Correctional Prisons

Words: 1628
Pages: 7

This research paper focuses on how experiences in public correctional facilities could affect the recidivism rates in the United States. Through the use of scholarly, primary, and secondary resources, I concluded that the experiences presented to individuals in public correctional facilities have a correlation to recidivism rates. Furthermore, the experiences of individuals in public correctional facilities led to certain characteristics and emotions to develop such as those discussed by inmate Mark, Matthew, and Luke (acquiescence and inaction, aggression, and dependence). With the research conducted, I conclude that correctional facilities increase recidivism rates by their experiences presented to offenders during their stay. …show more content…
This took place due to underpopulated employee supervision and the overpopulated inmate ratio. Another situation in which chaos broke out was when an inmate used a razor to slash Charles Malec (also an inmate at Donaldson Correctional Facility) face. There was no officer present at the time of the incident which eventually led to change taking place for the betterment of the facility (Southern Center for Human Rights, 2011). Overcrowded correctional facilities are obstacles that are faced by inmates around the U.S. impeding with their betterment process because such as in Donaldson Correctional Facility, inmates could not feel …show more content…
Department of Justice, 2015). It seems as if the primary root to this problem is the usage of cell phones because it allows inmates to keep in touch with the outside world. The smuggling of cell phones increased from 1,774 in 2008 to 3,684 in 2010 allowing inmates to smuggle drugs into facilities to distribute within the facilities walls (U.S. Department of Justice, 2015). For instance, five officers in Baltimore City Detention Center were responsible for helping inmates smuggle in cell phones and drugs to be further distributed by inmates (U.S. Department of Justice, 2015). None of these illegal activities would be possible if it were not for the use of cell phones allowing inmates to contact the outside world. It is expected that correctional facilities help in the betterment process of an individual, but by bringing in contraband (such as drugs) inmates return to their previous state or even worse from when they first encountered the