The Problem with Overcrowded Prisons

At the turn of the 21st century the conundrum with the United presents penitentiary ashes could no longer be ignored. in that respect is no need to be incarcerated to actualize the pitiful of both inmates and psychenel managing the prison. Just imagining constricted spaces and labord interaction with an increased number of criminals and or psychologically challenged people can be counterproductive to the supposed replacement calculate of jail eon. But reducing the number of inmates or do bigger facilities is non going to be the simple solution for this problem. thither ar some factors to consider and the dilemma is building up from each star year. A solution has to be reached before the problem can cause into a full-blown crisis that could result in total breakdown of the frame.This memorise takes a closer look into the problem of overcrowded prisons. This includes finding out wherefore overcrowding has become a riddle for many officials. The research would as well as tractor trailer the effects of overcrowding. Moreover, the proponent would find out what be the challenges faced by those who tried to formulate an acceptable solution.Overcrowding the JointIn a nation where slavery is illegalize and where everyone has the opportunity to make something out of life, it is a puzzle why many still go to prison. In the Information age where a someone has access to more(prenominal) knowledge, it is a mystery why many be none the wiser since they commit deeds that would put them behind bars.In the book close U.S. prisons, authors Clear, Cole, and Reisig found out that, In 2003, 22 put forwards and the federal prison form reported operational at or supra capacity. The federal system was estimated to be opera bearg at 39 percent, and overall the state systems were operating at 14 percent above capacity (2005, p. 467).Michael Jacobson the former Commissioner of the sassy York City Department of Correction, the largest city jail system in the U.S. provides sp are figures that helps to clearly illustrate the crisis. And he remarked, The United States now locks up a higher percentage of its population than any country in the world. The more than 2 million people who are incarcerated today make up roughly eight times the number in 1975 (Jacobson, 2005, p. 8).Overcrowding is due to tougher laws that were formalise due to the belief that commonplace off closedowners must be punished longer. These laws also aimed to put these types of criminals locked up for good that they may feel the full force of the law. Joycelyn M. Pollock in her book assessing the current state of American prisons remarked why there allow be an increasing number of men and women who allow for be under lock and key for the rest of their livesEven as recently as 1968, 23 states had statutes that authorized life imprisonment for habitual offenders who had previously been convicted of certain specified offenses these new sentencing laws book t he capability to exasperate already severely overcrowded prison conditions while simultaneously creating more problems for state and federal governments, criminal justice agencies, and prison administrators (1997, p. 62).Problem with OvercrowdingWhat is the big deal with overcrowding? Others may unconstipated dare speculate that it could join on a nonher dimension to the strong of criminals and hence why make their stay more comfortable?It is therefore helpful to see prison overcrowding from another perspective. And that is to conceive the real purpose of enslavement. Mark Colvin in his study of the infamous radical Mexico prison rebellion of 1980 asserted that squeezing more and more inmates same sardines into a tin can was the result of a change in philosophy.It is therefore clear to argue that riots can be expected in prisons where the needs of inmates are not met or when the prisoners feel that basic human rights are not respected due to the lack of resources. It is also not hard to believe the stress levels experienced by shorthanded staff. When riots ensue, the safety of the prisoners and at the same time the staff responsible in managing said facility allow for be in extreme jeopardy.Freeman elaborates on this issue when he wrote that, It is difficult to honor a close watch on problem inmates when overcrowding exists. This problem is oddly acute when those problem inmates are prone to violence (1999).Colvin argued that policy makers should be reminded that the main purpose of prison is to rehabilitate offenders and not just escape as a place to lock them up. Colvin realized that this situation is did not happen overnight and he wrote, This current crisis emerged in the 1970s when the ideological commitment to rehabilitation declined sharply, along with our nations optimism about alleviating poorness and a host of other social ills (1992, p. 1).SolutionA good start would be to again revisit the original aim of prison systems. As discus sed prior policies must be altered to minimize the punitive intent of incarceration and rather transform regulations so that it exit focus more on helping prisoners deal with the root cause of their crime.Overcrowding reduces the efficacy of whatever rehabilitative impact prison can offer. This was highlighted by Clear, Cole and Reisig when they asserted that, prison overcrowding directly usurps the ability of chastisemental officials to do their manoeuvre, because it decreases the proportion of offenders in programs, increases the potential for violence, and greatly strains staff morale (2005, p. 469).With regards to dealing with the main cause of crime, the banter will then shift to pr issuingive measures such(prenominal) as elevating pauperization and providing for opportunities for marginalized members of society to have access to education and other training to make burst skills.Finally, a solution is right down under the noses of policymakers but they are so preoccu pied by other more sensational and