Legalization Of Prison Overcrowding In The United States

Prison overcrowding has become a major problem in the United States. As per, Issues and Controversies, “The United States has only 5 percent of the world’s population, but holds 25 percent of the world’s prisoners”. (“Mandatory Minimum”) Housing the growing prison population is putting a strain on the federal government’s budget, costing roughly $80 billion a year. (“Mandatory Minimum”) Crime rates are down, but prison populations are a growing concern. In light of these facts, lawmakers need to explore ways of reducing crime that does not involve incarceration, but still protects society. What alternatives to incarceration should be considered and why? Changing times require changing laws. Legalization of marijuana for personal use would
The mandatory sentencing guidelines are set by United States Congress and grant prosecutors the power to charge defendants with crimes that allow for longer sentences without regard to what role the defendants played or any background on the cases. Judges are forced to impose the mandatory minimum guidelines to any defendants found guilty. (Glazer 30) According to, Mandatory Minimum Sentences, “About 75 percent of these mandatory sentences are handed down for drug related offenses”. (“Mandatory Minimum”) Opponents of sentencing reform state that the mandatory minimum guidelines should remain because they provide prosecutors the ability to elicit cooperation from low level criminals in order to catch bigger criminals. Prosecutors are able to obtain more guilty pleas from defendants in exchange for not pursuing the crimes that require lengthier sentences. (“Mandatory Minimum”) It might appear to some, that prosecutors are coercing defendants into pleading guilty for crimes that they may in fact be innocent of, for fear of receiving a harsher sentence. These opponents suggest that the longer sentences imposed by these laws are at the heart of the decline in crime and that innocent people don’t confess to crimes that they don’t
It’s not enough to just lock people away and hope the problems will go away. The judicial system has to find out what is causing the crime, how best to reform criminals and what to do with those that can’t be reformed. Simply incarcerating a person will not remove the factors that led them down that road to begin with. We need to address poverty, education, social and racial issues. We need to do more than just talk about these issues. Too many people think that these are not their issues, but the truth is that these are everyone’s issues, because they do effect all of us. Crime is a prime example of it affecting everyone. Laws need to be passed to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in all fifty states. The three strike laws, truth in sentencing laws and minimum sentencing guidelines need to be abolished and the power to impose sentences should be returned to the courts. We need to view prisons as a last resort, not a first choice. Prisons should be for violent criminals who pose threats to society. People who are incarcerated should receive whatever services they need to render them functional, and prepare them if they are ever going to be released into society. In lieu of incarceration, we need to implement the decarceration courts that institute drug rehabilitation, mental health care, job placement and