Effects Of Prison Overcrowding

Effects Of Prison Overcrowding
Prison overcrowding has become a serious problem at all levels of the U.S. prison system. The size of the U.S. prison population is staggering. The
U.S. has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, with one in 35 people in the correctional system. In 2013, it was estimated 6,937,600
adults were in some form of correctional control (Jackson 8). Ethnic minorities, especially African–American males, have higher incarceration rates than
others, especially whites; although they are only about 37% of the U.S. population, they are about 65% of those in prison (Jackson 13). Federal inmate
populations have increased over 50 percent since 2000, causing a 30% overcrowding rate overall and a 52% rate at high security prisons (United
States, Government Accountability Office). Prisons also manage more prisoners with mental health issues, an older prisoner population and more
female prisoners (Jackson 9). This brief essay focuses only on U.S. prisons. It reviews factors affecting the increase in the prison population, problems
overcrowding generates and offers possible solutions. Overcrowded U.S. prisons are dangerous for inmates and prison staff but possible solutions to
overcrowding include higher budgets and staff levels, revised sentence guidelines and laws and programs to alleviate recidivism.
Body/Discussion
Many factors affect the size of the prison population. Crime levels often fluctuate. Harsher sentences increase prison time for particular crimes.
Recidivism
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Prison Overcrowding Essay
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 without jeopardizing community safety are major issues that
need attention. Successfully rehabilitating inmates can play an important role in the fight to
Prison Overcrowding There are overcrowded prisons all over the world. In 2011, the...show more content...
The Department of Corrections has programs that alternative to incarceration and are more cost effective that have been given more funding in recent
years also. The cost of incarceration, and the effect it has on the economy, in the United States is a major issue.
It is very costly to house inmates in prison every year. An article in Impaired Driver Update. Show that it cost $27,000 to hold one inmate for a
year, and that approximately $50 billion a year is spent on incarceration. It cost 20 times more to have an inmate incarceration than to have them on
probation. Of $50 billion dollars spent on correction, $6.8 billion is spent on probation. An article published in Federal Probation in 2013 states,
"recidivism rates average between 43 and 67 percent and supervision violators constitute on third of the persons admitted to state correctional
facilities," and "on, average, persons under supervision have five prior arrest; 16 percent violated a federal, state, or local community supervision, and
8 percent have a history of absconding." Sentencing offenders to alternative programs would help cut cost and also help decrease prison overcrowding.
Alternative programs for offenders in lieu of prison or inmate programs that help rehabilitate offenders and prepare them for re–entry could also help
prison overcrowding. If inmates are able to attend programs for drug treatment, social disorders, and dealing with issues like abuse as a child the prison

Essay On Prison Overcrowding
The US has a growing problem of overcrowding in the prisons that are leading to a decline in inmate health care and other basic needs. Inmates who are
diagnosed with mental health issues are being subjected to the harsh prison environments without receiving adequate treatment for their disabilities.
Not only does their mental health decline but they are also easy and frequent targets of abuse from other inmates. By placing these individuals in the
prison system instead of an assertive community health facility we are hurting these inmates instead of giving them the treatment they need can fully
rehabilitate so that they can eventually leave prison and become a positive member of society. We must make this problem known and fight for reform

Overcrowding In Prisons
Think about spending years locked up behind bars, sitting in a cell with two or three other inmates which was intended for just one person because of
a drug possession misdemeanor years earlier. Unfortunately overcrowding in prisons is happening too much around the United States, and many
inmates are serving sevier time for nonviolent crimes. Prisons have shortages when it comes to enough room, proper health care, money, and resources
to support all inmates. The Bureau of Prisons claimed that institutions nationwide were 39% overcrowded in 2012 and the number is only expected to
rise to 45% by 2018. When overcrowding occurs within an institution, the psychological state of an inmate is at serious risk. Stressful situations can
cause an increase of depression and anxiety which may not...show more content...
"If you start cramming more and more people into a confined space, you're going to create more tensions and problems... this creates a higher
possibility someone's going to snap and have a violent incident." David Maurer the Director of the Homeland Security and Justice claimed. So you
may ask, how do we solve the problem of overcrowding to make it safer and more humane for everyone inside? In this decade, lengthy drug sentences
help increase the federal prison population's unsustainable growth so reducing the sentences of many nonviolent crimes especially drug related
offenses could be the first step to solving overcrowding. Shorter sentences involves getting rid of the mandatory minimum sentences which are given
from something called a "sentencing table" that is currently used throughout trials. Minimum sentences were first used in 1986 initially used to target
high level distributors, but currently it has done more harm than good for low offenders. If congress allowed the federal judges more control over
sentencing, they could choose what they thought was an appropriate punishment for given offenses. With this new potential reform, sentences could be
given to

