The United States prison system is designed to punish criminals. While prison has many advantages, the disadvantages to the lives of the weigh heavily on American society. In America, several prisoners are living in horrible environments, some comparing their environment to third world countries. There are too many prisoners and not enough room. This country needs to regulate or solve this situation of overcrowding.
Due to overcrowding some prisons are producing conditions so unhealthy it is against the constitution. The United States has incarcerated over 2.9 million in the nation 's prisons and jails which has had a 500% increase over the last forty years. That’s more than the entire population of New Mexico, which is 2.086 million. To make …show more content…
As inmates are being squeezed into facilities, they are sharing more than personal space. According to a Department of Justice report, “The population is susceptible to diseases through exposure to blood, other bodily fluids, drug injection, poor healthcare, and the obvious prison overcrowding.” The common practice of doubling/tripling the standard number of inmates to a cell puts inmates at an even bigger risk of spreading disease. Over the past few decades it has been increasingly costly for correctional systems to respond to the needs of inmates, which includes their need for medical health care.
The third justification is, society. Currently, prisons seem to be designed to punish criminals, rather than rehabilitate them. Society wants criminals who violate the rules and are punished, so they no longer want to commit their crime(s) again. Politicians comply to the public’s demand for greater punishment by introducing mandatory/longer sentences which reduces good-conduct time credit and restricts and or eliminates early-release …show more content…
Minor offences should be processed differently compared to more serious offences. Mandatory prison sentences should be cut in half (to a certain extent). The facility should also assist prisoners on their release to prevent return. This reduces the amount of time prisoners spend confined. Allowing incarcerated offenders to earn good-time credit every month for good behavior, which would then move the offender’s release date up, is another example of how prison overcrowding can be reduced. Open prisons, halfway houses, hostels and other supervised accommodation can provide an effective placement for offenders approaching and after release and should form part of the reintegration support provided to prevent them from returning in
Due to overcrowding some prisons are producing conditions so unhealthy it is against the constitution. The United States has incarcerated over 2.9 million in the nation 's prisons and jails which has had a 500% increase over the last forty years. That’s more than the entire population of New Mexico, which is 2.086 million. To make …show more content…
As inmates are being squeezed into facilities, they are sharing more than personal space. According to a Department of Justice report, “The population is susceptible to diseases through exposure to blood, other bodily fluids, drug injection, poor healthcare, and the obvious prison overcrowding.” The common practice of doubling/tripling the standard number of inmates to a cell puts inmates at an even bigger risk of spreading disease. Over the past few decades it has been increasingly costly for correctional systems to respond to the needs of inmates, which includes their need for medical health care.
The third justification is, society. Currently, prisons seem to be designed to punish criminals, rather than rehabilitate them. Society wants criminals who violate the rules and are punished, so they no longer want to commit their crime(s) again. Politicians comply to the public’s demand for greater punishment by introducing mandatory/longer sentences which reduces good-conduct time credit and restricts and or eliminates early-release …show more content…
Minor offences should be processed differently compared to more serious offences. Mandatory prison sentences should be cut in half (to a certain extent). The facility should also assist prisoners on their release to prevent return. This reduces the amount of time prisoners spend confined. Allowing incarcerated offenders to earn good-time credit every month for good behavior, which would then move the offender’s release date up, is another example of how prison overcrowding can be reduced. Open prisons, halfway houses, hostels and other supervised accommodation can provide an effective placement for offenders approaching and after release and should form part of the reintegration support provided to prevent them from returning in