Trends In Corrections

Improved Essays
Show More
During the early 21st century in America, approximately 44 percent of state inmates and 39 percent of federal inmates have some type of medical problem (Maruschak, 2008). Moreover, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Statistics (BJS) estimations include those inmates that reported medical conditions other than a cold or a virus (Maruschak, 2008). Although these statistics likely fluctuate, the estimations redeem an ongoing problem within American corrections.

In comparison with the U.S. population, the BJS reports that inmates infected with AIDS are more than 2 ½ times higher than the overall American population (Maruschak, 2008). Further comparisons reveal that approximately 46 of every 10,000 inmates deaths were attributed to the AIDS virus, …show more content…
Corrections, 2017). Whereas, the majority result of changes in laws and policy were not due to crime rates (Trends in U.S. Corrections, 2017). Prison overcrowding and fiscal year burdens on states are the results of this dramatic increase (Trends in U.S. Corrections, 2017). Additionally, with the strict drug and violence penalizations and sentencing, the prison population is rapidly aging that creates, even more, healthcare concerns (Schiff, 2014). Therefore, with the chronic and infectious diseases, mental illness, elderly population, obesity, and other related medical conditions, place an overwhelming burden of expenditures that rest within the correctional budgets that assume the entire cost of care (Schiff, …show more content…
M. (2008, April 22). Number of HIV-Positive State and Federal Inmates Continues to Decline. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/press/hivp06mpppr.cfm
Maruschak, L. M., & Beck, A. J. (2001). Medical Problems of Inmates, 1997. Bureau of Justice Statistics | Special Report, NCJ 181644, 1-12. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mpi97.pdf
Maruschak, L. M., Berzofsky, M., & Unangst, J. (2015, February 5). Medical Problems of State and Federal Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2011-12. Bureau of Justice Statistics | Special Report, NCJ 248491, 1-23. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mpsfpji1112.pdf
Schiff, M. (2014, November 4). Examining State Prison Health Care Spending: Cost Drivers and Policy Approaches. Retrieved from http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2014/11/04/examining-state-prison-health-care-spending-cost-drivers-and-policy-approaches/
Trends in U.S. Corrections [PDF]. (2017, March). Washington: The Sentencing Project. Retrieved from

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    History Of Mass Incarceration
    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages

    History Of Mass Incarceration

    It is extremely important to note that having higher costs per inmates means having to pay more taxes to fund that state’s correctional facilities. The study that doing the reverse of “lowering the costs per inmate may reflect poorer safety and higher recidivism due to less investment in corrections employees and programs.” Therefore, it is important that the US doesn’t pressure states with higher costs per inmate to lower their investment, rather states should invest in developing more policies to safely reduce rates of…

    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Review Of Bryan Stevenson's Book 'Just Mercy'
    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Review Of Bryan Stevenson's Book 'Just Mercy'

    The American judicial system is riddled with corruption, racism, and privilege. In his book, Just Mercy, author and lawyer Bryan Stevenson chronicles the unfortunate and rapid deterioration of the mental health of his client and friend Walter McMillian following his release from death row. Mental illness resulting from wrongful imprisonment on death row stands as a deplorable and preventable collateral consequence of the negligence of the judicial system. The trauma of the death row experience as an innocent man sparks Walter’s symptoms of anxiety and dementia.…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Three Strikes And You Re Out Policy Analysis
    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Three Strikes And You Re Out Policy Analysis

    Introduction Currently, the United States is home to the highest percentage of the world’s incarcerated population. The United States itself only accounts for 4% of the total population, but has somehow managed to contain 25% of the world’s prison population. From 1984 to 2014, the number of prisoners has increased by over 400%. (vlog) California is at the forefront of this problem, as they have recently exceeded their maximum prison capacity. Their system was designed to hold 83,219 inmates, but has greatly exceeded this number with their population peaking at more than 144,000 (MacDonald, 2013).…

    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Essay On Prior Criminal History
    • 2039 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Essay On Prior Criminal History

    Health care professionals must place aside their personal feelings and provide professional care to incarcerated individuals, as…

    • 2039 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Mentally Ill Prisoner Research Paper
    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mentally Ill Prisoner Research Paper

    Mentally Ill Prisoners South Carolina mental health state hospital had to close their doors due to limited funding in the state budget to keep the facility open. As a result, some of the patients were transitioned into a short term area mental health hospital and they were later released into the communities. Some of the patients did poorly when transitioned into the communities and were later found to be trouble with the judicial system. They would go out and commit crimes such as trespassing, public intoxication, or robbing the thrift store.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    1970's Incarceration System
    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages

    1970's Incarceration System

    The 1970’s brought with it ‘tough-on-crime’ policies, which created a shift in the judicial system from the previous model of predominantly crime control to a punitive model that increased incarceration rates and sentences. This new model and policies created an overall overcrowding in the local jails, state and federal prison system, costing states and local government millions of dollars. This journal specifically looks at incarceration systems in the state of Texas and the costs associated with overcrowded facilities. Texas offers a unique perspective as the entire state was the first to look at alternative methods of punishment than that of imprisonment. The authors both have the credentials to perform the study and no obvious bias is apparent.…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Arguments Against Overcrowding Prisons
    • 2582 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Arguments Against Overcrowding Prisons