In 1994, the state of California followed the lead of Washington and signed a law that Californians know of as the three strikes law. With all the
campaigning and publicity surrounding the law it was overwhelmingly welcomed into the legal system. The purpose of the law was to elongate the
sentence of time spent in prison for repeat offenders, mainly focusing in violent or major crimes. As a result, the correction's system has felt the effects
of the law literally on prisons. Overcrowding prisons is a major problem in California and the state has a limited amount of time to correct the
population reach in the California prisons. Prison population has been an issue for every California governor office to face since the first prison...show
more content...
However, California judges were looking at the bigger picture and would foresee the negative effects and the stipulation of the law binding up the court
system. The judges had a very limited amount of authority on sentencing anyone falling in the categories under the three strikes law. Convicted felons
would spend a longer period of time in the prison. The state and voters created a problem California would have to deal with.
Decades later a closely divided Supreme Court cited "serious constitutional violations" in California's overcrowded prisons and ordered the state to
abide by aggressive plans to fix the problem (Doyle, 2011). In a decision closely watched by other states, the court concluded by 5–4 that the prison
overcrowding violated constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Pointedly, the court rejected California's bid for more time and
leeway.
"The violations have persisted for years," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. "They remain uncorrected." Now the California government
has been under close watch by the entire nation to see how to solve this problem and keep within the laws set forth by the voters of California. After
the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that California has to reduce its prison population to relieve overcrowding, a nightmare which has resulted from a string
of poor political decisions, including "the passage of harsh mandatory minimum and three–strikes laws.'' Since 1994,

Daily Prison Overcrowding
This paragraph addresses that overcrowding has three kinds of effects on the daily prison surroundings. The first effect centers around the lesser amount
of everything that they have to stretch the same resources and space even further. They curtail the opportunities through which inmates can participate
in rehabilitative and self–improvement programs like the academic, vocational training and employment programs. The lack of work or opportunities
to work, often result in inmate idleness and often reinforces the adage that idleness breeds discontent and disruptive behavior (Howard, 1996).

Overcrowding In Corrections
As prisons continue to grow, overcrowding has become a problem within the prison system. The number of inmates incarcerated has become so large
that inmates are now being housed like they are in storage facilities. There are multiple inmates being piled on one another, often housed in gyms and
cafeterias which were not designed as living quarters. Not only are the prison populations on the rise, but also uniform violent gangs are taking
control over certain aspects of the prison. This is causing prisons to become very violent places for inmates who are incarcerated, as well as the staff
that works there. The following will be a comparison of the article, "The Detection of Prison Gang Development" and the Corrections text book, and
how each...show more content...
The term pains of imprisonment refers to the various inconveniences and deprivation that occur as a result of incarceration. Prisoners often feel a loss
of liberty, goods and services, heterosexual relationships, autonomy, and personal security(t–245). These often become the reason why inmates choose
to join gangs to fill in the gaps. Gaining respect in prison is a very important role to ensure survival throughout a prison term. It's important to always
look out for another gang member and treat them like family, this is particularly true among Latino and African American

Why Prisons Are Overcrowded
Today, it's sad to say an analogy of an overcrowded prison, can be compared to a storage container. The penal system needs to refocus, and
remember that a prison is not a way station, but a facility where incarcerated individuals serve time for a crime committed. We will identify and
discuss the main reasons that prisons are overcrowded; procedures that are used to control the overcrowding; and why or why not can issues of
overcrowding be fixed. Prisons are overcrowded for four main reasons: Excessive punishment for non–violent crimes, the war on drugs, extended
sentences, and private prisons (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015). The first reason, excessive punishment, for what some would consider minor
non–violent crimes, such as trespassing, need

Prison Over Crowding Research Paper
This is amending Title 8 of Judgement and Execution of Part 2 of Criminal Procedure of the Penal Code, our amendment will address the issue of
prison over crowding by finding alternative treatment for people convicted of non–non–non drug related crimes . This means that people who have no
serious, violent or sex related crimes and who have drug addiction may be placed into a rehabilitation program instead of spending time in jail.
However exceptions are made for people convicted of 1st degree burglary into residential areas without the use of weapons, allowing for program
placement. This bill focuses on second or third time drug offenders who have displayed drug addiction. Offenders will be sent to rehab in hopes of
helping these people to

