I suddenly realized that no one could ever find out. Rushing to my car I flung the door open and got inside. Racing home I felt the nerves stream through my body. Inside the house I gradually walked to my bedroom and stepped inside. Creeping over to the loose floorboard I felt the sweat drip from my palm. Kneeling down I moved the old board aside and picked up the substantial object. The leather brown sides felt rough as I gently ran my fingers over it. Gathering my thoughts I brought myself to open the ominous object. The bold black letters appeared to be more frightening than I thought. Jaxson Eugene Brown emerged from the thick yellow page and sent a shiver down my back. As I continued to read the frightening book the last sentence almost stopped me in my tracks. May 1st, 2016 Jaxson Eugene Brown will be pronounced dead.…
Stern’s (2006) book, “Creating Criminals: Prisons and People in a Market Society”, gives us the black and white truth about important topics that are not usually talked about in the media, nor acknowledged by most in American society. The author explains that she is in no way defending criminals with her literature, rather researching and informing society about the ineffectiveness of the criminal justice system and the market society. She argues that many policies go in favor towards those who have money, leaving people who don’t have money behind, which ultimately leads to creating criminals. She explains the dangers of overcrowded prisons, who are the people more likely to be imprisoned, and the role of a market society within…
In the United States, the government preaches equality for all, while in upholding a system that discriminates against almost everyone that is not white, or not male. Packing prisons in the United States is second nature, since the presidency of Ronald Reagan, the populations in prisons have increase at least 400%. And when talking about the prison system in the U.S., there has to be a conversation about race, because the prison system systematically targets people of color. U.S. soil bleeds racism, from the countries racist words about refugees to the color of skin dictating your pay. There is nothing number one about a country with a broken and racially biased criminal justice system, with racism directed at refugees of war because of their…
Current research regarding overcrowding in prisons and jails is relatively limited in its scope. Most research focuses on only prisons and is primarily quantitative research. Quantitative research is incapable of examining personal opinions of inmates who serve time in overcrowded institutions; and ask whether or not inmates accredit their failure to rehabilitate to overcrowding. Qualitative research would help better understand how inmates perceive the issue, and whether or not the statistical issues are reflected in their minds. Quantitative data clearly shows that overcrowding in prisons has negative effects such as lack of resources, poorer living environment, and ultimately higher recidivism…
These issues are having an effect on the government and U.S citizens. Overcrowding is among the most controversial issues in America’s prisons. Barden wrote, “Between 1979 and 1984, 126 new prisons were built in the United States. Yet these prisons have not met the demand for more prison space. By 1986 our prisons were operating at between 107 and 121 percent of capacity” (Barden 50). Overcrowding of prisons does not only affect the outside world, but also the prisoners inside due to increased violence resulting in many deaths. Barden said, “Prisons continue to be overcrowded to this day. In more than 40 states, courts have issued orders to reduce prison overcrowding. But the states have been slow to comply” (Barden 50). The reason for not taking action is due to the expenses that come with increasing prison space. Most states do not have the money to reduce overcrowding, especially after the recession. Violence is most likely the best known issue in prisons. The author stated, “In the old days, prisoners feared brutal guards. Now the fear permeating American prisons comes mostly from fellow convicts. Beatings, stabbings, and homosexual rapes are everyday occurrences” (Hjelemeland 52). Violence leads to deaths and suicides in many of America’s prisons which also affect those convicts’ families. Another fact Andy wrote was, “Overcrowding is a major factor in…
Prisons are already filled beyond maximum capacity, and we continue to keep incarcerating more people. What can be done to end the problem of prison overcrowding and maintain the safety of the public? I chose this topic because I wanted to shine a light on what I consider to be an injustice. I believe that the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul. When I chose this topic, I wasn’t fully aware of the mandatory sentencing guidelines or how harsh they were. I always believed that judges had more leeway in deciding sentencing. Originally, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of criminal corporal punishment, because I believed it was cruel and something that other less civilized countries would do, not America. I believe that the prison overcrowding problem can be resolved by changing our laws regarding nonviolent offenders, abolishing the mandatory sentencing guidelines and using alternative solutions that do not involve incarceration.…
From the mid-1980s drug offenses increased primarily due to the pressure put on by the war on drugs (Neubauer & Fradella, 2014). This has contributed to overcrowding of prisons across America. In order to ease the overcrowding in prisons, rehabilitation through court sentenced drug treatment programs is a practical and economical alternative. Assigning offenders to applicable drug treatment programs would decrease overcrowding caused by drug offenses, lower recidivism rates, and provide savings for the criminal justice system.…
