Prison Overcrowding Essay - 3058 Words

Prison Overcrowding In America’s tough economic society, over population has become an exceedingly hot topic issue. However, overcrowding in America’s prison system has been a severe problem since the 1970s. The majority of the changes have come from different policies on what demographic to imprison and for what reason. The perspective of locking up criminals because they are evil is what spawned this (Allen, 2008). Because of this perspective the prison system in America is in need of serious reorganization. Since 1980, most states have one or more of their prisons or the entire system under orders from the federal courts to maintain minimum constitutional standards (Stewart, 2006). The fiscal effects of trying to support such a†¦show more content†¦State taxes will increase because civil litigation regarding institutional burden is increasing. Since 1979 prisoner victims have been winning some substantial money damages ($380,000 in one case) from institutions being sued for breach of prisoners federal civil rights under the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. These suits are based upon a failure to protect together with deliberate indifference on the part of institution officials. This principle was first upheld for sexual assaults by the U.S. Supreme Court in Smith v. Wade (1983) and was further elaborated in Farmer. We can see examples of overcrowded jails all over the US and even out of the US. Californias prison system, originally designed for 100,000 inmates, currently houses 173,000 inmates and has resorted to housing approximately 17,000 inmates in makeshift beds in locations like prison gymnasiums(Smith, 2006). High government officials scrambled to find remedies to this problem (Camp, 2004). A $8.3 billion dollar program to establish facilities to provide 53,000 new prison and prison beds were approved as an attempt to resolve the states overcrowded prisons (Stewart, 2006).Show MoreRelatedPrison Overcrowding1187 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract This paper will discuss prison overcrowding and what type of numbers have come about over the years when it comes to inmates being imprisoned. It will discuss the cost of a prisoner annually as well as the decision to add verses build when it comes to new facilities. The overcrowding in one particular prison will be touched on as well as whose responsibility it is for upkeep. It will discuss how funding plays a role in overcrowding as well as the â€Å"three strikes† rule in California andRead MorePrison Overcrowding2966 Words   |  12 Pagesâ€Å"Prison Overcrowding: Using Proposals from Nevada and California to Recommend an Alternative Answer† By: Casey Apao For: Dr. Sarri CSN Fall 2010 Dedication: â€Å"I, the undersigned, Casey Apao hereby certify that without the assistance of Henry Apao this Critical Thinking Scientific Paper wouldn’t be done.† Signed , Casey Apao Disclaimer: â€Å"I, Casey Apao hereby certify that this Critical Thinking Scientific Paper is the result of my sole intellectualRead MoreOvercrowding Prisons And The Prisons Essay1785 Words   |  8 PagesAlma Gonzalez Professor Shaw SOC 474OL 11 August 2016 Overcrowding Prisons Prisons were essentially built to accommodate a number of prisoners, but over the years, it has reached over capacity. Today in the United States, there are approximately 193,468 federal inmates that consist of the Bureau of Prisons Custody, private managed facilities and other facilities. The inmates ages range from 18- 65 with the median age being in their late 30’s. This number is counting both male and female populationRead MoreArticle Report On Overcrowding Of Prison Overcrowding1074 Words   |  5 Pages Clark, Charles S. Prison Overcrowding. CQ Researcher 4 Feb. 1994: 97-120. Web. 26 Mar. 2016. This article discusses overcrowding in the United States prison system, due in part to mandatory prison sentences. Additionally, this article also discusses the challenges in managing the overpopulation of prisons and gives an objective look at solutions, to include building more prisons, to combat overcrowding. While the author does not include information about himself and his qualifications, hisRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding1572 Words   |  7 Pagesthe past 30 odd years, California’s prison population has grown by 750 percent (â€Å"California’s Perpetuating Prison Crisis†). As this percentage perpetuates to make substantial gains, inmates are suffering in confinement cells, officials are negotiating over the issue, and the public is protesting to make their opinions count. The prison crisis has continued to grow over the years, causing a great uproar among all of California’s 32 state prisons. Prison overcrowding has been an increasingly vital issueRead MoreThe Overcrowding Of Prison And Massachusetts1261 Words   |  6 PagesAfter exploring options of which states had the most overcrowding in prisons, the best option to go with was California because states like Alabama and Massachusetts did not have current statistics. If anything, their statistics were from 2016 or 2013, making data harder to collect. Therefore, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website, the most recent report they have of the total population is as of midnight February 8, 2017. The total population is 180,885Read MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding1166 Words   |  5 PagesBlackboard #1: Realignment Prison overcrowding has always been a problem in California prisons. It has been growing over the year and has now lead the United States Supreme Court to take part in trying to find a solution to this problem. Because of this issue, Plata litigation came through and had a significant impact on the way we see community corrections. The ruling in the Plata litigation in turn lead to AB 109 or The Public Safety Realignment Act to be implemented as a solution to California’sRead MorePrison Overcrowding Essay1184 Words   |  5 Pages Prison Overcrowding Nicole Neal American Intercontinental University Abstract This research paper is to explore the impact of prison overcrowding. The United States has a, what seems to be everlasting, prison overcrowding problem. Not only does the United States have this dilemma, but also many other countries have overcrowded prisons as well. Many issues need to be addressed; ways to reduce the prison populations and how to effectively reduce prison cost withoutRead MorePrison Overcrowding And Its Effects934 Words   |  4 Pagesassignment is to take a look at an existing issue within the American criminal justice system which is prison overcrowding and its effects. Imprisonment is the primary means of punishment in American society for crimes (Ross, 2010; Verro, 2010). In fact, the incarceration rate in America surpasses several other developed nations, due to having over two million inmates presently serving time in prison (Brazell, Crayton, Mukamal, Solomon, and Lindahl, 2009; Vacca, 2004). The American criminal justiceRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overc rowding1395 Words   |  6 Pagesthe criminal justice system is prison overcrowding. To examine a nation’s soul, all one has to do is look inside of its prisons. Even though we have 5 percent of the world’s population we have 25 percent of the world’s prison population. The makeup of our prison population range from first time drug offenders to serial killers. Prisons serve a necessary function in society if used properly to keep the worst of the worst of the streets. In the last 40 years prisons has become a hammer where every