debatable issues that they miss it. An example of a simple adjustment in the system can mean hundreds of millions of dollars in savings each year and a significant decrease in the number of incarcerated delinquent. The solution calls for a solid assessment of the role of free officers within the criminal justice system.To better understand the structure altering role of parole officers, Jacobson made a case for the consequence of neglecting the needs of said officersVirtually no one in government can spend capital like a parole officer who has no budget to control and may work in a cramped and overcrowded office in a sum building in a rundown part of town. He or she may have little or no access to programs or treatment for parolees and may earn much less than a correction or police officer (2005, p. 132).Looking at the insight of Jacobson it takes little to understand the domino effect of neglecting this countrys parole officers. Fortunately for those suffering in an inefficient criminal justice system, there is an insider in the person of Jacobson who truly understand how the system works.It is a wonder that only a few realized that when a parole officer gets overworked and when their morale are jeopardyously low they would not have the patience to help offenders mountain pass the more difficult path of an ex-convict. A parole officer is like a volunteer counselor who has to work from the heart, fine-looking more than honest advice. And to walk the extra mile to help those who do not deserve help. But according to Jacobson the system is not helping them and he wrote, parole officers have no ability to compel parole agencies to spend additional fund on less expensive parole services such as drug treatment, job training programs, or additional officers to demean caseloads (2005, p. 132).If all else fails then a suggestion is to improve infrastructure and to add cutting-edge equipment to solve the problem of increa sing number of prisoners which significantly affect the inmate to staff ratio. In other words technology will be used to make prisons more safe and more manageable. The ordained impact as well as the drawbacks were succinctly explained by who remarkedIn the USA, new generation design has even been used to reduce staff-inmate spot Too much reliance on technology to eliminate danger and reinforce control can be perilous in the event of equipment failure, staff can feel virtually helpless. Technology should not be an end in itself, but an aid to officers personal control and inspection(Fairweather & McConville, 2000, p.32).Another plausible solution is the privatization of prisons. Pollock argued that with privatization comes efficiency managers and controls that will help condition up the current penal system. There are others who object to privatization citing mathematical obstruction to due process since privatization means control not by the government but by certain people. But in the end Logan was right in saying that, in no area have I found any potential problem with private prisons that is not at least matched by an identical or a closely corresponding problem among prisons that are run by the government (as cited in Pollock, 1997, p. 382).ChallengesThose who are knowledgeable about budget deficits and the need for more money to finance other programs plus those who are wise enough to understand the ill effects of mass incarceration are clamoring for reduction of the overcrowding in U.S. prison systems.Convincing a large part of the population will not going to be an easy task. The first challenge is ever-changing the perception of the majority, which was heavily influenced by the media and the exposure to controversial crimes. Yet even without high profile crimes many are aware of the problem of take up offenders and even committing crimes while still being on visitation or on bail or on parole. This was elaborated by Karti Sieberg who canvass the said criminal dilemma, and she remarked, According to the report made by the Council on Crime in America, in 1990, among those accused of violent crimes, 12% were awaiting trial for earlier offenses when they allegedly committed rape, murder, assault, or robbery (2001, p. 16).ConclusionThe solutions discuss above aims to reduce the number of people held behind bars. The proposed methods and policy changes that advocates of reducing overcrowding are increasingly leaning towards a more permissive system. Being lenient can mean different things to many people but in the limited discussion made earlier, those espousing for leniency wished not to be misunderstood.Criminals must serve time but there are many that do not need to spend more time in prison. It will be for their benefit and the society also. Moreover, a focus on contraceptive measures can significantly reduce this problem. But most importantly giving importance to the role of parole officers can effectively change the oversight of overcrowded prisons.Jacobson was right when he said that, parole officers decisions have had the effect of supply U.S. incarceration boom by sending many parolees back to prison (2005, p. 132). If policymakers can start here they could make a lot of headway.Reference ListClear, T., G. Cole, & Reisig, M. (2005). American Corrections. Belmont CA Thomson HigherEducation.Colvin, M. (1992). The Penitentiary in Crisis From Accomodation to Riot in New Mexico. NewYork State University of New York Press.Fairweather, L. & McConville, S. (2000). Prison Architecture Policy, Design, and Experience.MA Elsevier.Freeman, R.M. (1999). Correctional Organization and Management semipublic Policy Challenges,Behavior and Structure. MA Butterworth-Heinemann.Jacobson, M. (2005). Downsizing Prisons How to Reduce Crime and End atomic reactor Incarceration.New York New York University Press.Pollock, J. (1997). Prisons Today and Tomorrow. Boston Jones and Bartlett Publishers.Sieberg, K. (2001) . Criminal Dilemmas Understanding and Preventing Crime. New YorkSpringer.