Prison Population Problem

A major problem in today’s society is the re-offending rate of prisoners each and every year coming out of the prison system. This not only is a growing trend in the United States, but a trend that we as a society need to look at and fix. According to an article in USA today: “the Pew Center on the States found that slightly more than four in 10 offenders return to prison within three years, a collective rate that has remained largely unchanged in years, despite huge increases in prison spending that now costs states $52 billion annually.” (Johnson).
That means 40% of prisoners in the united stated return to prison within three years of being out. This not only serves as a problem with prison population rising, but also with prison costs on the taxpayer. Like the piece above states that the corrections system already costs the states $52 billion dollars annually and with prison population growing the number can only be expected to rise. When we talk prison costs we are not only looking at the cost to house a prisoner, but also the costs to employ prison staff and run a successful facility. …show more content…
The problem they have is coping with real life out side of the prison lifestyle and getting back on their feet. Some come out with little to no money, resources, and help from family to get a jump back into a normal legal living lifestyle. This only makes the subjects rely on the only thing they know to get by and that leads them to re-offending and getting thrown back into the system. A perfect example of this is the classical criminal theory “everyone experiences situations where engaging in crime might help them better satisfy their interests.” (Cullen, F., & Agnew, R. (page.