S. pp). This is partly due to high recidivism because within three years of their release, two of every three prisoners are back behind bars (U.S. pp). Criminologists attribute the prison population growth to "get tough on crime" policies that have subjected hundreds of thousands of nonviolent drug and property offenders to long mandatory sentences (U.S. pp). Malcolm Young of the Sentencing Project, says, "e have to be concerned about an overloaded system which sentences many offenders quickly and is not dong a good job of sorting out people who should be incarcerated from people for whom other responses would produce better, less expensive results" (U.S. pp).
The rise in the prison population varies by state, yet since 1998, twelve states experienced stable or declining incarceration rates but crime rates in those states declined at the same rates as in the other thirty-eight (U.S. pp).
Young says, "e're working under the burden…...
mlaWorks Cited
Incarcerated America. April 2003. Accessed from the Human Rights Watch web site on May 04, 2005. http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/usa/incarceration/
Mandatory Sentencing Laws Fuel Prison Overcrowding Crisis, Fill Prisons With Non-Violent Substance Abusers. Accessed from the Families Against Mandatory Minimums web site on May 05, 2005. http://famm.org/si_sbs_arizona_press_release_5_11_04.htm
McDonough, Siobhan. Crime rate down, but prison population on the rise.
Houston Chronicle. April 25, 2005. Accessed from the Houston Chronicle web site on May 05, 2005. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3151865
Men at Kansas City Release Center Worry as Prison Plans to Move In", the article covers an important part of life in cities. That is when buildings come to the neighborhood. Although the prison does not seem like it would be accepted by the townspeople, what is would replace (a halfway house), would make it so that way the prison seemed the best option and the lesser evil. All is not good in the area however.
The men part of the halfway house may not find a suitable alternative. This could lead to them being homeless. What is interesting to note is that that main reason for the prison and not the release center is overcrowding in prisons. The writer stated because of the increase in inmate population and overcrowding, there is less space for prisoners, hence the need for the additional prison. What is also being ignored is the fact…...
Causes of Increases in Prison Populations
The United States has experienced an unprecedented increase in prison populations over the last decade, a trend that began in the 1980's. In just seven years during the last decade, prison populations rose by 58% -- from 1,726.000 to 1.1 million (S, 1998). 1997 alone showed an increase of over 5% (S, 1998).
Three factors play heavily into these facts: the war on drugs, longer sentences, and mandatory laws at the federal level and in many states requiring sterner sentences for repeat offenders. These changes in our approach to criminal prosecution have resulted in two significant changes in our prison system: a change in racial balance, and a prison population that now contains significantly more older prisoners than before these changes occurred.
Roach (2002) reported on years of research done by Angela Davis and others. He found persuasive evidence that Blacks receive harsher treatment from the United…...
mlaWorks Cited
Brown, Jennifer. July 19, 2002. "Aging Prison Populations Drive Up State Costs." Stateline. Accessed via the Internet 9/28/02. http://www.stateline.org/story.do?storyId=243927
Roach, Ronald. Jan. 17, 2002. "From the classroom to the courtroom: scholars assess race and class in the American criminal justice system." Black Issues in Higher Education.
Staff writers (SW). Aug. 1998. "Crime rate declines; prison population continues to rise." Jet.
United States Department of Justice (USDJ). Aug. 25, 2002. "OJP Freedom of Information Act page." Bureau of Justice Statistics. Accessed via the Internet Sept. 28, 2002. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs
.....psychologists working in prisons in the United States, Boothby & Clements (2000) found some disturbing trends in corrections. Although the number of prison psychologists has doubled in the past twenty years, the vast majority of prison psychologists remain Caucasian males who may be unable to address the diverse needs of the incarcerated community. Biases and assumptions about inmates may also hinder the ability of inmates to seek and receive psychological treatment. Moreover, a full third of prison psychologist work time is spent on administrative duties -- more than the time spent on direct treatment. Only 26% of their work time is devoted to directly treating the inmates, meaning that structural and institutional variables are impeding the delivery of quality mental health care to the prison community.