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). "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). "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 "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 requirements 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 the

Over the past years, the prison population has increased dramatically. Can overcrowding in prison contribute to inmates not receiving the right
treatment? Are inmates receiving the proper care while behind bars? Does locking away individuals who struggle with health and medical needs cause
people to become even more unhealthy while they are incarcerated then released from prison. Unfortunately, it is clear that there are many health
/ medical issues that affects inmates while they are incarcerated. It is shown that the inmate population for prisons and jail has high rates of very
serious illness, limited access to care. According to the first nationwide study of inmate health and health care approximately, more than 800,000
inmates which would be at least 40 percent...show more content...
In fact, it was reported that "a chronic medical condition, an illness rate far higher than other Americans of similar age. More than 20 percent of
these sick inmates in state prisons, 68.4 percent of jail inmates, and 13.9 percent in federal prisons had not seen a doctor or nurse since incarceration."
Many of these inmates had a past where they suffered from mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression in some cases even
anxiety. However, prisons and jails lack the resources to help these offenders cope. "many prison mental health services are woefully deficient, crippled
by understaffing, insufficient facilities, and limited programs. All too often seriously ill prisoners receive little or no meaningful treatment. They are
neglected, accused of malingering, treated as disciplinary problems. This is a major issue impacting the care of prisoners because not enough
awareness is being drawn to these problems these serious sicknesses that prisoners have does not receive enough attention or in most cases no
meaningful treatment. These things

Prison Overcrowding
Ask any child or adult you encounter, and more than likely they can name a famous criminal who has been sent to prison. For those of us who have
never committed a crime, jails and prisons are something we hear or read about, but have never personally experienced. Hit shows like "Lockup"
give us a chance to embrace our curiosity of what it is really like to be thrown in jail/prison and be isolated from society. However, TV shows like
Lockup have surprised many people because prisons don't look as frightening as we may think; in fact, it appears the scariest thing about prison is the
inmates themselves. This leads many to question whether or not prisons are harsh enough– and therefore effective enough. In this paper, I will uncover
all aspects...show more content...
For this reason, it may not come as a surprise that surveys prove drugs in prison is highly common. The Washington Times (2010) reported that
"Roughly 1,000 'drug incidents'– seizures of marijuana, heroin, and other drugs– are reported annually at California prisons" ("Drugs Inside Prison
Walls", 2010). This same article raises the question: "how do drugs enter the prison when the prisoners are searched upon arrival?". Sadly, the
Washington Times claims that corrupt officers have played a major role in the rise of drugs in prison ("Drugs Inside Prison Walls", 2010). In fact,
Richard Pillajo, who worked for a Florida state prison, was caught smuggling cocaine and other pills to sell to inmates ("Drugs Inside Prison
Walls", 2010). These findings point to the possibility that inmates may want to return to prison because it is easier to get ahold of drugs. In fact, in
2016 Adam Lusher, journalist for the Independent UK, investigated exactly how accessible drugs are in certain prisons; the title speaks for itself:
"The prison where it is 'easier to get drugs than bedsheets' (Lusher, 2016). The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke, stated "The stark reality is
that prisoners told us it was easier to get illegal drugs in the prion than it was to get clothes or sheets" (Lusher, 2016). These findings are lead us to
believe that many prisons across the world are

Argumentative Essay: The Overcrowding Of Prisons
Conventional wisdom states that individuals who fail to uphold the generally accepted principles of the common good of mankind deserve punishment.
With more and more Americans inclining themselves toward fascism and totalitarianism, the lie that has been bought into for too long is that prisons
allow an effective service for the betterment of society, whereas the reality is that they disempower select communities or members of the population
for innocuous offenses. Penal establishments should act to control and prevent crimes in society; however, they must ensure safety and well–being for
all convicts and suspects, reform and rehabilitate inmates, and offer them opportunities to learn skills that will allow them to reintegrate into society
...show more content...
Prison sentences are extraordinarily lengthy, disproportional to the crimes committed, and lacking in consistency throughout the legal system's
application of the punishments. Rather than endorsing a system that inspires growth and modification, the existing criminal justice system in the United
States aims felons into lives of poverty and despair. Inmates, through reality television programs, are shown as living lives of ease and prosperity,
with little to do besides relaxing in front of television screens and whiling away each day while the government provides for all their needs (Yamato).
From this perverse standpoint, society is at risk of becoming even more outraged at the government for the prison system, which is neither supporting
or restructuring inmates, but increasing taxpayer costs (Gilson). The efficacy of prison privatization is also largely without benefit for the United
States' economy. If responsibility for crimes committed shifts to the private sector, the need for and methods ofpunishment for criminals or those who
commit wrongdoings must be revalued, as the benefits amassed by society through a given criminal justice system are the predicators for its
effectiveness (Mulch).
The final ethical dilemma to be discussed is the incarceration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members of society. Denial of

