Crime Vs Incarceration

The United States of America has more than 2 million people in prison or jail, making it the country with the most inmates. There are almost as many prisoners in the U.S as there is inhabitants in a small or medium sized country. The high number of prisoners is due to regulations brought to the United States that stated that in order to keep the citizens safe, the government had to be “tough on crime.” Whether that meant keeping people in prison for a long period of time or incarcerating more citizens, some points were clear; it was meant to promote punishment and to install fear. Being “tough on crime” and trying to eliminate it could have meant trying different methods that would prevent prisoners from reoffending. Instead, higher authorities
Although many people argue that locking anybody that commits a crime in prison is effective because it prevents them from harming the society, studies have shown that when prisoners are eventually given their freedom they are very likely to re-commit a crime. In fact, the U.S has a high recidivism rate, with about “76.6% of prisoners...re-arrested within five years” ( "Why Norway's Prison System Is so Successful."). Norway on the other hand, only has a recidivism rate of 20% and their philosophy is very unlike the U.S “tough on crime” philosophy. Compared to the United States’ rate of 707 people incarcerated out of every 100,000, Norway has a rate of 75 people incarcerated for every 100,000 "Why Norway's Prison System Is so Successful."). The number of people in prison should not be overlooked or normalized. There are too many prisoners and “nearly 75 percent of people in jail are being held for nonviolent traffic, property, drug, or public order offenses” (“Incarceration’s Front Door: The Misuse of Jails in America”). Because of the mass incarceration issues and the fact that tax money that could go toward more valuable causes, such as education, prison should be for those that need it most and cannot be rehabilitated. According to Punishment and Rehabilitation, “if the population of a town is 20,000, for
It is not because they enforce a “tough on crime” philosophy that is even more extreme than that of the U.S. The United States government feels that all crimes, including non-violent crimes, should be given no mercy and that it is important to punish so that people do not re-commit a crime. Therefore, the prison system is a tough and inhumane experience that can emotionally and physically affect prisoners. It is not as much about reducing crime and making communities safer as it is about trying to install fear in people. According to the article “Alternatives to Incarceration Would Benefit Society,” lawmakers knew that their extreme techniques did not work but they created many of the harsh and limited ways of living in prison so that they could satisfy the frightened citizens. Labeling people as violent undeserving criminals can cause them to think that way of themselves and disable their ability or will to improve. Both citizens and higher officials should be aware of the impact that incarcerating people with minor crimes has because the only effect that it has brought, mass incarceration, is negative. In theory, locking up everybody that has or looks like they could commit a crime and imposing harsh treatment on people will improve society because they will not be able to or they will be too afraid to