Prison Overcrowding Essay - 2352 Words

In the 1970s and 1980s, a massive amount of inmates began fillin up the United States prison systems. This huge rate of growth in this short amount of time, has greatly contributed to the prison overcrowding that the United States faces today. In fact, the prisons are still filled to the seams. This enormous flood of inmates has made it practically impossible for prison officials to keep up with their facilities and supervise their inmates. One of the main reasons why many prisons have become overcrowded is because of states’ harsh criminal laws and parole practices (Cohen). â€Å"One in every 100 American adults is behind bars, the highest incarceration rate in the world† (Cohen). The amount of inmates in corrections systems, throughout the†¦show more content†¦One major problem of prison overcrowding is the effect it has on prison organizational stability. The more prisoners and people put in jail have made it harder for prison guards and staff to monitor and control them. The entire prison system must make enormous changes in order to accommodate for the number of inmates versus the number of prison guards (O’Leary). This often results in a misclassification of offenders. Many who come through the system are classified based on the amount of space available instead of on the security level and programs that would be most suitable for them (Howard). â€Å"It is not uncommon to find inmates, classified as medium security, incarcerated in maximum security institutions, while other inmates are in medium security who were previously considered candidates for maximum security† (Howard). Misclassifying offenders often leads to â€Å"slow progress through the corrections system as well as a slow exit† (Howard). This in turn only prolongs and increases the overcrowding problem (Howard). The corrections programs should be reformed to meet the needs of the inmates rather than the inmates having to adjust to meet the requireme nts of the system. Offenders need to be on specific rehabilitation programs that are customized to fit their needs, such as alcohol and drug abuse programs and so forth. While the inmates have to suffer the effects of overcrowding, so do theShow MoreRelatedPrison Overcrowding1187 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract This paper will discuss prison overcrowding and what type of numbers have come about over the years when it comes to inmates being imprisoned. It will discuss the cost of a prisoner annually as well as the decision to add verses build when it comes to new facilities. The overcrowding in one particular prison will be touched on as well as whose responsibility it is for upkeep. It will discuss how funding plays a role in overcrowding as well as the â€Å"three strikes† rule in California andRead MorePrison Overcrowding2966 Words   |  12 Pagesâ€Å"Prison Overcrowding: Using Proposals from Nevada and California to Recommend an Alternative Answer† By: Casey Apao For: Dr. Sarri CSN Fall 2010 Dedication: â€Å"I, the undersigned, Casey Apao hereby certify that without the assistance of Henry Apao this Critical Thinking Scientific Paper wouldn’t be done.† Signed , Casey Apao Disclaimer: â€Å"I, Casey Apao hereby certify that this Critical Thinking Scientific Paper is the result of my sole intellectualRead MoreOvercrowding Prisons And The Prisons Essay1785 Words   |  8 PagesAlma Gonzalez Professor Shaw SOC 474OL 11 August 2016 Overcrowding Prisons Prisons were essentially built to accommodate a number of prisoners, but over the years, it has reached over capacity. 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The ruling in the Plata litigation in turn lead to AB 109 or The Public Safety Realignment Act to be implemented as a solution to California’sRead MorePrison Overcrowding Essay1184 Words   |  5 Pages Prison Overcrowding Nicole Neal American Intercontinental University Abstract This research paper is to explore the impact of prison overcrowding. The United States has a, what seems to be everlasting, prison overcrowding problem. Not only does the United States have this dilemma, but also many other countries have overcrowded prisons as well. Many issues need to be addressed; ways to reduce the prison populations and how to effectively reduce prison cost withoutRead MorePrison Overcrowding And Its Effects934 Words   |  4 Pagesassignment is to take a look at an existing issue within the American criminal justice system which is prison overcrowding and its effects. Imprisonment is the primary means of punishment in American society for crimes (Ross, 2010; Verro, 2010). In fact, the incarceration rate in America surpasses several other developed nations, due to having over two million inmates presently serving time in prison (Brazell, Crayton, Mukamal, Solomon, and Lindahl, 2009; Vacca, 2004). The American criminal justiceRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overc rowding1395 Words   |  6 Pagesthe criminal justice system is prison overcrowding. To examine a nation’s soul, all one has to do is look inside of its prisons. Even though we have 5 percent of the world’s population we have 25 percent of the world’s prison population. The makeup of our prison population range from first time drug offenders to serial killers. Prisons serve a necessary function in society if used properly to keep the worst of the worst of the streets. In the last 40 years prisons has become a hammer where every