The prisons in America seem to cause more problems than assistance in today's society. The country's penal system is overcrowded, expensive, and some argue that is ineffective as well as inefficient. The costs to staff and support these facilities increase dramatically every year. Prisons, which are supposed to be correctional facilities, are currently filled with violence and hostility. These institutions are created to control crime by deterrence, incapacitating criminals, which protects society from potentially dangerous criminals, but it is hard to tell if this is being
Desmond LeSure Professor Bolton ENGL 1020 19 April 2012 “Is the Three-Strikes Law fair and ethical?” There are individuals who were known as habitual criminals who constantly repeated the cycle of committing a crime, getting arrested, and eventually getting released. In 1993, Americans noticed that this was very costly to the public because the process of arresting and trying these criminals was expensive. American tax payers were beginning to become concerned with this issue and wanted something to be done about habitual offenders. Society is pushing the issue that it was more logical to keep repeat criminals in jail and not release them to commit more crimes. Politicians listened to society and executed a law that would put an end to
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
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.
Cody Ploughman April 30th, 2013 Prison Privatization The privatization of prisons has, to say the least, become a very controversial topic both in the private sector as well as in the Department of Corrections. So the question has been raised, should we privatize prisons in America? There can be numerous arguments made for both sides, as it has its pros and cons. “A private prison or for-profit prison, jail, or detention center is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned by a third party that is contracted by a government agency” (Pearson 405). Private prison companies typically enter into contractual agreements with governments that commit prisoners and then pay a per diem or monthly rate for each prisoner confined in the facility.
That is where private prisons come in. These prisons bring in a lot of money. Big business is a main component in putting minorities in prison and in keeping them there. The number of minorities in prison is not justified by the crimes that
With more than 2.3 million people locked away in our prisons, the system under which these are run is a major concern of society. A well-functioning incarceration system with motives of keeping citizens safe is key to maintaining peace and order in society. Correspondingly, a nation with a malfunctioning executive branch driven solely by economic greed is bound to fail the challenges of maintaining a safe and favorable environment. This is the state in which our nation’s prison system lies, in the hands of entrepreneurs whose only incentive is profit. 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.
It is very important to make the public aware of the new bill passed and the new doubled prison terms if convicted of armed robbery. If the bill were passed there would be the issue of financial responsibilities, which the innocent public would be responsible for. Doubling a prison term could be costly and one solution would be to seek some funding through fundraisers and grants from the state. The bill would costs the citizens but it would keep them at ease and at peace knowing that almost anyone would be discouraged of committing such a crime. We hope that this bill would have an impact on the would be criminals because not only would their sentence be longer but their chances at parole would be harder to
The laws because of advancing technology has caused more criminals to be brought to justice. State prisons are overcrowded because they hold the most dangerous criminals. Overcrowding of prisons posses a safety issue for inmates and correctional officers. The overcrowding of prisons does not allow proper rehabilitation of inmates so that they can become law abiding members of society. It is also a health concern for everyone in the prison because of the sewage and water system becoming
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