Interestingly, the profession of clinical psychology was practically born in the prison context. As Magaletta, et al. (2016) point out, prison wardens partnered with psychologists…...
prison overcrowding and its effect on the criminal justice system. Prison overcrowding has skyrocketed in the United States in the last three decades, leading to a multitude of problems in the criminal justice system. Overcrowding costs taxpayers money, it leads to dysfunction within the penal population, and it creates dangers for prison staff. It is a result of many items in society and the criminal justice system, and it must change if America's prisons are to remain effective and viable.
Many people may not be aware just how much the prison population has grown in the last thirty years. One researcher notes, "From 300,000 prisoners in 1977, the prison population has risen steadily to over 1.5 million as of June 30, 2005, a 400% increase" (Pfaff, 2008). The two largest states housing prisoners, California and Texas, have seen stupendous growth in their prison populations, but not in their funding. Another…...
mlaReferences
Haney, C. (2006). Prison overcrowding: Harmful consequences and dysfunctional reactions. Retrieved 31 July 2009 from the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons Web site: 1-17.http://www.prisoncommission.org/statements/haney_craig.pdf .
Jacobs, J.B. (2007). Finding alternatives to the carceral state. Social Research, 74(2), 695+.
Moore, S. (2009). The prison overcrowding fix. Retrieved 31 July 2009 from the New York Times Web site: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/us/11prisons.html .
Pfaff, J.F. (2008). The empirics of prison growth: A critical review and path forward. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 98(2), 547+
prison gang is a select group of inmates with an organized chain of command and an established code of conduct. They operate in secrecy with a view to controlling their prison environment through intimidation and violence meted on non-members. Some of the oldest prison gangs in the U.S. were formed as early as 1950s. Some notable example is Gypsy Jokers that operated in Washington State prisons (Fleisher & Decker, 2001). Violence in correctional facilities in the United States is something that has been with us for quite a while. Prisoners and prison officers have both fallen victims to this violence.
Think of the San Antonio, Texas incident where 281 prisoners were stabbed and 13 slain (The Ledger, 1984). There was divided opinion on what motivated such heinous acts with some prison officials opining that prison gangs who were divided along racial lines were responsible. Some attacks were thought to be…...
mlaReferences List
Fleisher, M.S. & Decker, S.H. (2001). An overview of the Challenge of Prison Gangs.
Corrections Management Quarterly, 5(1), 1-9.
Knox, G.W. (2005). The Problem of Gangs and Security Threat Groups (STG's) in American
Prisons Today: Recent Research Findings From the 2004 Prison Gang Survey. Retrieved from http://www.ngcrc.com/corr2006.html
Maximum security prisons have grown in recent decades and have implemented methods some may deem inhumane. A 2016 article discusses prison conditions in maximum security prisons and addresses specifically the topic of preservation of human dignity and disease prevention. The author mentions the Dudley Lee v. Minister of Correctional Services case that held "that prison authorities have a duty of care to prevent prisoners from being infected with HIV-related illnesses such as TB" (Torriente, Tadion, & Hsu, 2016). The applicant was sent to a maximum security prison in South Africa where he eventually was diagnosed three years later with TB. Another instance of the government and its failure to acknowledge the need to safeguard a prisoner's health is the . v. Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex-parte Glen Fielding. Here the case discusses of a prisoner in the United Kingdom asking for condoms and being denied unless given…...
mlaReferences
Engel, P. (2013). Here's What Life Is Like Inside Russia's Toughest Prison.Business Insider. Retrieved 16 April 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-russias-black-dolphin-prison-2013-10?op=1
Torriente, A., Tadion, A., & Hsu, L. (2016). Opening the Door to Zero New HIV Infections in Closed Settings. Health and Human Rights Journal. Retrieved 16 April 2016, from http://www.hhrjournal.org/2016/02/opening-the-door-to-zero-new-hiv-infections-in-closed-settings/
Vasiliades, E. (2005). Solitary Confinement and International Human Rights: Why the U.S. Prison System Fails Global Standards. American University International Law Review, 21(1). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=auilr
Title: Transforming the Future: The Need for Prison eform
Prison reform has become an increasingly important topic in discussions about justice, rehabilitation, and human rights. The current state of the prison system in many countries is characterized by overcrowding, poor living conditions, and high rates of recidivism. Many argue that these conditions are not only inhumane but also ineffective in terms of promoting rehabilitation and reducing crime.
