This research paper will provide information on the overcrowding issues that America’s prison system is facing; and the first sign that this was becoming a disaster waiting to happen; was back in the 70’s. The United States has the highest incarceration rate than any other nation in the world. There will be examples giving of the many different causes of this growing population; factors that greatly increases one’s odds of going to prison; and how it could be minimized; the War on Drugs, another major factor in the increase of overcrowding prisons. The elderly are a contributor to the overcrowding prisons; and the consideration of their early release; women; nonviolent offenders; and minorities; also a major factor in overcrowding prisons.
This website covers the issue of prison overpopulation. This issue affects prisons all across the country. The first feature the website provides a list of each of the fifty states. Choosing a state will take you to a page that provides the number of incarcerated prisoners currently being held and the total cost to run the prison per day. The website also has a section that has articles explaining why prison overcrowding is a problem.
In 2012, statistics showed that prisons were overcrowded by 41 percent, the highest since 2004. Overcrowded prisons can become highly ineffective as space becomes limited and the amount of inmates to monitor increases. This means more jobs that are necessary for guards which then equals more tax money invested into the penal system. CNN provides information acquired by the United States census which shows how much money is spent on students compared to prisoners per year separated by states. The lowest amount provided per prisoner is in Kentucky where each prisoner costs around $12,000 whereas each student costs a little under $10,000.
Mass incarceration is somewhat overlooked by those on the outside and those who are on the inside are considered forgotten about and viewed as less than. But the reality is, these high rates of imprisonment effect many areas of the community. Not to mention the social costs linked to the communities from which these immense population of felons come from. Pattillo, Weiman, & Western, 2006 analyzes how this disregarded population can sometimes increase criminal statistics after the prisoners return into the same community they left – which is another point rarely ever talked about. Other than the invisible consequences that mass incarceration provides, there are even more myriad studies offered surrounding this topic, identified in The Prison
Topic: Prison overcrowding General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: At the end of my speech, the audience will be able to identify and describe the key reasons and issues of prison overcrowding. Introduction Attention Getter Imagine being locked up in a confined space with little to no air conditioning, concrete walls, concrete floors, poor sanitation, rowdy peers, no soft comforts of a home, and a lack of the everyday basic needs.
Thesis: It is very important for the sake of Americans tax dollars that we change the way that prisons are run and increase the productivity of inmates so when they are released from jail they are ready to be a productive member in society and have the confidence to achieve new goals. Introduction: Day after day, millions of inmates sit in jail doing nothing productive with their lives. We are paying to house inmates that may not even have a good reason to be there. For example, drug offenders are being kept with murderers and other violent offenders.
There are over 2.2 million people incarcerated in the United States. Research by the International Centre for Prison Studies has shown that incarceration percentages increased by more than 500% over the last 40 years. As statistics show increases in incarceration, prison overcrowding has become more of an ever-growing situation in the United States. Prison overcrowding occurs when the rate of people incarcerated exceeds the rate of prisoners released. There are over 17 states that the prison population is higher than the capacity of the facilities designed to hold them.
Overcrowding in prisons should not be considered cruel and unusual because they are not being harmfully affected enough for it to make a difference in their lives. This is definitely not as bad as the electric chair or other forms of cruel and unusual punishment. The Dictionary definition of cruel and unusual punishment is “torture, deliberately degrading punishment, or punishment that is too severe for the crime committed.” Let’s look between the lines of this definition.
The United States prison system has seen a significant rise in prisoners over the past few decades. Currently, the rate of incarceration outweighs the rate of new cells being built. Because of this, prisons become more crowded every day. Crowded prisons fester with hate and pent-up aggression. Those who step out of line are met with swift discipline usually in the form of solitary confinement.
” Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), 22 Apr. 2014, www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4986. Mullen, Joan. “Prison Crowding and the Evolution of Public Policy.”
According to a Washington Post article written by Jerome G. Miller, The US has the highest incarceration rate of any democratic country. US Prisons hold more than 2.4 million inmates, or 1% of the US population. Based on the percentage of the population in Prison, the United States incarcerates five times more people than Britain, nine times more than Germany, and 12 times more than Japan (Miller). These high incarceration rates are coupled with high recidivism rates, which lead to prisons being overcrowded. The majority of criminals in prison will be released.
According to Department of corrections and rehabilitation there is approximately 2.3 million adult offenders currently detained and which consist of 316,229 prisoners which are overseen by correctional officers on an ongoing basis costing on an average of $49 per prisoner, additionally their current budget is approximately $11 billion, which is distributed between 33 state prisons, 40 camps, as well as 12 community correctional facilities. Furthermore, the male population is 93%, 7% are females, Hispanics represent 39%, 29% are African American, and 26% are Caucasian, moreover, there are 24,000 inmates currently serving life sentences and 680 on death row, as well as the 124,000 parolees of which there is a 51% return ratio for parole violations, thus resulting in prison over-crowding.
According to an article by Henry J. Steadman in regards to overcrowding of prisons in the state of California, he advised that several judges created a panel to solve the issues of overcrowding. The article advises that the judges came up with four options as a solution to overcrowding that include the following: early release, diversion of technical parole violators to community based sanctions or local jails, similar alternate sanctions for low-risk offenders, and expansion of rehabilitation programming in prisons and communities (Steadman, 2011). The early release of inmates with more minor offenses would be productive to preventing overcrowding because it would free up beds in the prison. Diversion of technical parole violators to community
Another way to fix overcrowding prisons is to educate parolees that are being released back into society. Having better reeducation systems for parolees will teach them how to become a better citizen. After being educated as a good citizen they will become more productive to the community and society. In 2005 the Bureau of Justice Statistics gathered data with results being 400,000 individuals on parole in 30 states ended up recidivating (BJS). If we focus on giving these parolees a better chance to survive outside of jail with reeducation programs and more advanced monitoring while on parole the recidivism rates would go down decreasing the amount of prison overcrowding.
Overcrowding in prisons is something that the U.S. struggles with. The increasing number of people being incarcerated is making the over-crowding problem more prevalent. Over-crowding in prisons has been a growing concern over the years. It creates many dismal effects on the conditions of the officers, the building its self, and the inmates. The U.S. currently incarcerates approximately 1 in 100 adults.
Over 2 million people are currently being held in United States prisons, and while the U.S. may only hold 5% of the world’s population, it houses 25% of its prisoners. In the past few years, America’s prison system has fallen under public scrutiny for it’s rising incarceration rate and poor statistics. Many Americans have recently taken notice of the country’s disproportionate prisoner ratio, realized it’s the worst on the planet, and called for the immediate reformation of the failing system. The war on drugs and racial profiling are some of the largest concerns, and many people, some ordinary citizens and others important government figures, are attempting to bring change to one of the country 's lowest aspects.