As a result prisons have been filled beyond their max capacity by a majority of non-violent offenders. However, not only are these prisons faced with overcrowding, but they are also receiving mass budget cuts and less support from society. This has resulted in staff cuts, depletion of resources for staff, program cuts for inmates, and insufficient medical supplies and staff for treating these inmates. All the while these inmates are stuck in large room with other inmates with nothing but an arms length of air that separates them.
This has forced corrections officers to work in an even more dangerous and hostile environment. Prison staffs must endure working inside of the warehouse like facilities where inmates are being packed and housed like animals. “In the last formal report of the jail system conducted by the Bureau of Justice, the ratio of inmates per correction officer jumped from 2.9 to 4.3. The ratio of inmates per correction officer in state and Federal correctional facilities rose from 4.6 to 4.8” (Seabrook, 2005) . Inmates must face on a daily basis a very noisy cramped area where they share items, lockers, and bathrooms. Most of the time these inmates must rely on one another to watch over them while they sleep and use the restroom so that they are not physically attacked or killed. The environment in these facilities have played a large role in the mental and physical states of these inmates, and with the lack of medical care and resources are prisons are becoming a place where inmates are sent to die rather than to be rehabilitated; “The suicide rate in California's overcrowded prisons is nearly twice the national average, and one inmate dies every eight days from inadequate medical care” (Savage & Williams, 2010) . We have also seen an increase in the prison violence rate; State and Federal correctional facilities report a 27% increase in inmate-on-inmate assaults and a 32% rise in inmate-on-staff attacks. These stats correspond with the reports that our prison facilities are filled beyond their maximum capacity. It has been reported that the state prisons are operating between one and 16% above capacity and Federal prisons are operating around 31% above their capacity (Seabrook, 2005) .
With the mass incarcerations rates in the U.S. our prisons will continue to face this overcrowding issues that result in prison violence and only increase the budget deficits. Our corrections system really needs to be reconstructed and our intermediate sanction should really be utilized more often to help alleviate some of the overcrowding and cost that are associated with our “tough on sentencing” acts and philosophies. Over all, something needs to be done so that our prisoners can be facilitated properly and so that they can receive the proper rehabilitation they need to help prepare for reintegration with society.
Ifill, S. A. (2010, July 2). Incarceration Nation Gets a Reprieve. Retrieved November 23, 2011, from The Root : http://www.theroot.com/views/incarceration-nation-gets-reprieve
Savage, D. G., & Williams, C. J. (2010, November 29). California prison overcrowding case heads to Supreme Court. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from Los Angeles Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/29/nation/la-na-california-prisons-20101129
Seabrook, N. (2005, September). Prison violence on the rise. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education): http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2724_134/ai_n15380394/
Personally I believe that the 3 Strikes Law has assisted in the overcrowding of our state's prisons. Many of the offenders serving time have felony convictions for possession or selling of drugs. The percentage of offenders serving time for murders or rape charges are very low. The statistics you listed about the US having the most people in prison yet we have less than 5% of the world's population makes me think that we are either doing something completely wrong or other countries have a better idea at taking care of crimes and their offenders.
ReplyDeleteI have also debated this issue in one of my blogs. I think you have approached this topic very well. Prison overcrowding has definitely made it hard on corrections because prisons are now at a capacity that is unsafe. The economic crisis has also played a role, because now they had to layoff employees. Not only is this unsafe, but this will also create more problems such as an increase in violence and more money being spent on the prisoners to live in the facility. Also, all of the stats are very good for your discussion and shows the facts due to prison overcrowding.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by all of your stats that you listed in your blog. I knew that California prisons were over-crowded, but not that extreme. I think with this prison over-crowding, it does make it harder for the correctional officers and staff to do their job and be able to keep track of every single inmate.
ReplyDelete@ B.S.U... I think you are right that the 3 strikes law is damaging our system by placing a high number of drug offenders in the system. We are definitely doing something wrong when it comes to sentencing, I personally believe that we are not utilizing our intermediate sentencing for drug offenders and we should be.
ReplyDelete@ Kenny R....Economic crisis in our society has placed our corrections system in a hard spot. When we lay guards off and increase the prison population we are only making the prison environment more dangerous and spending way too much housing them.
@ Amber R....Yes the statistics are astounding,and the guards are having a hard time properly watching over inmates and their jobs have become increasingly dangerous.
Thank you for your comments!