The Effects of Overcrowded Conditions in US Prisons

Due to budget crises in states across the United States of America, state governments must cut funding to their punishment facilities causing overcrowding in prisons to increase every day. Overcrowded prisons pose a potential breeding ground for crime as hundreds of inmates are squeezed into small accommodations. Thousands of low-level offenders receive jail sentences each day, these criminals make up about a third of the inmates in the United States. In the words of Republican Governor Mitch Daniels of India, in the conservative National Review magazine, â€Å"We are imprisoning, in our most expensive spaces, more people for relatively minor, nonviolent offenses, like low-level property and drug violations. Some of our guests are not with the state corrections system long enough for any rehabilitation, substance-abuse counseling or job training to take place† (Katel). Evidently attention and change to this neglected criminal punishment system need to be addressed. This issue remains a troubling problem in our country, state governments offer the best possible solutions to prison overcrowding such as directing local officials to perform and improve prison construction, rethinking criminal law and responding to budgetary concerns. Evidence shows that overcrowded prison conditions increase crime in these confines, such as inmates attacking guards. Instances like this happen in these unprincipled institutions daily across the United States, making overcrowded prisons dangerous toShow MoreRelatedPrison Overcrowding And Its Effects On The United States Essay1605 Words   |  7 PagesPer Derek Gilna’s report on Increase in Federal Prison Population, Overcrowding, prisons have become overpopulated throughout a five-year span from 2006 to 2011 (Gilna, page 48). Prison overcrowding has become a plague in the United States for some time now. The US Bureau of Justice Statistics shows more than two-million adults are incarcerated in US federal and state pris ons. There are many reasons that prisons are becoming overpopulated but not such a certain cause. To fix the problem, attentionRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding1598 Words   |  7 Pagesthe major problem of prison overcrowding and argue that the problem of prison overcrowding would not be ending anytime soon, due to the inadequate attempts by state governments to deal with the inhumane living conditions in overcrowded prisons. This article relates to the topic because the authors analyze how the federal government and some individual states, such as California and Florida, respond to the constrained resources causing unsuitable conditions in overfilled prisons. This source illuminatesRead MoreOverview of Community Corrections in USA1191 Words   |  5 PagesCommunity Corrections Community Corrections are the non-prison penalties that are enforced on convicted, sentenced or arrested adults (i.e. 18 or above) for making crimes. Community corrections are basically planned for the crimes that are petty as compared to the serious offences that are murder, kidnapping or so on. The crimes that are supposed to receive less severe punishment are given in charge of community corrections. These programs focus on non-violent offenders and punish them with probationRead MoreArgumentative Essay on Americas Problem of Prisons897 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica has a major problem with overcrowding in its prisons, and action needs to be taken. Since 1970, the inmate population in the United States has increased over 700%, far greater than the general population as a whole. This has led to declining quality of life within the prison system including 8th Amendment violations and it represents a needless drain on state finances. There is simply no value in keeping non-violent co nvicts in the prison system, sometimes for years. The costs are high, andRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Death Penalty1664 Words   |  7 Pagesback and their trauma can not be forgotten, knowing that the person that caused all this harm is finally out of their lives had a long lasting effect on the victims family for the good. Therefore easing their minds and giving the family a chance to start fresh and put the past behind them. However, some families prefer the criminal to be locked in prison for the rest of their lives; saying that they deserve to live in guilt rather than taking the easy way out. With justice being the main concernRead MoreIllegal Immigration Should Not Be Illegal1722 Words   |  7 Pagesshowing up illegally. There has been the same amount of opportunities as there are obstacles to overcome. Immigration at the U.S. and Mexican border has been a hot topic for decades now. Illegal immigration has not completely shown positive or negative effects on the economy , but more of a combination of the two. Illegal immigrants come to the U.S. to seek for better jobs, they tend to accept any job they are offered. For example, â€Å"[...] illegals can be paid a lower overall hourly wage than American workersRead More The Overcrowding of Prisons Essays1786 Words   |  8 PagesAccording to Mark Early, president of the Prison Fellowship International, the Bureau of Justice Statistics report shows that there are 19 states that have prisons operating at 100 percent capacity and another 20 are falling right behind them. There is no wonder why the overcrowding of prisons is being discussed everywhere. Not to mention how serious this predicament is and how serious it can get. Many of the United States citizens don’t understand why this is such a serious matter due to the factRead MorePrison Overcrowding Essay3058 Words   |  13 PagesPrison Overcrowding In America’s tough economic society, over population has become an exceedingly hot topic issue. However, overcrowding in America’s prison system has been a severe problem since the 1970s. The majority of the changes have come from different policies on what demographic to imprison and for what reason. The perspective of locking up criminals because they are evil is what spawned this (Allen, 2008). Because of this perspective the prison system in America is in need of seriousRead MoreDo We Rely Too Much On The Prison System1305 Words   |  6 Pagesoffenders from a life of crime. As the prison population continues to rise in this country health and safety questions rise as well. Not only for the prisoner but for also for the guards that are there to watch over and protect the inmates. It is time to ask some very important questions regarding sentencing alternatives including; â€Å"Do we rely too much on the prison system†, â€Å"Are there better ways to punish some crimes?† and probably most importantly, â€Å"Does prison truly act as a deterrent to crime?†Read MoreDisproportionate Incarceration of African Americans Essay1673 Words   |  7 PagesAfrican Americans The disproportionate numbers of African Americans in the prison system is a very serious issue, which is not usually discussed in its totality. However, it is quite important to address the matter because it ultimately will have an effect on African Americans as a whole. Of the many tribulations that plague Americans today, the increase in the amount of African American men and women in prisons is unbelievable. It would be naà ¯ve to say that the increase is due to the fact