Prison Overcrowding
Name:
Sepehr Sadrameli
Instructor:
Dr.Dionne Peniston
Course:
Courts Systems & Practices
Fall 2016
Identification of the problem
Prison overcrowding is a common problem in different countries throughout the world including the United States. It refers to a phenomenon that occurs when demand for prison spaces in a particular jurisdiction exceeds the capacity of the institutions (Hough, Allen & Solomon, 2008). Prison overcrowding occurs when courts in a country when the rate of incarceration exceeds the rate at which the justice system releases prisoners, or the prisoners die thus freeing up space for new entrants. In the United States, prison overcrowding has reached a crisis level as it becomes ubiquitous and continues to show no sign of abating within the foreseeable future. Courts in the country continue to sentence criminal offenders to serve various prison terms and fail to utilize various sentencing alternatives thus sustaining the problem.
The problem has escalated in the last thirty years thus turning into a crisis. Between 1970 and 2005 for example, the inmate population in the country grew by 700% and has continued on an …show more content…
The phenomenon has increased the risk of both violence and protests in the prisons thus leading to the death and injury of productive members of the public. Prison riots cause injuries and death to both the prisoners and the citizens working in the facilities. Furthermore, the crowded facilities offer perfect training grounds for terrorism and radicalization which are the two most serious problem the country continues to face (Yousman, 2009). Prison overcrowding has increased the cost of maintaining correctional facilities in the country thus increasing the tax burden in the country. Members of the community lose valuable resources they could employ in enhance the country’s health care, education and security among
Name:
Sepehr Sadrameli
Instructor:
Dr.Dionne Peniston
Course:
Courts Systems & Practices
Fall 2016
Identification of the problem
Prison overcrowding is a common problem in different countries throughout the world including the United States. It refers to a phenomenon that occurs when demand for prison spaces in a particular jurisdiction exceeds the capacity of the institutions (Hough, Allen & Solomon, 2008). Prison overcrowding occurs when courts in a country when the rate of incarceration exceeds the rate at which the justice system releases prisoners, or the prisoners die thus freeing up space for new entrants. In the United States, prison overcrowding has reached a crisis level as it becomes ubiquitous and continues to show no sign of abating within the foreseeable future. Courts in the country continue to sentence criminal offenders to serve various prison terms and fail to utilize various sentencing alternatives thus sustaining the problem.
The problem has escalated in the last thirty years thus turning into a crisis. Between 1970 and 2005 for example, the inmate population in the country grew by 700% and has continued on an …show more content…
The phenomenon has increased the risk of both violence and protests in the prisons thus leading to the death and injury of productive members of the public. Prison riots cause injuries and death to both the prisoners and the citizens working in the facilities. Furthermore, the crowded facilities offer perfect training grounds for terrorism and radicalization which are the two most serious problem the country continues to face (Yousman, 2009). Prison overcrowding has increased the cost of maintaining correctional facilities in the country thus increasing the tax burden in the country. Members of the community lose valuable resources they could employ in enhance the country’s health care, education and security among