The Pros And Cons Of Prison Overcrowding

Even when faced with the opposing viewpoints, it is impossible to deny the benefits of drug treatment rather than imprisonment. Although prison overcrowding does not necessarily constitute cruel and unusual punishment, prisoners still face significant problems. Low-level offenders (like drug users) face serious consequences that do not necessarily suit their crimes, and the more crowded prisons are, the more violent they become. Imprisonment should help prisoners recover and reform, but most prisons in America do little to nothing for the prisoners. Instead, prisoners face harsh punishment, such as double-celling, which is housing two prisoners in a cell meant for one. While this does not legally constitute cruel and unusual punishment, the mental, physical, and medical effects can be dire. Yet despite the impacts of double-celling, there are no explicit nationwide regulations. Prisons are …show more content…
Prison systems cost money to keep active, and the more prisoners a building holds, the more money it will cost. Furthermore, prisons take money from education and public safety. Yet despite the major flaws with the prison system, and although crime has decreased in the past several decades, incarceration rates have nearly quadrupled (“Criminal”). Because of this, prison costs have increased, and continue to rise. In fact, in America, about $70 billion are spent on corrections per year (ibid). However, the amount of money the country puts towards one prisoner is even more startling. In California, on average, it costs $26,000 to house a single prisoner for one year, and in some states can cost even more (Campers 12). These prison expenses could go towards education, drug treatment programs, and other programs that could more effectively reform prisoners. The financial burden that prison populations create are too dramatic to sustain. The country must put stricter legislation into