The primary goal of prison reform is to create a correctional system that focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment. This means providing inmates with access to education, vocational training, mental health services, and other resources that can help them successfully reintegrate into society upon release. By addressing the underlying issues that may have led individuals to commit crimes in the first place, prison reform seeks to break the cycle of criminal behavior and reduce rates of recidivism.
In addition to focusing on rehabilitation, prison reform also…...
mlaReferences
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). \"Prison Conditions.\"
Annie E. Casey Foundation. \"Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI).\"Bronson, Jennifer, and Marcus Berzofsky. \"Drug Use, Dependence, and Abuse Among State Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2007-2009.\" Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017.Council of State Governments Justice Center. \"Reentry Matters: Strategies and Successes of Second Chance Act Grantees Across the United States.\"Davis, Lois M., et al. \"How Effective Is Correctional Education, and Where Do We Go from Here? The Results of a Comprehensive Evaluation.\" RAND Corporation, 2014.James, Doris J., and Lauren E. Glaze. \"Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates.\" National Institute of Justice, 2006.
Prison Overcrowding
Arguably the most pressing issue facing the field of corrections today is the problem of prison overcrowding. Overcrowding negatively impacts nearly every aspect of running a corrections facility, and even exacerbates problems when inmates are eventually released (Specter, 2010). Overcrowded prisons increase the likelihood of violence against both inmates and corrections officers, and there is evidence tying overcrowding to higher rates of suicide and homicide (Davies, 2004, & Camp, Gaes, Langan, & Saylor, 2003). The problem has only gotten worse over the last few decades, and there is no evidence that policymakers or administrators have plans to do anything soon (Giertz & Nardulli, 1985, & Taggart, 1996). After examining the relevant literature concerning the history, scope, and reasons behind prison overcrowding, it becomes clear that the solution to overcrowding and its attendant costs must come in the form of administrative/institutional reform coupled with a serious reconsideration of the current…...
mlaReferences
Camp, S.D., Gaes, G.G., Langan, N.P., & Saylor, W.G. (2003). The influence of prisons on inmate misconduct: A multilevel investigation*. Justice Quarterly: JQ, 20(3), 501-533.
Davies, R. (2004). Deaths in UK prisons are due to overcrowding, says report. The Lancet,
363(9406), 378-378.
Giertz, J.F., & Nardulli, P.F. (1985). Prison overcrowding. Public Choice (Pre-1986), 46(1),
A major portion of an inmate's helplessness, deprivation, depression and self-loathing etc. arises due to physical and psychological victimization that he or she has to face. Physical victimization includes homicide, assault and rape. These arise due to poor staff supervision and keeping defenseless prisoners with the violent ones. On the other hand, psychological victimization involves verbal manipulation and harsh psychological attacks of personal nature.
The stronger inmates attempt to create their own subcultures that show their dominance, rule and assertion on all prisoners (Heilpern, 1998). To fulfill the maintenance of these subcultures, they resort to rape, riots or even homicide spreading mental illnesses like stress, phobias, enhanced criminal activity, shame, guilt, etc. among the weaker prisoners.
Imprisonment: Eliminating or aggravating crime?
It is not a hidden matter that jails, even after intensive care and security, are not free of brutality, stress and violence among the inmates. The safety of each and every…...
mlaReferences
Cragg, W. (2002). The practice of punishment: Towards a theory of restorative justice. Routledge.
Foucault, M. (2008). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison.
Gendreau, P., Cullen, F.T., & Goggin, C. (1999). The effects of prison sentences on recidivism. Ottawa: Solicitor General Canada.
Gudrais, E. (2013, March). The Prison Problem. Harvard Magazine.
