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.
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. Not only does the overcrowding effect staff, but it also interferes with budgets and costs that operate these facilities. The more prisoners to house, clothe, feed puts a strain on taxpayers as costs also increase. With costs going up this can cause employers to cut back, and if these facilities are understaffed this can create security risks, improperly ran facilities and increased prison
The cost to treat inmates with HCV is expected to soar by as much as 380 percent, as a result of the growing prevalence of the disease among inmates, but more expensive and treatment protocol. The current protocol is composed with two drugs, and its cure is about 40 percent as of 2012. New guidelines are calling for the use of a third medication, which can be one of two different drugs. One of them would increase the cost of Hepatitis C treatment in prisons to more than 8 million a year, the other to more than 13 million. Using the third drug raised the cure rate to 70 percent.
The number of people behind bars has grown substantially in many countries over the past 20 years.” (para. 9). Better policing can also be attributed to the decline in crime rates as evidence of the growing prison population. According to Mitchell (2010), "In Denver, 30 of the 2009 murders — almost 80 percent — have been solved, according to Mary Dulacki, records coordinator for Denver police.” Per a Denver Police spokesperson, another factor in the reduction of murders is the improvements with emergency medical treatment and services. First responders are able to save more lives than in the past (Mitchell, 2010).
Figures on the British survey state that there are 87,561 thousand people in Britain and Wales prisons today (Ministry Of Justice, 2010). This massive population in prisons has been rising sharply since 1993 and increased from 42,000 to today's unprecedented levels (Cavadino and Dignan , 2007 ).The prison population rate places England and Wales one of the highest in Western Europe with 153 people per 100,000 (Ministry Of Justice, 2010). This Essay is going to discuss and evaluate the claim that the prison system is ‘in crisis’. In order to do this, the essay will first look at the reasons for the huge rising prison population – financial, prudential and moral. Secondly overcrowded prisons have an impact on rehabilitation programmes which potentially could be a reason for the high rate of reoffending in the UK.
In the course of a year, there are 12 million admissions to secure facilities. Enough people are admitted to prisons and jails every two days to fill the New Orleans Superdome to capacity. The administrative manning and cost to house and provide care for prisoners has skyrocketed. Prisons are so overcrowded that prisoners are being released early to provide for more serious offenders. This increase is largely due to added staffing levels, new prisoner programs and rights, care of the elderly, and less lenient laws.
62% of local jail inmates are awaiting trial. The cost of medical care for inmates grows by 10% annually. High rates of incarceration are due to sentence length. The United States incarcerates a large number of non-violent and victimless offenders. 50% of all prisoners are non-violent offenders, and 20% are drug related offenders.
Just four years ago, family savings and income accounted for thirty-six percent of college costs. Unfortunately, because home equity loans are harder to get, many families have to turn to education loans with higher interest rates. While median family income is markedly down, tuition and fees have spiked over the past few years. In fact, public institutions of higher learning have become twice as expensive to attend over the past decade. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, State funding is down twenty-two percent over the same time period.
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.
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.