The Effects of Prison Overcrowding on Penal Programs Introduction In America today the war on drugs is still being fought on a day to day basis. American society has gone to many extremes to combat this threat, from tougher laws to the formation of agencies such as the DEA. Even with all of this, is everything being done to the extent that the public wishes? According to the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program, approximately 60 percent of all arrestees test positive for illicit drug…
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Prison Overcrowding Jail bloating is a common condition that is often missed by county commissioners faced with what to do about jails that are bulging at the seams. Building more jail capacity is very costly and should only be undertaken after less costly options have been explored. The options raised in this article are sometimes not explored and, if they are, they may be undertaken halfheartedly with an “Itoldyouit–wouldn’twork” attitude. However, the success of those who earnestly explore…
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been affected by a number of issues and concerns. Some of the known issues that have surrounded the criminal justice system for a number of years have been the constant increase within the inmate population among several prisons. It is this very issue that has caused many prisons to become extremely overcrowded, which has resulted in a number of budgets. However, there have been a number of philosophies created in order to help aid the correctional system with the evolving changes throughout the future…
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concerns, privatization, technology, overcrowding, program issues, personnel management, security issues, and legal issues. This paper examines these current issues facing correctional administrators today. Budget issues in today’s tight economy are a constant source of pressure on correctional agencies who must find new ways to accomplish their mission. Budget pressures have forced some states to delay opening new facilities because…
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Allen Lowery CJ 6624 – Court Administration December 1, 2010 Abstract This paper discusses three critical issues in the criminal justice system. It touches on the general issues of punishment philosophies, sentence decision making, and prison overcrowding and focused more specifically on the negative effects of each. Highlighted in this informational paper is the interrelated nature of the issues; each issue affects and is affected by the others. Data and information has been gathered from the…
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should the issue addressed in prison? Various factors over recent decades have led to the decline in available psychiatric heath care in the United States. Subsequently, the mentally impaired are being treated in our nation’s prison system which has created strain on the prison mental health care systems as a whole. In 1985, the total number of inmates in custody was 744,208 according to a Gilliard and Beck 1997 state justice statistic. At the end of 2007, U.S. prisons and jails held over 2.4 million…
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Prison Overcrowding Soc305: Crime & Society Instructor: Jodie Lawston March 2, 2015 Prison Overcrowding Emile Durkheim once said that crime is normal within a society. “Crime helps create and continually redefine the core norms and values of society, which will contribute to the social change as law are continually challenged and reassessed” (Collica & Furst, 2012). It is what happens after crimes are committed that creates a significant issue our criminal justice system faces. All criminals are…
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Mental Health in Prisons According to NCBI “48% of inmates are diagnosed with a mental illness”! Prisons in the U.S. are a breeding ground for poor mental health. This is due to the lack of support to help the inmates reform, assimilate back into society, the violence, isolation, and the unpredictability of prison. In prisons, poor mental health is amplified exponentially due to the isolation; this poor mental health also creates high suicide rates. The isolation created in prisons can create poor…
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Early on, prisons were bombarded with an influx of new inmates and were not able to handle it properly. Prisons became more harsh and less safe. 40 years later, overcrowding is still a serious issue that needs to be addressed fast. It contributes to a variety of issues such as psychological state, inmate and officer safety, financial aspects, and dyfunctionality in prisons. Recidivism rates are high because inmates have virtually no means of bettering themselves as overcrowding causes prison programs…
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For the past 20 years the private corrections industry has continued to grow. With more than 2 million Americans incarcerated in prisons in the Unites States, local governments and states cannot possibly hope to keep up with the high rates of incarceration. They must choose between overcrowding, releasing inmates, or contracting for outsourcing of inmate housing. More agencies are choosing to outsource their inmates. There are many reasons why agencies choose to outsource and I will discuss a few…
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