In: Social Issues
...Privatization of Prisons Introduction I am writing this memo in response to a request to analyze the benefits and disadvantages of privatized prison systems. With the present economic environment, it is important to explore all options that could reduce the state’s deficit. This research project will explore the cost benefits to the privatization of California’s prison system, in comparison to other cost saving options. It will use statistics from other states that use private prison systems, as well as federal detention facilities that are privately managed. The purpose of this analysis is to reduce spending as a whole, and to not place a financial burden on local governments. It is also important to note that prison sentences are not only a form of punishment, but also a deterrent for future criminal activity. It does not serve its purpose in its entirety when sentences are reduced due to budget inefficiencies. Findings The fiscal year, 2011-2012, has a $10,017,591,000 budget for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This budget includes all adult corrections and rehabilitation operations, juvenile operations, parole operations, inmate health care, administration, and education and vocations programs (CDCR). It remains to be a difficult comparison between private enterprise and government entities due to the difference in accounting practices. Public agencies do not always include all expenses incurred at the specific agency level...
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...“[c]ounties that made fewer drug arrests, and concentrated their enforcement efforts on felony manufacture or sale rather than simple drug-possession offences were significantly more likely to experience declines in violent crime.... Counties that rarely imprisoned low-level drug offences showed the largest reduction in violent and property crime” (pp. 10–11). Minor drug arrests appear to have “no relationship to, and no impact on, either crime or drug abuse” (p. 14). Notably, Californians voted by a 61%–39% margin in 2000 to require drug treatment instead of jail for those arrested for drug possession or use. Indeed, it would appear that they have learned that they are not getting “value for money” from the billions of dollars being spent to imprison small drug-users. In fact, California voters were not alone in demanding reform of harsh drug laws: there were drug policy issues on ballots in seven states in the recent election, and in five of them, harsh drug laws were voted out. Combined with the long-term drop in crime (especially violent crime) that has taken place over the past ten to fifteen years, as well as the budget crises at the state level, this gradual recognition in the US of the enormous costs of harsh sentences, with little criminal justice benefits, has — in fact — led to a decline in support for prisons as a one-(jumbo)-size-fits-all solution. As King and Mauer (2002) noted already in 2002, this decline in the attractiveness of prisons as political institutions...
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...committed a serious crime, prison may be a revelation, but for our youth that commit such crimes, the results could be daunting, even detrimental to the development of the youth. In most instances, the youth does not even realize the consequences to their actions. The juvenile justice system began with the concept parens patriae, meaning when a parent is no longer fit to provide for the welfare of a child, the state must step in and embody that role and provide protection for the wayward or troubled child” (St. Mary’s Law Journal, 2013). The juvenile justice system’s core concept is rehabilitation or change of our youth to the right path. The goal of punishment is not one of revenge, but prevention that the crime will not happen again. Putting our youth in adult prisons, making them face the penalties of such crimes, but if we do this, are we just giving up on our youth, believing that they cannot be rehabilitated? We, the people, need protection for the child that does not know better than to join a gang, the troubled child that comes from a broken home, where both parents are absent or abusive. The people of this community need to make a change for these children so that they will have an opportunity to live a morally healthy life instead of a life of crime. Many questions come up with regard to prosecuting those juveniles that have committed a serious crime and how to rehabilitate or punish our youth, juvenile gangs and different rehabilitation programs are the best...
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...The number of offenders reentering society from prison and jail is steadily increasing yearly. States are diligently working to identify methods to help offenders successfully reintegrate into society. Some initiatives available in Harris County, TX include prison education programs, life and job skills training and counseling services. This paper focuses on the educational opportunities available for offenders in Harris County, TX. The education opportunities are structured to assist offenders with incarceration related factors and attempts to help offenders with successful reintegration with family, the community and society as a whole. I will discuss several educational initiatives available to offenders and how these initiatives correlate to our text. Harris County, TX . On March 12, 2004 the CEA unanimously voted to grant accreditation to Harris County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Education Program. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office became the first county jail in the U.S. to receive the Correctional Education Association (CEA) accreditation for its Inmate Education Program (Albers, 2006:15). This recognition sets Harris County Sheriff’s Office to a high standard to be compared with. The educational facility is located on Crites Street in Harris County which opened in 2003. The Inmate Education Program began in 1973 as a way to offer qualified offenders an opportunity to obtain an education to prepare for life after prison or jail. Since its inception, the program created...