However, given that the problem of overcrowding is pervasive in the prison system in general, and not simply at these specific junctures of the judicial process, the choice between a low-use jail and a high-use jail would seem to be the real question. More and more prisoners who might once be shipped to the state penitentiary are now being confined to jails for more extended periods of time than ever before. Thus, to accommodate this problem, a high-use jail that has many of the monitoring and rehabilitative capacities of a prison system would be more useful to the community.
The purpose and function of a high-use jail low-use jail is designed for shorter-term inmates, while a high-use jail is designed to accommodate not simply more inmates, but a wider variety of inmates for longer durations of time. It has the ability to deal with more violent offenders, but also has more…...
mlaWorks Cited
What is the difference between jail and prison?" (2006). Public Health and Criminal
Justice. Operated by the CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Page last reviewed 18 Oct 2006. Retrieved 9 Mar 2007 at http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/cccwg/difference.htm
Prison Punishment
Should Prison be Punitive or Rehabilitation in Nature?
A question that has existed since the beginnings of the modern prison system has been that of whether prison should be an unbearable punishment for an action committed, or rehabilitation for the accused to rid them of a particular behavior. In ancient times, a violent crime was usually responded with a violent verdict, resulting in torture and pain, and the concept of 'an eye for an eye' that led human law for thousands of years. Recently, however, civilization has rejected the outward torture of prisoners, and has tried to implement a system based on fairness, both during the trial and during the punishment. hile prisoners may not feel like their jail time is fair, modern civilization has elected judges to make these decisions for society. There is still the question, however, of what in today's world is the goal of prison, to…...
mlaWork Cited
Larrabee, A., (2006). Punishment vs. Rehabilitation in the Criminal Justice System. Retrived from, http://voices.yahoo.com/punishment-vs.-rehabilitation-criminal-justice-119962.html .
Multiple authors. (2010). Should Criminal Justice Focus More on Rehabilitation or Punishment. IDebate. Retrieved from http://idebate.org/debatabase/debates/law-crime/house-believes-criminal-justice-should-focus-more-rehabilitation.
Peak, K., (2012). Justice Administration: Police, Courts and Corrections Management (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson: Prentice Hall.
Turner, A., (2012). Work Programs for Texas Inmates Go High Tech. Chron. Retrieved from, http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Prison-factories-train-inmates-and-save-the-state-3450137.php .
AIZONA'S COECTIONAL HEALTHCAE SYSTEM
Prison Healthcare
Arizona's Correctional Healthcare System
The Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) is the agency ultimately responsible for providing healthcare to the state's prison population. Even though the Healthcare Services division within the ADC manages the medical clinics in Arizona's prisons, there are a number of sections and divisions that have important roles to play in ensuring inmates receive the care they are legally entitled to recieve. This essay describes the structural organization that ultimately provides healthcare to inmates and how it operates to ensure statutory compliance.
Arizona's Correctional Healthcare System
Arizona Department of Corrections Organizational Structure
The Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) is ultimately responsible for providing healthcare for the prison inmate population in the state of Arizona (ADC, 2011). This state agency is responsible for maintaining and administering all ADC institutions and programs, including community supervision for adult inmates released to their communities. The ADC is also responsible for developing…...
mlaReferences
America Civil Liberties Union. (2009). Know your rights: Medical, dental, and mental health care. ACLU.org. Retrieved 15 Dec. 2011 from http://www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights/know-your-rights-medical-dental-and-mental-health-care
Arizona Department of Corrections. (2011). AZCorrections.gov. Retrieved 15 Dec. 2011 from http://www.azcorrections.gov/
Arizona Department of Corrections. (2011). Medical Services. AZCorrections.gov. Retrieved 15 Dec. 2011 from
Federal Bureau of Prisons
While most people seem to agree that prisoners should have access to basic healthcare while incarcerated, there is tremendous variation about what type of healthcare constitutes basic care. The reality is that many prison inmates receive a better quality of healthcare than non-incarcerated working-class individuals, but many inmates also suffer consequences because of significant medical neglect. For the federal prison system, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is the agency given broad oversight over healthcare in prison. In fact, the BOP is in charge of all aspects of inmate care for all inmates in the federal prison system.