Prison 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 1970's. 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 serious reorganization. Since 1980, most states have one or more of their prisons
or the entire system under orders from the federal courts to maintain minimum constitutional standards (Stewart, 2006).
The fiscal effects of trying to support such a...show more content...
State taxes will increase because civil litigation regarding institutional burden is increasing. Since 1979 prisoner victims have been winning some
substantial money damages ($380,000 in one case) from institutions being sued for breach of prisoners' federal civil rights under the cruel and unusual
punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. These suits are based upon a "failure to protect" together with "deliberate
indifference" on the part of institution officials. This principle was first upheld for sexual assaults by the U.S. Supreme Court in Smith v. Wade (1983)
and was further elaborated in Farmer.
We can see examples of overcrowded jails all over the US and even out of the US. "California's prison system, originally designed for 100,000 inmates,
currently houses 173,000 inmates and has resorted to housing approximately 17,000 inmates in makeshift beds in locations like prison
gymnasiums"(Smith, 2006). High government officials scrambled to find remedies to this problem (Camp, 2004).
A $8.3 billion dollar program to establish facilities to provide 53,000 new prison and prison beds were approved as an attempt to resolve the state's
overcrowded prisons (Stewart, 2006).

Effects Of Overcrowded Prisons
Left and right, one person to the next looks over their shoulder to try and escape this unfit environment. From morning when they rise to their nightly
slumber, they try not to suffocate from the numerous body odors. Who are these people? These people happen to be prisoners all around the United
States. With no right answer, the U.S government looks to make a change in the overgrown prisons throughout the country.
Over 2.4 million people call a state prison, federal prison, or local jail their home ( Prison Overcrowding). Not only are citizens frightened about the
over populated prisons, but also the prisoners who have to live there for a period of time. Overcrowded prisons produce an amount of stress and
physical problems to the...show more content...
Criminal laws are laws that a prisoner has broken. Sometimes, court systems have a way of putting people behind bars for more time than needed.
The War on Drugs started in 1982 when there were just 40,900 people behind bars (Criminal Justice). Now, in recent poll in 2015 there are more
than 469,545 people who have been sentenced for drugs (Criminal Justice). Not only are the people doing drugs getting thrown in jail once, but now
they are getting thrown in prison for relapsing on drugs again. Most people on drugs that do not get the help needed spend at least seven or eight
times in prison in their life (Criminal Justice). The law enforcement on drugs are part of the reason the prison systems are so overcrowded. Also
punishment for property and other misdemeanor crimes has become more stricken over the past years (Criminal Justice).
Not only are the criminal laws more tough, but also the sentencing has become much longer. Going back to drug users, they are required to serve a
mandatory minimum sentence (Federal Sentencing). Instead of these mandatory minimum sentence being short, they are actually longer than expected
(Federal Sentencing). Most of these non violent drug offenders are spending eleven years in prison without parole (Federal Sentencing). The longer
sentencing not only makes it more overcrowded in a prison consignment, but it is also more costly to the state (Criminal Justice).
Overcrowded prisons have

Prison Overcrowding Case Study
Prison overcrowding: The most pressing problem for the prison system
Despite the fact that the prison estate has struggled to fit with the rising demand, the prison population has been leapt rapidly in recent years. The
problem of prison overcrowding could be the most pressing because it may destroy the delivery of rehabilitative regimes across the prison system (The
Home Affairs Committee report, 2005). The lack of capacity means that prisons have to accommodate more inmates than they are designed for. In
2010, in total 90,482 people were received by prison under sentence. (Offender Management Statistics, 2011). The fifteen most overcrowded prisons
were responsible for a population of more than 150% of CNA (certified normal accommodation)....show more content...
Over 60% of those who entered prison with an alcohol problem reported that they were supposed to leave with a persistent alcohol problem (HM
Inspectorate of Prisons, 2010). As a result, the high levels of reoffending by drug–addicted prisoners are caused by the seriousness of the overcrowding
problem in prisons. 48.5% of ex–prisoners are reconvicted of a further offence within a year of release (Ministry of Justice, 2013). It brings excess
burdens on prison capacity and costs in the long run. Moreover, people serving short prison sentences of less than 12 months are the most likely group
to reoffend; they often do not have access to offender management programmes and are not supervised and supported on release (Comptroller and
Auditor General, 2010). In summary, persistent offenders demonstrate the failure of prison–based rehabilitation. When prisons are overcrowded,
offenders are more likely to commit crimes in future. Prison overcrowding is such a pressing problem that it affected the spirit of prison rehabilitation
and limited the effectiveness of prison sentences in tackling the causes of offending

