The "three strikes" laws have filled up the nation's jails with people guilty of relatively minor offenses, causing overcrowding and frustration. In addition, the vigilante mood that overtook the country on 9/11 has led
High Crime in Urban Areas Travis E. Heath SOC 305 Crime & Society Timothy Knox 5 November 2012 Abstract Crime and our criminal justice system affect everyone in the United States in one way or another, weather you are a criminal or the victim. Impoverished urban areas with a large minority population are disproportionally impacted. Through my research I discovered that a higher number of violent and drug related crime occur in theses areas. I also found that studies show that people within minority groups are more likely to suffer hasher punishment for similar crimes committed by non-minority groups. In this research paper I will analyze the break down the officially recognized races in the US, crimes specifically relate to these urban areas that are not present in more rural and suburban areas, finally how are crimes handled both at the judicial and executive levels in poverty-stricken communities as opposed to upper class communities.
Privatization of the Prison System Dustin Matthews Park University Privatization of the Prison System Introduction Our criminal justice system consists of many components that are necessary to keep our communities safe and distribute proper punishment of criminal offenders to include confinement. Perhaps the most scrutinized component of our criminal justice system is the corrections phase. Over recent decades the correctional system has experienced an astronomical increase in inmate population. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, as of 2010, the nation’s inmate population is well over 2.2 million and continues to rise. This enormous population has created severe prison overcrowding as well as an ever increasing financial burden on federal, state, and local governments.
It causes overcrowding which is a one of growth in the state prison system. Overcrowding is best defined as housing Along with overcrowding; the war on drugs has tripled our prison population. Once the population exceeds the capacity, it becomes more difficult
This steady rise in the age of inmates incarcerated throughout the United States can be traced back to an increasing crime rate through the 1980’s and early 1990’s and the “get tough” response by legislating bodies and law enforcement. In order to relieve the burden caused by the aging population in the prison system, alternative resolutions to punitive punishment must be found. These include early release for inmates who no longer pose a threat to society, restructuring mandatory-minimum sentences and creating geriatric units for elderly inmates. Introduction Elderly or geriatric prisoners are creating problems for correctional facilities, legislators, as well as state and federal budgets. From 1992 to January 1, 2001, the number of inmates age 50 and older jumped from 41, 586 to 113,358 (Camp & Camp, 1992 – 2001).
In 2007 analysis said that Detroit officials noted about 65 to 70 percent of homicides in the city were confined to a narcotics catalyst. Now days there are way too many shootings going on over the stupidest things. A lot of our young men in today’s society are getting their lives taken a young age. People are fearful much more than back then in our metro Detroit area because the violence and death rates continue to go up. Every day you hear of a young male getting shot/killed or a young woman getting abused then killed.
Racism in Prisons As much as the criminal justice system tries to disguise racism the writing is on the wall. There are more African Americans that receive prison time than White Americans, even though many times the same crime is committed (CBSCharlotte, 2013). People often times think that the days of racism are over ,when in fact is many people still experience it daily; in places that we think they would not to be subjected to and that is the prison and jails across the United States (CBSCharlotte, 2013). In fact, studies show that one African American male out of three will go to prison (McGivern, 2012). It was also visible that racism is present in prison and the justice system .A study was also conducted that surveyed 1,729 individuals who applied for pardons; 189 of those that applied actually received a pardon; 12 percent of those pardoned were White Americans, 10 percent were Hispanics, and not one African American
Racial profiling is a form of discrimination by which law enforcement uses a person’s race or cultural background as the primary reason to suspect that the individual has broken the law. Racial profiling is a serious human rights problem affecting millions of people in the United States in even the most routine aspects of their daily lives. The debate over racial profiling has become a central element in a much larger history of adversarial relationships between the police and communities of color. Already-existing tensions between police and communities of color became heightened over the past two decades as allegations of racial profiling by law enforcement agents against people of color increased in number and frequency. A "profile" is a coherent set of facts - known conditions and observable behavior that indicate a particular individual may be engaged in criminal activity.
Juvenile Crime Statistics CJA 374 11 September 2012 Carl Ramey Juvenile Crime Statistics As employees within the criminal justice system, we see daily the impact and overload on the system as the economy worsens. The adult court system is massively overcrowded and the restructuring of the system is in process across the country to try and free up much needed space for more serious cases, as well as shifting the roles of the magistrates to oversee the caseload in the courtrooms. As we all know the system is bursting at the seams, we have also turned out attention to the juvenile justice system which is at an all time high where crime and punishment is concerned. Although the juvenile system is governed by the federal government,
The enormous growth in the national prison population has intensified the problems presented by the needs of mentally ill inmates. A report released by Human Rights Watch late last year—“Ill-Equipped: U.S. Prisons and Offenders with Mental Illness”—examines in depth the situation of the adult mentally ill in state and federal prisons. The report is long and well-researched, blending material from legal documents, court records, academic studies, site visits, interviews and letters. Originally established in the 1970s to monitor compliance with the human rights provisions of the Helsinki Accords, Human Rights Watch has developed into a more broadly focused international observer of government policies and practices affecting human rights