The BOP is part of the Department of Justice (DOJ). It was established in 1930 to regulate the federal prison system. The BOP's job is not limited to healthcare. Instead, it has responsibility for the entire federal prison system, which "currently includes 114 prisons, 6 regional offices, 2 staff…...
mlaReferences
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General Audit Division. (2008). The
Federal Bureau of Prison's Efforts to Manage Inmate Health Care. Retrieved April 29,
2013 from the Justice.gov website: http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/BOP/a0808/final.pdf
Wallechinsky, D. (2012). Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved May 1, 2013 from Allgov.com website: http://www.allgov.com/departments/department-of-justice/federal-bureau-of-prisons-bop?agencyid=7204
Prison Inmates Should Be Paroled Early to Help Control the State's Budget Problems
This paper argues that inmates at State prisons should be having premature releases from prisons so that the States can manage their budget problems. As the paper illustrates, despite criticisms on parole that it introduces unreformed culprits back in the society and that the program is unorganized, parole is a major contributor in reducing prison populations, which directly translates to reduced State expenditures (Licari, 2009). All the implementation of parole releases has either direct or indirect economic effect to the States as well as the prisoner and society as a whole. eformed individuals are able to earn their income thus independent of the government (Sons, n.d.). In addition, as there is professional structure of parole, they lead to faster reforming and procedures that reduce caseloads enabling parole officers to spend more time with the high-risk individuals (National…...
mlaReferences
Clear, T.R., Cole, G.F., & Reisig, M. (2008). American Corrections, (8th ed.). Connecticut, U.S.:
Cengage Learning.
Corley, C. (2009, December 13). States release inmates early to cut prison costs. Npr.org.
Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121338571
1. The Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury on Cognitive Functioning
2. Advances in Understanding and Treating Traumatic Brain Injury
3. The Impact of Traumatic Brain Injury on Psychological Well-being
4. Rehabilitation Options and Strategies for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury
5. The Role of Family and Social Support in Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury
6. Traumatic Brain Injury in Athletes: Risk Factors, Prevention, and Management
7. Traumatic Brain Injury and its Effects on Relationships and Social Interactions
8. Traumatic Brain Injury in the Military: Challenges and Innovations in Treatment
9. Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Unique Considerations in Diagnosis and Management
10. Traumatic Brain Injury and Substance Abuse: Implications....
The Need to Abolish Solitary Confinement in Canada
Solitary confinement, a form of isolation where an individual is confined to a small cell for 22-24 hours a day with minimal human contact, is a cruel, inhumane, and ineffective practice that has been condemned by numerous human rights organizations and mental health experts. In Canada, the use of solitary confinement has disproportionately impacted Indigenous Peoples, who make up over 30% of the federal prison population despite representing only 4.9% of the Canadian population.
Psychological and Physical Harm
Solitary confinement has severe detrimental effects on physical and mental health. Prolonged isolation can lead to psychological....
Essay Topic Ideas Related to Marijuana Legalization
1. Public Health Implications of Marijuana Legalization
Examine the impact of marijuana legalization on substance abuse patterns, addiction rates, and public health outcomes.
Analyze the potential risks and benefits of marijuana use for mental and physical health, including long-term consequences.
Discuss strategies for mitigating the negative public health impacts of marijuana legalization.
2. Economic and Financial Considerations of Marijuana Legalization
Analyze the economic benefits of marijuana legalization, including job creation, tax revenue, and tourism.
Evaluate the costs associated with marijuana legalization, such as law enforcement costs, public education, and treatment programs.
Discuss the potential impact....
1. The impact of probation on recidivism rates: Does probation effectively reduce the likelihood of offenders committing future crimes?
2. The effectiveness of probation programs in promoting rehabilitation and reintegration into society for offenders.
3. Challenges and opportunities in probation supervision: How can probation officers effectively monitor and support individuals on probation?
4. The role of evidence-based practices in probation: How can research be used to improve the outcomes of probation programs?
5. The future of probation: What innovations and advancements are being made in the field of probation supervision and how will they shape the future of criminal justice?
6. The intersection of probation....
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