When society hears the words “convict” or “felon”, thoughts often take a negative route. Most of society would not want to affiliate themselves with an ex-inmate because of the stigma. People affiliate ex-inmates with people who will not better themselves, who will not gain proper employment, and who will end up back in prison. Negative thoughts on such a topic are natural since it is true in the United States; most individuals in prison will reoffend and find themselves back in prison. With prisons in the United States becoming over populated, should there be different efforts adopted by more facilities to help individuals become functioning members of society?…
One of the chief factors contributing to the ‘crisis’ in prison is the overcrowding of prisoners. Indeterminate sentences and increased use of long determinate sentences are key drivers behind the near doubling of prison numbers; almost doubling from 1993 9% to 2014 17%. Bromley Briefing Prison Factfile (2015) reveals cost of our ‘addiction to imprisonment’ in wasted time, money and lives. High security prisons are not filled to capacity, whereas local prisons are concentrated with overcrowding. The majority of these prisoners in local prisons are that of on remand and short term sentences. In October 2006, 62% of prisons were overcrowded, 12 prisons containing more than half as many as they should (Cavadino and Dignan, p.17). As a result of…
Incarceration rates have dramatically increased in the United States than in anywhere else in the world. In fact, according to “Incarceration nation,” America has about 707,000 incarcerated people compared to Russia, who has about 474,000 people. Not only has this caused a problem inside the prison walls, it has also increased economic situations for stakeholders.The recent increase in incarceration rates has had negative effects on the United States economy by causing an increase in expenditure on prisons that could be better used for education. This increase in incarceration rates has also led to overcrowding in prisons, leading to unsuitable conditions for prisoners and prison workers.…
The United States has some of the highest incarceration rates in the world with currently 2.2 million people in US prison and jails – a 500% increase over the last forty years. According to The Sentencing Policy, changes in sentencing and law policy, not changes in crime rates, explain most of this increase. This has resulted in overcrowding in prisons and has become a financial burden on states because they have to adjust to the growing prison system, even though it has been found that high incarceration is not an effective way to achieve public safety.…
Millions upon millions if Americans have been sent to prison without a victim ever claiming damages. It is important to look at the burden this mass level of incarceration places upon our society. Viewing the statistics, demonstrates just how the destructive mass of incarceration of victimless crimes have been high not only in women but in men as well. Drug offenses are self-explanatory as being victimless, but so are public order offenses, which also follows the victimless crimes. Public order crimes are those that are crimes against the society one is within, in the United States, such as prostitution, immigration, drunk in public, drug use and abuse. According to 2006 statistics, one in thirty-six Hispanic men are behind bars, as are one in fifteen black men. If we limit the data to black males between the ages of twenty to thirty-four, that would determine that one in nine are behind bars. Keep in mind that eight-six percent of those men are behind bars for victimless crimes, meaning they have not stolen any property or harmed anyone directly by their actions.…
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?…
The prison system is an institution of social control. America and its politicians emphasizes punishment, the tough on crime method seems to only help the careers of most politicians in the United States, but still has not made us safer in society (Huber & Gordon, 2004) . An example of how the federal government and several states use the social control model is by changing and getting laws passed. One of the most rigorous is the California’s three strikes law just like baseball “strike out three times and you are out”! No matter what crime you commit, whether it is minor or not, the offender must be sentence to either 25 years to life in prison or triple the standard sentence (Greene & Heilburn, 2011). This law would not only increase prison population but would mostly likely lead to individuals in prison for crimes that would not fit the crime they are punished for (Greene & Heilburn, 2011). Majority of the offenders are in prisons for nonviolent crimes. This has contributed to the increase of individuals in prisons. Some states in the U.S. the federal government has ordered state prisons to reduce their prisons by 40,000 inmates (Pew, 2008). This makes me sick in the inside, because it makes me wonder maybe these individuals didn’t need to be in prison in the first place, if they are releasing such a large number of…
There is a major overpopulation issue within prisons nationwide, due to the amount of criminals on death row. Since the criminals on average wait up to twelve years or more to receive the capital punishment of the death penalty, the overpopulation of prisons is mainly due to a very large number of death row inmates. There are about seven hundred criminals on death row right now, just in the state of California alone (Correctionsone.com 2013). Also since 1977, in California, there have only been thirteen actual executions…