveniles in this bill will give them a more clear understanding of the punishment will fit the