Overcrowding In The Criminal Justice System

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Criminal Justice Overview Paper Overcrowded prisons have become a serious issue in the criminal justice system. Get tough legislations, new penal codes, high recidivism rates, and the war on drugs are partly to blame for the overcrowding in American prisons. This paper will explain how overcrowding prisons have affected the criminal justice system. It will also list changes made to the system in response to the issue, and explain why the changes were or were not sufficient in eliminating the issue. The Affect The criminal justice system has been affected greatly by overcrowded prisons in many ways. Overcrowded prisons are causing a financial burden to the state government, it ties up the courts time, it provides massive caseloads to court…show more content…
It is obvious that nothing will stop crime completely. There will always be someone committing crime. Even though our prisons are overcrowding, we cannot stop punishing individuals for their criminal activity. However, we can provide punishment alternatives and the community correction programs provides that option. It has reduced state government costs, and reduced overcrowding prisons. Nonviolent offenders, can be punished in the community rather than in prison. It is in the community where they can make a difference, and at the same time be punished for their crimes. Reducing recidivism rates is a serious concern for corrections. If recidivism rates are not reduce, corrections will only grow because they are constantly taking on the same offenders. Providing education, and rehabilitation provides inmates with the change to better their lives. It lets them see past their lives of crime. It provides them skills to lead a productive life after incarceration. If the criminal justice system does not get recidivism under control, prisons will continue to grow. I do believe additional changes can be made in response to overcrowding prisons. Get tough legislations need to be abolished. There is no evidence that get tough legislations deter individuals from committing crime. This is partly because many individuals lack the legal knowledge to know the consequences…show more content…
The financial of housing inmates isn’t just on the shoulders of the state government, it’s on American citizens as well. The average cost to house one inmate a year is too astronomical to continue with overcrowded prisons. It is costing billions in state government money. It has tied up the courts time, increased courtroom actors caseloads as well as begin to risky for the lives of correction professionals. However, changes have been made to correct the issue and results have been promising. The criminal justice system has implemented community corrections and began educating and providing rehabilitation services to inmates. This has reduce overcrowded prisons because of the alternative punishments to incarceration. It has also reduced recidivism rates by giving inmates the necessary skills to become productive law abiding

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