Prison Overcrowding In America

The issue of prison overcrowding has been an increasing in America. There are about 2.2 million Americans in jail or prison. The number of people in prison have gotten so large that about one in every 100 adults are behind bars. The increase in inmate population in the United States is a concern to me because some of these people have committed non-violent crimes or have drug related crimes. These people should be placed in rehabilitation centers or be counseled about drug distributing. Also when it comes to the public, the money used for funding jails and prisons could be used to help college students pay for school. Governments grants only cover so much of a student’s tuition and money spent on prisons could be replaced with funding students.

Many inmates are admitted to prison for parole violations rather then new charges. In result, policymakers might ease back on rules for parole violations. Minor misdemeanors such as not attending meetings or drug tests would have different consequences then jail time. Lawmakers are also discussing alternatives for low level drug offenders Such as drug treatment courts. The government should not have to spend more than $50,000 a year to keep people in prison. In 2013, almost 700,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession. The cost of putting drug users in prison does not outweigh the benefits. Some individuals are also convicted of non-violent crimes. Lying to a federal official is considered a felon which can result in imprisonment. Finding alternate consequences for these non-violent crimes can reduce prison population. The Department of Justice provides $27.4 billion to fund enforcement needs and prisons. Some of this money could be used to fund education in the United States. Government grants only cover so much of a student’s tuition. I know many individuals in my community that don’t want to enroll in a university because it is too