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.
Recidivism is a big problem I this country, too many inmates return back to prison after being released. Many citizens are affected by this as well as the x-convicts and their families. Many children of convicts grow up without their father and could end up in prison themselves. It seems that these x-inmates have no chance to be reformed. This problem exists because there are not enough programs to help inmates be reformed and the little programs that are available they are implemented only after the inmate is released and not in the prison itself.
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
There has been no consistent evidence that crowding is associated with mortality, morbidity which is defined as clinic utilization), recidivism, violence, or other pathological behaviors (Gaes 1994). In addressing any problem area, one first must define the terms or operational definitions. The United States Supreme Court on November 30, 2010, heard oral argument in Schwarzenegger v. Plata about whether a federal court in California properly ordered the release of 40,000 prisoners to relieve the severe overcrowding in the state's prisons that has led to inadequate medical and mental health care for prisoners (Equal Justice Initiative, 2010). America’s prisons now hold more than 2.3 million people, and many of the facilities are overcrowded, with serious implications for both health and safety. 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).
HELLHOLE Journalist and author Atul Gawande in his article “Hellhole.” He wrote the United States is holding thousands of inmates in long term solitary confinement, which he states is “torture.” Because of their environment, and the length of time being in isolation, some of which became mentally ill. In fact he states, “We are social in a more elemental way: simply to exist as a normal human being requires interaction with other people.” Gawande also states, “The main argument for using long-term isolation in prisons is to provide discipline and prevent violence,” but study done in 2003 by analysis
He is calling out Governors, and urging viewers of his program The Factor to write their state representatives and push Jessica’s Law. On a recent interview on The Factor with Jesse Watters, Colorado Speaker of the House, Mark Ferrandino strongly opposed Jessica’s Law. He argued saying Colorado has “strict enough” laws concerning child sexual abuse. Just to illustrate how “strong” Colorado’s laws are, here is an example of their pathetic judicial system: a man in Colorado who raped ten children at a daycare center was sentenced to a laughable two years in prison (O’Reilly). Colorado is one of the only states in the Union that does not support Jessica’s Law, or the safety of children.
Within the realm of correctional officers, the largest obstacle is not the inmates but the politics that exist in the facility. There seems to be an officer culture within a culture and many times it becomes difficult to decipher. Another issue is communication within the correctional facility between individuals who possess different roles. Many times information does not get relayed properly or to the appropriate individuals so no one seems to be on the same page. An ongoing concern is that officer’s power has seemed to be almost eliminated and that causes problems with inmates and hostility amongst staff.
enemies during wartime. However, the “War of Terror” was never officially declared a war, making it void to use as a reason to convict Charles Schenk. What if the “War on Terror” was officially declared a war? In that case, it would be valid to charge Charles Schenck of violating the Espionage Act. This claim can be supported by the Debs v. United States case, which took time during World War I. Eugene V Debs held a speech praising those who refused to serve in the military and obstructed recruitment - as a result he was sentenced ten years in prison.
This seems to show the weakness of the criminal justice system. However, does the dramatically increased number of prisoners necessarily prove 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.
REGULAR Firstly, violence could be connected to the difficult society we live in. Moreover, every day a new episode is to be heard about incidents in certain places. For instance, incidents at schools are something people are frequently WIDE aware of frequently. Teachers and authorities do not know what else to do to in order to stop this growing problem. They assure that ‘things are too soft’, and that discipline has broken out.