RUNNING HEAD: THE ISSUES 1 The Issues of Overcrowding in Prisons By Barbarito Capote ENGL107-1203B English Composition 2 July 29, 2012 RUNNING HEAD: THE ISSUES 2 Outline: I. Intro a. Overcrowding in prisons a huge issue i. Not enough prisons to reduce overcrowding b. Solutions to prison overcrowding c. Prisons as an end result have suffered from overcrowding causing higher suicide rates as well as increased diseases, sharing of beds and toilets, etc. Because of this overcrowding of prisons is a big issue.
However, does the dramatically increased number of prisoners necessarily verify that the prison system is not working? Is it possible that the growth resulted from the changes of the laws as more things become illegal, the federal government passes minimum mandatory sentences? Perhaps many crimes for which a person would not have been sent to prison now require a prison term. That could be the reason for the increase. Then, can we literally say that the
Since the mid-1970s, the prison population in the nation’s largest state has risen by more than 750%, from about 20,000 to more than 160,000 (Equal Justice Initiative, 2010). California’s prison system is among one of the worst in the system and part of it is due to their adaptation of their “Three Strikes” laws. The laws are harsh and the criminals, especially the ones already having two strikes don’t seem to care about the seriousness of committing crimes. California’s prisons, 33 total, are operating at almost twice their design capacity. Overcrowding is a very serious issue that worries the state officials such as Governor Schwarzenegger.
From self-reported data of sixty-eight prison officers drawn from a medium security committal prison for male offenders, findings of the present study indicate that according to several objective indicators, prison officers experience considerable stress on the job. Furthermore, the study revealed even though there are some concerns, such as safety, that might be more salient for prison officers than other professions, it is the broader organisation rather than the unique attributes of the job that exerted the greater influence on the level and sources of stress among prison officers in the present study. Significant predictors of stress reported by respondents included issues with management, safety concerns, work overload, compulsory overtime, work-family conflict and lack of proper facilities. Furthermore, based on the results it was suggested that reactions by prison officers to different stressors were found not only
WHAT IS CAUSING PRISON OVERCROWDING? FINDINGS Continued increase in the number of offenders sent to prison · High recidivism rate · High rate of offenders returned to prison for violating or unsuccessfully completing community supervision · New criminal offenses added to penal code · "War on drugs" · Harsher penalties for certain types of offenses · Increased role of victim and victim advocacy in the court and parole process Convicted inmates serving a greater portion of their sentences in prison · Shift from indeterminate to determinate sentencing caused average minimum sentences to increase · Elimination of "good time" · "Truth in sentencing" established time-served standards for parole eligibility and required 100 percent of court-imposed
With mandatory minimum, fixed and longer prison sentences for non-violent drug related convictions, it has put a strain on every state’s correctional department. Overcrowded prisons results in lack of programming and the available resources are being stretched even further, limited access to mental health resources, and there is an increased possibility of disarray. In this paper, we will discuss the history, causes and effects of overcrowding as well as alternatives to incarceration. TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………..…….2 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………..…………4 HISTORY OF PRISON OVERCROWDING………………………………………..….……..5 DEFINE OVERCROWDING……………………………………………………………..…….6 CAUSES OF OVERCROWDING….………………..…………………………………..…….7 HOW CROWDED ARE U.S. PRISONS…………………………………………….….…….8 PRISON CAPACITIES…………………………………………………….………………….11 EFFECTS OF OVERCROWDING…………………………………………….……………..13 ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION……………………………………….………….16 REDUCING THE
Recent reports have concluded that the United States has the highest incarceration rate throughout the world at 2.2 million inmates. This increase is causing major concerns for corrections statewide, as prisons are seriously overcrowded ("University Of Phoenix," 2003). Prison populations are steadily growing year by year since the 1980s. However, the reason for this increase is a result of the Sentencing Reforming Act of 1984 (“Seller, R. P.” 2011). Once this act was put into use there was a significant increase in the incarceration rate, which resulted in correctional staff becoming burdened and overworked as a result of the extreme overcrowding.
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. The safety and well-being of society lies in the efficiency of prisons. The lack of a productive system will continue to harm the nation and further the deterioration of the lives of those affected. However, with a few reformations the problem can be solved and societal safety restored. Eradication of private prisons and promotion of drug rehab can benefit both society and the incarceration system and result in a more successful
These eye-popping numbers came about for many reasons: mandatory minimum sentences, three-strikes legislation, illegal drugs, gangs, immorality in all its modern forms, the war on drugs, the decline of marriage and families, high rates of recidivism, incarceration of the mentally ill, the decline of capital punishment, problems with the criminal justice system and all the forces pushing tough crime policies. Difficult economic times focus attention on the increasing costs of keeping all these people - 93% of them men - behind bars. Each prisoner costs about $32,000 per year, and the average prisoner does little to offset the cost of confinement. The social costs may be even higher. 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.
Does imprisonment fulfil those aims and purposes? Studies worldwide have shown that imprisonment does not work in terms of stated objectives. The stated objectives are to reform the criminal. In the majority of cases, the prison population is largely made up of re offenders. Donna King (Smart Justice) described her experience in jail as “Each prison sentence I went through, my crimes got bigger.