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...I am actually torn between both. Based on certain laws that are in place in regards to the insanity defense supports the decision to send her to a mental institution instead of the first decision that convicted her of murder and prison. Yes I believe that this is truly not a flaw but a legal alternative excuse that grants a degree of pardoning due to abnormal and uncontrollable behaviors. Yes and no. There are mitigating circumstances in some cases and living in the state of Texas there seems to be lively bandwagon that legislature seems to jump on every time some type of unsightly event occurs. I believe that Perry is more of a crime control governor and fails to see the importance of true rehabilitation especially in cases such as Andrea Yates. She works with people on a daily basis who truly have a problem that is uncontrollable and now feel that this reveals the how huge mental disability is and how it is linked to many crimes. I truly agree. If a person has impulsive or uncontrollable activities that is the same as locking up a drug addict with an addiction. These people need to be rehabilitated, not stuck in prison; help is needed. Yates is now in a mental hospital until a judge decides that she is stable enough to be released. He probably meant that the people of the jury got a bit personal in their decision and looked at the acts of Yates and its end result; her children were dead at the duty of her hands and felt she should be punished by the fullest extent...
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...The link between drug use and crime is not a new one. For more than twenty years, both the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Justice have funded many studies to try to better understand the connection. One such study was done in Baltimore on heroin users. This study found high rates of criminality among users during periods of active drug use, and much lower rates during periods of nonuse (Ball et al. 1983, pp.119-142). A large number of people who abuse drugs come into contact with the criminal justice system when they are sent to jail or to other correctional facilities. The criminal justice system is flooded with substance abusers. The need for expanding drug abuse treatment for this group of people was recognized in the Crime Act of 1994, which for the first time provided substantial resources for federal and state jurisdictions. In this paper, I will argue that using therapeutic communities in prisons will reduce the recidivism rates among people who have been released from prison. I am going to use the general theory of crime, which is based on self-control, to help rationalize using federal tax dollars to fund these therapeutic communities in prisons. I feel that if we teach these prisoners some self-control and alternative lifestyles that we can keep them from reentering the prisons once they get out. I am also going to describe some of today’s programs that have proven to be very effective. Gottfredson and Hirschi developed the general theory...
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...In order to study the past, present and future implications of the probation and parole system, I had to study the history of both. I will begin with the history of probation and then talk about the history of parole. I will also talk about how probation and parole work in the present and how and what will happen to both probation and parole in the future. Probation comes from the Latin verb probare which means to prove, to rest. Probation was first introduced to the United States in 1841 when a boot-maker by the name of John Augustus attended court to bail out a drunkard. This offender was released to the custody of Mr. Augustus making him the first true probation officer, the offender was told to return to court in three weeks time for sentencing. During the time the offender was in the custody of Mr. Augustus he cleaned up his appearance and demeanor. Mr. Augustus had the belief that abusers of alcohol could be rehabilitated through the use of understanding, kindness, and sustained moral suasion not convictions and jail sentences. His beliefs were based on his affiliation with the Washington Total Abstinence Society, they abstained from alcohol. Augustus was a volunteer probation officer for 18 years. He began the practice of evaluating the prospective probationers paying close attention to whether the candidate would prove to be a successful candidate for probation. Things that were considered in a successful candidate were the character, age, and influences...