Prison Overcrowding Paper
(Clark, 2015). This program focuses on array of concerns such as domestic violence prevention, transportation assistance, employment, and housing
(Clark, 2015). Clark (2015) explained that strict case planning; attendance at the community hub and participation in a cognitive behavior program
reduces the risk or supervision revocation. Meaning that if the offender does everything that is listed they will not be under supervision all the time in
the community. The HRRR is successful when it comes to reducingrecidivism rates because it does not have requirements on who can and cannot
enroll (Clark, 2015).
Conclusion and Future of Prison Overcrowding The future is unclear about how to reduce overcrowding in prisons. One of the problems that

Primarily, Certain non–violent crimes should be punishable by fines rather than jail time because it will save tax payer's money. "In 2010, the mean
annual state corrections expenditure per inmate was $28,323, although a quarter of states spent $40,175 or more" (Henrichson 72). That amounts to 80
billion dollars per year spent on incarcerating inmates, the majority of which are non–violent offenders. "For 80 billion dollars, [America] could finance
new roads and new bridges and new airports, job training programs, research and development" (Obama 1). $29,000 is taken directly from tax payers
to spend on federal prisons alone (Eisen 2). Rather than being used to pay for new roads, bridges, public schools, and to better the community, tax
payers'...show more content...
With the 2,220,300 adults incarcerated in US state and federal prisons, prisons are beginning to exceed their capacities (Motavans 1). The ratio of
prisoner to prison guard designed safe by the Untied States government is 3:1 for maximum security prisons, 5–10:1 for medium security prisons, and
50:1 for minimum security prisons. However, many federal and state prisons double the exceeded amount (Zuckermann 3). This not only poses a threat
to the guards entrusted with maintaining order in the prisons but the prisoners as well. With the surplus of incarcerated criminals, the majority of which
are non–violent offenders, sanitation conditions in prisons are declining (Pitts 126). The medical supplies distributed to prisons by the government are
closely budgeted and allotted. With the increase of prisoners, the majority non–violent offenders, the medical supplies needed are stretched very thin.
Moreover, with the dense overcrowding in prisons the water supply, used for consumption, cooking, cleaning and sanitary reasons e.g. showers, is
limited. This not only leads to health concerns but can have an immense impact on inmate moral. The impact of these overcrowding conditions can
lead to violence, rioting and even death (Pitts 125). To make matters

Prison Overcrowding System
Crowding the system
Prisons are safe guards for the public against those who wish to harm or disrupt the progression of everyday life. Locking up prisoners for violent
crimes has been the way of solving most of society's problems in the twenty–first century, but now the issue of prison overcrowding has taken a toll on
the United States Prison System. The range of those being imprisoned varies vastly, from violent crimes, such as murder, to drug addicts and minor
crimes, such as petty theft. Is the justice's system pushing too far in punishing these minor crimes? What about those with drug problems? Could these
minor wrongdoings be fixed without prison time? While prisoners need to be punished for their crimes, legislatures need to focus on...show more
content...
Prisons have had to set up temporary rooms to help with overcrowding by transforming the television rooms or recreational rooms into double bunked
cells. Diana C. Maurer, Director of the Government Accountability Office, says, "The growth in the inmate population has affected inmates' daily
living conditions..." (64). Overflow has led to reduced shower time, longer meal lines, less recreation time, a disruption of a structured schedule, and
lateness to classes. This has led to tension between inmates and even between inmates and correctional officers, thus endangering the lives of both
inmates and correctional officers. Ideas that have been offered up to help with prison overcrowding include reducing prison sentences or changing
laws to make sentences shorter, building new prisons to house the inmates, or a mix of the two (Maurer 65). Lawmakers have looked into these, but
believe them to be just a short term

Effects Of Prison Overcrowding

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