...Running Head: OVERCROWDING OF PRISONS 1 Overcrowding of Prisons Don Bailey SOC 305 Crime & Society Ekaterina Gorislavsky 25 May, 2015 - 1 - [no notes on this page] Running Head: OVERCROWDING OF PRISONS 2 Abstract The correctional institutions are established to correct the behaviors by law breakers. Society believes that once an individual comes out of the correctional facility, he is a reformed person. In addition, these facilities are always expected to warn the law abiding citizens to deter them from committing a crime for fear of being in the correctional cells. However, the population in the correction facilities especially prisons is contrary to this expectation. Over time, there is increased number of offenders. This comprises of the new offenders and the repeat offenders. This causes overcrowding in the correctional facilities which is a challenge to the society. The focus of this problem is the social effect of overcrowding to the judicial system and ways of addressing the challenge. Overcrowding in correctional institutions Crime is punishable for three reasons namely retribution, prevention and deterrence. The main purpose of incarcerating offenders is to stop them from repeating previous crimes they committed. Appraising the current American system using these standards, the deterrence category has failed miserably, insufficient in prevention and providing unsatisfactory retribution through detention. Attempts to deter released criminals...
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...intervention strategies work and which have little to no repeated success. By analyzing these treatment strategies as they have been portrayed in academic literature and through the primary research that has been completed, a summary analysis of what plans work when dealing with juvenile offenders will be devised and put forth as the best option for treatment. The first aspect to analyze when dealing with implementing a new strategy for juvenile offender reformation and treatment plans is the idea of quality of the plan versus quantity of sessions required with all individuals in correctional institutions across the United States. In the past two decades, the numbers of individuals within the correctional systems across the United States has skyrocketed. In 2004, the jump in population caused the total population to reach “a new high in this country with almost 6.9 million offenders under correctional control” (Lowenkamp, Latessa, & Smith. 575). While this represented only a 2% increase in numbers within the system, that same 2% equates to over 125,000 new people which met a 50% increase the in cap of the population in corrections since 1990. A 50% increase in less...
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...penitentiaries was in 1835. Since then, there has been a steady reorganization and expansion of inmate industries within Canadian federal corrections. The CORCAN Corporation was created in 1980 to serve as the production and marketing arm of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). Currently, CORCAN programs operate in over half of the federal correctional facilities across Canada, employing 4000 offenders throughout the year (CSC, 2001). CORCAN currently operates five main business lines: Agribusiness, Construction, Manufacturing, Services and Textiles. Each business line is responsible for providing services or products that range from agriculture commodities to computer data entry and data base creation services. In 1992, CORCAN was granted the title of Special Operating Agency (SOA), which provides certain organizations with the opportunity to become more productive, efficient and competitive. The move to SOA status does not represent the privatization of CORCAN, but does allow CORCAN greater control over the creation of various work programs and the revenue these programs generate. The CORCAN work program at Warkworth institution currently employs 70 inmates and 12 correctional staff, and is the most profitable of all federal correctional industries in Canada. The program manufactures a variety of components for office furniture. Production facilities include a cabinet shop, paint shop, sheet metal shop, welding shop and an...
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...states that jails are places used for holding people in lawful custody; nevertheless, one can argue that jails are institutions of confinement for individuals serving short-term sentences and awaiting trial. During the rule of the Roman Empire and Egyptians, jails were used as method of punishing for lawbreakers, debtors, and a facility to housed slaves. Throughout history, jails have served as facilities where the laws of the land are enforced. These institutions are an important factor within the justice system, which allows criminal justice procedures to take effect. These institutions house suspects in order for law enforcement officers (LEOS) to conduct their investigation to bring the guilty to justice (Princeton, 2010). Jails can be traced back to ancient civilizations; these houses of justice form the fundamental iron cloth of the law that ensures laws and discipline of the nation are adhered. The correctional system of today's generation have conformed and improved the jail system, these facilities are now humane in comparison to old civilizations. Offenders of modern society still initiate the first phase of his or her restitution, rehabilitations, and reformation behind these walls. Enslavements have been replaced with prison labor; furthermore, these theological methods help inmates to repay society while earning a stipend in jail. The correctional system of some regions still practices the old jail concepts of inflicting pain by torturing individuals in lock up...
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...A Historical Overview of Inmate Labor in Pennsylvania: The Pioneer in United States Prison Labor http://www.pci.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/history_of_pci/17812 The evolution of American prison labor is rooted in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania penal system, originating in 1682 under the leadership of William Penn, was the first state prison system to suggest the replacement of torture and mutilation as punishment for crimes with hard labor in houses of correction. Penn's intentions were not systematically executed when his penal code of 1682 was repealed. As a result, labor in penal institutions was practically non-existent in Pennsylvania during the Colonial Period. However, Penn's efforts were not futile as the penal code outlined in 1682 left a mark on the laws of Pennsylvania, and the evolution of prison labor across the nation. In 1773, the Walnut Street Jail was constructed in Philadelphia. During the early years of the Walnut Street Jail, Penn's order to establish workhouses was revived. The constitution of 1776 directed the enactment of laws establishing houses of correction for "punishing by hard labor, those who shall be convicted of crimes not capital." Legal force was added to the provision of the constitution by the law of 1786, which ordered the punishment of prisoners by "continued hard labor, publicly and disgracefully imposed." This act provided that prisoners were to be employed in workhouses and in the repairing and cleaning...
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...Problems in The Correctional Institutions People at some point will pass through the correctional institution or know someone that has. More than millions are incarcerated in federal prison, state prisons and county jail. Many people are rearrested while on parole or probation. On top of all this, correctional facilities have many problems like undereducated inmate, prison overcrowding, rehabilitation, too cushy prison conditions, and the need for longer sentences. Undereducated The fact is that, if parolees are released with the skills needed to obtain and keep a job, they will find themselves back in the same place where they just left, jail. Finding meaning jobs, getting GED's and post secondary education and a strand support factor is need to keep them on the streets. Many inmates are undereducated with low reading, writing and communication skills. Those who participate in correctional educational programs have a better chance of staying in the community and finding a job or career. Comparing now to ten years ago, prisons were just meant for punishing. Now, correctional facilities are opening more options to inmate to rehabilitate. GED classes, law books, parenting classes, anger management are more available. More programs are designed more to the inmates needs than academic. For example, many have mental and substance abuse needs. With the right education, inmates and correctional are looking for ways to eliminate these problems before a person is re-entered into...
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...I am the Lead Supervisor of Correctional Officers I and II by making general inspections to see that rules and regulations are being served, and that institutional programs are being carried out in a satisfactory manner. I was selected through my ability to research and interpret policies, procedures and regulatory guidance for the application of the "Big Picture". This coupled with my knowledge of management programs, training, and ability to identify and resolve problems I accomplish the following: Oversee sub-units in the facility performing work in specific areas, such as: compliance monitoring, security, commissary, living units, etc. I am the responsible Officer for the operation of the institution on a particular shift when administrative...
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... Change occurs everyday in personal lives and in businesses, like the time of day changing or the way task are completed are not exactly done the same each time. In a business or organization it is important for the staff to understand the need for the change. Understanding the need for the change is not just for the betterment of the organization but also for the employee to understand the importance of their role in change for the business or organization. Providing better access and resources to health care in Maryland State Correctional Institutions has become a major focus for management. There is a huge lack of services and resources especially in the pretrial division of Maryland State Correctional Institutions. The concern is not just inmate or patient satisfaction but a concern for the safety and health of those responsible for detaining these inmates. This paper will examine the need in Maryland State Correctional Institutions for a change in inmate access to healthcare and healthcare resources especially in the pretrial division. It will also identify factors that will influence changing inmate access to healthcare and summarize those factors that can prepare the organization to this change. A theoretical model that is relative to changing inmate access to healthcare and resources will be identified as well as internal and external resources to assist the change will be explained. Need for changing inmate access to health care in a Pretrial division ...
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...Correction Trends Evaluation Paper Angela Rosado CJA/394 Contemporary Issues and Future in Criminal Justice September 19, 2011 Christopher Manning Paper Correction Trends Evaluation The question at hand today is where and how is our correction system going to be in the future? But to understand and know how the future of our corrections will be, we must first understand the past and the present trends of corrections. In this paper I will discuss the past, present and future trends of corrections, I will analyze current and future issues facing prisons and prison administrators as well as the role/issues of alternate correction systems as a developing trend. Past Corrections In today’s society the jails and prison pretty much function in the same ways. The history of the State prisons began at the Walnut Street Jail in 1790, it was called the first American penitentiary located in Philadelphia, and the building had been operated as a city jail. Some of the same functions and principles were used in England, also these functions were used in the United States as early as the eighteenth century, in England during that time did very little when it came down to punishment. There was very little difference between the two correction systems in the United States, the punishment was significant, but it was very noticeable that the American’s corrections’ system difference in punishment, for example: the use of capital punishment. Therefore, when it came down to the death...
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...Through still growing regularity, the federal government has been contracting out functions and responsibilities previously performed entirely by the government. This tendency has swept in the criminal justice organization; correctional institutions, once operated completely by federal, state, and local governments, more and more are under the power of private companies. As a effect, a huge minority of prisoners at this time are housed at these privately run institutions. Of the 1.57 million prisoners under arrest in state and federal prisons as of 2012, 137,220 were housed at private correctional the percentage of the U.S. prison population housed in private institutions increased from 8.2 percent in 2011, to 8.7 percent in 2012. Public prisons are government run institutions and, as such, are area under discussion to the laws of the control in which they are placed. In this organization, problems in such prisons can be addressed by the responsible governmental unit. Data reports pertaining to federal correctional institutions are maintained by the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) that handles immigration detentions. Both agencies are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), which provides the public with a method to access these records. State and local government run prisons as well generate records...
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...Correctional Officers’ Experiences Summary William Bleser Alex Lee Ruby Osorio Amy Crivolio CJA/234 Saturday March 8, 2014 Anthony J. Perish Correctional Officers’ Experiences Summary A correctional officer has to keep security to a certain level in a certain prison or jail facility by stopping and preventing any disturbances such as assaults and escapes. Correctional officers must supervise the activities of inmates daily. They must make sure that the inmates do not break the rules and finish their assignments. Correctional officers supervisor expect them to perform their job correctly while interacting professionally to the inmates. The officers are expected to show no signs of weakness while performing their job duties. Correctional Officers play a very vital role in the criminal justice field. Their jobs are very dangerous when dealing with inmates that are in jail and prisons. ”The role they take in is very different from other law enforcement jobs within prions and jails.” (Seiter, 2011). The function of correctional officer is to help aid prisons by gaining power and control over regulations throughout the prisons and jails. They also are responsible for criminals who have committed a crime and been arrested, which now are awaiting trial. Correctional Officer functions are to enforce and keep order, supervise activities of inmates, aid in rehabilitation and counseling of offenders, search inmates for contraband items and report on inmates...
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...Prison Jails hold only about one-tenth of all offenders under correctional supervision, yet admit approximately four times as many offenders each year as all other correctional components combined. Jails are often misunderstood, as the general public regularly confuses prisons and jails. We have all heard someone say something like, “For that crime, I hope the criminal spends years in jail,” although jails are not used to hold sentenced offenders for long terms of confinement. (Seiter, R. 2011). Jails are the watershed of the correctional system. The U.S. jail is the oldest of the correctional components, initiated well before prisons, probation, parole, or halfway houses. Yet the jail still has a diverse and difficult mission and role. Few offenders won’t pass through a jail as they enter the correctional system. Jails hold a variety of offenders (those who have been arrested, have been detained pending trial, have been sentenced to short terms of confinement for minor crimes, are awaiting transfer to another facility, and are being held administratively for a criminal justice agency). (Seiter, R. 2011). They may hold offenders arrested for public drunkenness or for multiple murders. Some jail systems are larger than all but a few state prison systems, and some are extremely small (four or five beds). Jails face unique issues, such as dealing with unknown offenders, managing detoxification and medical problems, and serving the court with security and prisoner transportation...
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...Local Issue Local Issue The contents of this paper are to provide an example of a local issue in that is impacting the correctional system. The local issue that this paper will examine is the prison realignment changes that are impacting Solano County. The first portion of this paper will provide a brief background of the local issue. The rest of the paper will address how this local issue is impacting the correctional system. Background In early 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California realignment policy also known as AB 109 and 117, which is a solution to reduce overcrowding, costs, and recidivism in the prison system (Eberling, 2013). AB 109 and 117 focuses on keeping lower-level offenders and parole violators from being sent to the 33 prisons here in California. These policies were focused on reducing the number of lower-level prison inmates by 137 percent (Eberling, 2013). The prison have been over populated for far too long and the cost of cycling lower-level inmates through the prisons instead of probation or local jails is costly. In late 2012, voters approved proposition 30 which created a constitutional amendment that protected the funding for the realignment policy and ensures counties are given the funding to implement programs to assist with recidivism, safety programs, and other programs to assist low-level inmates with successful reentry into the community. Although this bill was signed by Governor Brown in the beginning of 2011 it was implemented...
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...and prison overcrowding Analysis In this essay, I will discuss the crowding effect the war on drugs has had on correctional organizations in the state of Virginia. I will also propose three workable solutions to the situation while substantiating my solutions with appropriate facts and figures. To understand and comprehend the natural of this essay I will define what this article means when we talk about the war on drugs. War on Drug – Is defined as a series of actions tending toward a prohibition of illegal drug trade. It is a campaign adopted by the U.S. Government along with the foreign military aid, and military intervention to both define and end the import, manufacture, sale, and use of illegal drugs (Definitions_Uslegal 2016). The war on drugs has been a virtual disappointment throughout the United States since it was adopted in 1971 by then President Ronald Reagan with his anti wife slogan "Just say No" campaign. Since the war on drugs have been introducing the only job that it has accomplished is the increase in our prison system. In the state of Virginia alone from 2002 to 2011 drug offense arrest rate increase from 346.1 to 455.0 which is an average of 31.5% increase (Bradford 2013). This incredible inclined can be contributed to a greater number of arrest for drug violations but what this is doing is costing Virginia taxpayer money. This problem doesn't only put a burden on Virginia taxpayer but it also overcrowds the Virginia department of corrections and local...
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...Correctional Officers Patricia Johnson CRJ 303 Prof. Lott April 18, 2012 Correctional Officers The life of a corrections officer is and can be very dangerous. Corrections officers have to deal with hundreds of inmates on a daily bases and ensure that each inmate is safe and secure while under their supervision. Being a corrections officer can also be very stressful and dangerous. They are not only concern with their safety, but the safety of other officers, visitors, and the inmates. This job is not for everyone only for the strong and strong minded. As with any job, corrections officers have to perform a post order, before getting started for the day. Their day consist of routine activities and constant communication with inmates and other staff members. Their shift will start first with them arriving and reading the log book, then dealing with inmates going to work, eating lunch, going to the recreation yard and them ending it by recording what happen throughout the day and turning over their keys to the next shift. Corrections officers play crucial roles in the functioning of correctional institutions. They create and maintain the social and security milieu within prisons and often have direct impact on the behavior of inmates through their daily contact with inmates. Studies showed, however, that the correctional work environment was fraught with stress. Many studies found that corrections officers experienced excessive stress, which manifested in physical illnesses...
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