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...reduction that allows an individual to come down from a mandatory minimum and be eligible for a sentence along the federal guidelines. This is only one of many suggestions that would help save taxpayers money, reduce the federal prison population, and result in fairer sentences for non-violent first time offenders. There are three main categories that can trigger a mandatory minimum. The most common penalty for mandatory minimums applies to drug trafficking. Under this statute the minimum must be met if there is a particular type of drug that exceeds a certain amount, a sale to someone under the age of 21, the employment of an individual under the age of 21, and/or occurring within 1,000 feet of a school zone. The second most common is a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence when there is possession or use of a firearm in connection with certain underlying offenses. The third and most frequently applied mandatory minimum is triggered by a defendant’s prior criminal history (18 U.S.C .924 (c)). There are two possible ways to avoid a mandatory minimum sentence; one is “substantial assistance” and two is the “safety valve”. These relief mechanisms bring defendants under the mandatory minimum and therefore are sentenced under the guidelines. Overcrowding of prisons in America is an ongoing problem that continues to...
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...The Economic Benefits of Addiction Treatment Versus Prison Economics 2302 CRN 11789: Chu Nguyen Fall 2013 Lisa Carpenter The Economic Benefits of Addiction Treatment Versus Prison In 2010, it was estimated that there were 22.6 million Americans that were addicted to illicit drugs. The economic effects of drug addiction are staggering. It affects everything from health care costs to prison costs, to unemployment and social costs. In the past, the solution to drug addiction was to lock up the drug addicts and dealers in prison, get them out of the eye of society and the problem will go away. The prisons became overcrowded and new prisons had to be built to accommodate them. In the 1990’s, states started to implement drug courts and began to address the problem of addiction. By treating the demand (the addiction), the supply, and all of the problems that go along with it will ultimately be greatly reduced. A woman, whom I will call Sarah, became addicted to the pain killer, Vicodin when she had her wisdom teeth out. For years, in order to feed her addiction, Sarah would go from doctor to doctor requesting the medication. Eventually, the addiction became so out of control that she needed more pills than the doctors were willing to prescribe her. At this point, if she just stopped taking the medication she would go into physical withdrawals similar to heroin. To get the quantity of medication she needed on a daily basis, she started calling in to the pharmacy...
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...formed a new gang by name Mara Salvatrucha, popularly known as MS-13. “Las-Mara” is a notorious street gang that engages in violent crimes in El Salvador. Salvatruchas, refers to the members of the political entity, styled Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front. This is a group of Peasants from Salvador, trained in guerilla warfare. The number 13 refers to the California prison gang, the Mexican Mafia. A youth facing the unemployment problem, not getting support from the government and the society, when he is constantly nagged, abused, condemned and ostracized by the society, turns into a viler and bitter individual. With no authority to show heartfelt care and concern, and an understanding approach to the problems of teeming millions of refugees, the frustrated immigrant youth formed a new gang and began to engage in violent criminal acts. The founding members of the gang were guerilla warfare experts. The training and sophistication they provided to the new recruits was more advanced as compared to their rivals. The new gang topped the list of gangs that have been engaging in violent criminal activities of all sorts. The initiation procedures into the gang are...
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...Disposition Comparison of Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems 8. Compare and contrast the juvenile and criminal justice systems. 3 4 PART ONE Juvenile Justice and Delinquency in the United States Origins of the Juvenile Justice System Before the establishment of the juvenile justice system, courts and judges treated juveniles as adults and, in many instances, juvenile offenders received the same punishment as adults. There was only one system of justice in the United States, and all offenders were processed through it without regard to age. Under common law doctrine, the legal system the American colonists brought from England, a juvenile age seven or older could receive the same punishment as an adult. Juveniles were housed in prisons with adults and sometimes received the death penalty; however, evidence shows that the most severe punishments were rarely given to juveniles.1 The establishment of separate institutions to confine juvenile offenders separately from adults occurred in the early 1800s. In 1899, the first juvenile court was founded in Cook County, Illinois....