    As of today the United States has a total of 2.3 million people in 1,719 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 942 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,283 local jails, and 79 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, immigration detention facilities, civil commitment centers, and prisons in the U.S. Territories. Overcrowding prisons and not enough staff are becoming a serious issue in America. Everyday more citizens are committing crimes that lead them in either prison or jails. And overcrowding prisons lead to having four to five inmates to a cell, which being that close to other criminals can cause violent behavior. It can also cause lack of privacy, which can cause mental health problems and possibly even increase suicide rates and self-harm.…

    • 2582 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Texas Prison Overcrowding
    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Texas Prison Overcrowding

    The article, Prison Overcrowding and Disciplinary Problems: An Analysis of the Texas Prison System by Sheldon Ekland-olson, Dennis Barrick, and Lawrence Cohen looks at prison overcrowding along with disciplinary rates. They discuss how state and federal prisons have experienced rapid population growth and the failure of expanding facilities has caused overcrowding. This has caused strain to develop on the medical, education, recreational, vocational, and nutritional service aspect of the prison system local and nationwide. States have tried to remedy this overcrowding problem by convert unused spaces and additional buildings in and around prisons to little effect on the problem. Concerns over the effects of overcrowding are also discussed.…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Eighth Amendment Violation Of Prisons
    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Eighth Amendment Violation Of Prisons

    The state must then provide the inmates with the basic needs of all people including, medical care, psychiatric care, and basic sanitary conditions. It was found that the prisons in the State of California were extremely overpopulated, and that “overcrowding has overtaken the limited resources of prison staff; imposed demands well beyond the capacity of the medical and mental health facilities; and created unsanitary and unsafe conditions,” (Katsh 113). Overcrowding has caused the prison staffs to be unable to adequately treat those with medical conditions and those with mental illnesses. At times the overcrowding became so severe that for suicidal inmates, there were not enough free beds. In lieu of suicide preventative beds, “suicidal inmates may be held for prolonged periods in telephone-booth size cages without toilets,… for nearly 24 hours, standing in a pool of [their] own urine,” (Katsh 114).…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Crime In Prison
    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Crime In Prison

    Americans today live in a country overflowing with more prisoners than ever, yet crime has been dropping since the late twentieth century. In fact, from 1980 to 2008, the number of people incarcerated in America quadrupled from about 500,000 to 2.3 million people (Criminal 1). There are several factors contributing to this problem. In recent years, America has taken new approaches to crime, such as the “War On Drugs” and the “Three Strikes” law. These approaches have drastically increased the prison population, to the point that 1 in 31 adults, or 3.2% of the population, will spend some time in prison in their lifetime (ibid).…

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Mass Incarceration In America
    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Mass Incarceration In America

    2.2 million men, women, and youth are incarcerated in the United States right now (The Sentencing Project). The U.S. accounts for 5% of the world’s population, yet 22% of the world’s imprisoned population (Mass Incarceration). Mass incarceration has reached an increase of over 500% within the last 40 years (The Sentencing Project). Not only are more people being carelessly thrown into jails and prisons, but the number of people that are being released is less and not nearly equal to the number of inmates coming in because people are also being sentenced to longer terms. The $12.5 billion given to states with the 1994 Crime Bill “required inmates to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences” which is in part why sentences are longer served in the justice system (Brooke Eisen, Chettiar).…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Federal Prison Reform Act Of 2013
    • 1092 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Federal Prison Reform Act Of 2013

    With its ever-growing population, the amount of inmates has grown by over 700% throughout the past century. This staggering amount far exceeds that of the United States’ population, making 32% look diminutive in comparison. Currently, there are more than 200,000 incarcerated people that are being detained inside a federal prison facility. In an attempt to improve public safety, a set of policies such as the “tough on crime” movement have been enacted, using punishment as the sole response to crime.…

    • 1092 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Mental Illness In Prison
    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Mental Illness In Prison

    This highlights the fact that mental illness is a huge problem in prison that needs to be dealt with. Over time, mental illness…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Classification Of Inmatess In Prisons
    • 233 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Classification Of Inmatess In Prisons

    Classification of inmates can be advantageous in that it provides a needs and risk assessment by which the facility can house / classify and attempt to provide treatments/ programs to fulfill court ordered requirements or assist inmates in obtaining skills for obtaining employment or successful re-entry into society upon completion of their sentence. As inmates are received into correctional facilities they are subjected to a battery of test, both psychological and medical. These tests are used to determine whether the inmate has contracted or is hosting any communicable diseases which could spread to other inmates, has medical issues for which the facility will need to make accommodations for (medically or physically), psychological (mental) accommodations if the inmate is deemed at risk for general population, to determine security risk and classification, and treatment programs. As indicated by Bartollas and Siegel, these assessments “include such factors as criminal history, education/employment, leisure /recreation…

    • 233 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Essay On Prison Overcrowding
    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Essay On Prison Overcrowding

    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…

    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings