Overcrowding in American Jails and Prisons: An Overview of the Issue and Possible Solutions Essay

The bother of everyplacecrowding in American jails and prison house house houses is non unheard of. It is frequently discussed amongst politicians and American citizens alike. This is a controversial issue considering the gargantuan list of different opinions some(prenominal) a(prenominal) sight have. Though the issue is certainly acknowledged, it is exalted that a feasible firmness of purpose is discussed. match to Vincent Tompkins, sensation of the many editors in American Decades, most Americans chose to non dwell on the growing offense problem during the 1950s.This was b be through the increase in prison population, which, by the end of the decade, was 22,492 men and women in federal penitentiaries, and 185,021 in bring up facilities. Tompkins and the eternal rest of the editors comp be the measuring of prisoners to the size of a city like Tulsa, Oklahoma to present the issue during the 1950s into perspective. However, the amount of prisoners were not the tho problem the prison organisation was confront with. In 1952 alone, there were twenty riots in various federal and show penitentiaries (Tompkins 242). David S.Clark, the editor of the Encyclopedia of Law and decree American and Global Perspectives, describes overcrowded prisons as, a profane of United Nations and opposite international standards that collect that states treat prisoners with respect to their inherent dignity. Clark calls tutel age to what follows overcrowding, including restricted living space, brusk conditions of hygiene, poor sanitation arrangements, less cartridge clip addressable for outdoor activities, etc. He claims the contri bargonlye of these conditions ar an increase in violence, including self-annihilation and self-injury (Clark 1177).According to constitute Justice Initiative, an formation that works toward ending mass incarce ration, the U. S. incarcerates more(prenominal) of their citizens in comparison to any other country in the worl d. Jail and prison populations have increased from 200,000 to 2. 3 one thousand thousand in the past 40 long time. This not only lead to unprecedented prison overcrowding, just now also put a huge strain on state budgets. For instance, atomic number 13s prisons were built with the conception of holding up to 14,000 prisoners, but rather hold double the amount28,000. atomic number 13 is one of many states who are faced with the crisis of overcrowding. The inmate to correctional officer ratio in Alabama is the highest in the country, which only illustrates how serious of an issue overcrowding is. Many Alabama prisoners are on waiting lists for solitary(a) confinement. Due to unsafe prison conditions, Equal Justice Initiative reports a turn off in lawsuits where courts have described overcrowding in both state and local facilities as barbaric. The conditions of some of these Alabamian prisons are extreme.Some prisoners are forced to sleep on cover floors where the, sardine-can appearance of cell units more well resemble the holding units of slave ships during the affectionateness Passage of the eighteenth century than anything in the twenty-first century. Considering these unbelievable facts about prison conditions, the questions remains how would one resolve the issue of overcrowding? Probably the most universally hold upon estimation is to incarcerate few dose offenders. Saki Knafo reports in the Huffington Post that 219,000 inmates in federal prison, which, in comparison to the 25,000 in 1980, is a dramatic increase.Knafo writes that half of those prisoners are medicate offenders, and that if 20 percent fewer (non-violent) drug offenders were imprisoned, the federal government would spare $1. 29 billion, and prisons would save 125,000 bed yearsor a years worth of prison time for one person. Among similar lines, another possible solution would be to flash back the incarceration time drug offenders face. If given the opportunity to reduce one ye ar off their prison time by participating in a drug rehabilitation course of instruction, Knafo reports the savings to be 880 bed years, and $9.1 million for the U. S. economy. This is supposedly in effect, though due to overcrowding, many prisoners awaiting their opportunity have less than a year of incarceration time when they are offered a place in the program. Expanding this program would not only provide prisoners with a more successful programwhich would oppose many sacqued convicts from repeating similar drug related crimes that caused their internment initiallybut would also create a number of jobs, which, statistically, would reduce crime rates.Another idea that could capablenessly reduce the overcrowding in prisons is to release some elderly prisoners from custody. Knafo claims that after the age of 55, released prisoners are highly unlikely to set new crimes, according to many studies. scorn the lack of a threat those over the age of 55 are, 17,400 federal prisone rs are older than 55. It is evident that there are numerous ways to lessen the amount of incarcerated prisoners, while still ensuring the safety of others on the street. Claiming the United States has an addiction to imprisonment when it comes to preventing crime is certainly arguable.Though many of these potential solutions can be considered controversial, it is difficult to recall that things could be done to lessen the overcrowding in prisons and jails. Some might say the U. S. overlooks many alternatives to incarceration. Though arguable, considering the facts and statistics, it certainly could be secure for the U. S. to broaden their punishment and rehabilitation methods when it comes to non-violent crimes. Considering alternatives to imprisonment could not only be profitable, but also advantageous.