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...Capital Punishment In the United States there have been many controversies and disputes of issues ranging from abortion, gun control, health care and immigration. But possibly, capital punishment is the most widely discussed issues because of the range of questions that arise stemming from legal, philosophical, social, practical, political and moral aspects. Capital punishment is defined as the legal infliction of the death penalty on persons convicted of a crime. It is a form of retributive justice that some feel is justified when proportionate to the crime committed. In the United States capital punishment is not intended to inflict and physical pain or torture but rather just used as another form of punishment. Many civilizations such as the ancient Romans and Egyptians used capital punishment to punish citizens form crimes such as blasphemy, treason, theft and murder. They believed in the “eye for an eye” doctrine. These ancient civilizations would perform capital punishment in the forms of stoning, burning, garroting, beheading, decapitation and crucifixion. Unlike how capital punishment is used today these methods were used to humiliate and inflict pain; they would be considered as cruel, barbaric and unusual punishment. Most deaths resulting from capital punishment in ancient civilizations were very slow instead of immediate. Two of the most popular cases of ancient capital punishment are that of Socrates and Jesus Christ. Great Britain originally brought the death...
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... SUBJECT: Employment Law Compliance Plan In regards to your request, I am in charge of formulating an employment law compliance plan for Bradley Stonefield. My understanding is that Mr. Stonefield is opening a Limousine company in Austin, Texas and his goal is to have 20 to 25 employees within the first year of operation. The employment compliance plan is being created to ensure the success of this particular business. There are certain employment laws that are important to Mr. Stonefield’s Limousine business and will execute it away from penalties. Every business should always comply with the employment laws in order to not get penalized with high unaffordable fines. Some of these are laws are specifically applied to businesses in Texas, and other laws are Federal which means that they are applied to any business located in the United States. The federal laws are known as The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and The Occupational Safety and Health Act. The most important law established in Texas is known as The Texas Minimum Wage Act in 1993. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was passed by Congress in 1990 (ADA), is the nation's first complete civil rights law that delivers the needs of people with disabilities; prohibits unfairness in employment,...
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...legal cases prosecuted by the court of law soared, the amount of individuals in jails, prisons, and undergoing probation or prison release observation escalated dramatically, and spending by branches of government surrounding criminal justice organizations increased. It was also during this time that the Federal Governments position in the Nations attempts to combat crime was additionally restructured. Agency policies There were more than 14,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States in 2008, employing more than 700,000 officers. Intrinsically, policies are different between law enforcement agencies; and are centered on the agencies history and problems they have encountered. Law Enforcement policies, budget and technology evolves as society around it evolves. In 1987, the Association of Chief of Police joined alliance with the U.S. Justice Department to establish a nationwide policy. The Chiefs of Police commission was founded to aid agencies throughout the country enforce the same set of laws. According to Matz, and Kim, (2013), the result of the partnerships between agencies resulted in created an alert system called “America’s Missing Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER)” and Homeland Security Act. AMBER alert system was enacted with the assistance of law enforcement agencies, business’s, and citizens, in response to the kidnap and murder of Amber Hagerman from Arlington, Texas to safely recover an abducted child. According to Cohen, (2012), the AMBER alert...
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...THE EMPLOYER AND THE EX-OFFENDER: THE DISCRIMINATORY EFFECTS OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………… 3 II. OFFENDER AND EX OFFENDER HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES………….. 5 A. LEGAL HISTORY OF EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST EX OFFENDERS ……… 5 B. THE NUMBER OF EX OFFENDERS IS RAPIDLY INCREASING .............................................................................8 C. IMPACT OF CONVICTION ON EMPLOYABILITY OF EX OFFENDERS ................................................................. 10 III. CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS AID IN THE DISPROPORTIONATE EXCLUSION OF MINORITIES ………………………………………………………………………………… 13 A. EMPLOYERS ARE PREJUDICED UPON FINDING CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS .................................................. 13 B. BLACKS AND LATINOS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE WORK FORCE DUE TO STIGMAS OF MINORITY STATUS AND CRIMINAL RECORD ....................................................................................................................... 15 IV. HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY TURNS ON EMPLOYER HIRING PRACTICES INFLUENCED BY CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 A. THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION ATTEMPTS TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED GUIDANCE ON CONDUCTING CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS AND SUBSEQUENT HIRING PRACTICES ..................................................................................................................... 18 B. NOTABLE LEGAL ACTION STEMMING...
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