Crj 303 - Overcrowding Prison

Overcrowding Prison

Rosalind Rogers

CRJ 303

June 15, 2012

Within thirty years the American prisons have tripled in number of people that are incarcerated. We are very much aware of the economic crisis that our country faces and the issue of what a lot of people may not really recognize it. "The population is up nearly 700 percent; from approximately 25,000 inmates and 41 institutions in 1980 to 193,616 inmates and 114 institutions as of January 11, 2006 (the estimate for FY 2008 is 202,584 inmates and 115 institutions)" (Lofthus, 2008).

The correctional facilities are over their limits and it can put a burden on the welfare of the people that are in these facilities. For an example California prison is very much overcrowded by 16,000 inmates at least, which they have just recently let go over 8,000 inmates last year. "The state's prisons house 173,000 inmates -- far ahead of Texas, which has the next largest state prison system with 152,500 inmates -- and has an $8 billion budget" (The New York Times, 2007). When you have society just putting people in prison doesn't really mean it will lower the crime rate but it will only just increase the prison population. Prison now have smaller cell and they housed three inmates to one cell and some prison don't even use their inside gymnasium. They use the gym for housing inmates or they tear it down to build more cell blocks. With all of this going on it can cause health risk being crowded in a cell which make the government spend more money to doctor these inmates which come from the tax payers. Not only does it affects the inmates it also affect the guards who is with these inmates on a daily bases that can get sick as well.

When you are dealing with overcrowded prison setting you have the people trying to socialize with people they really don't know and this is how they live under close dwelling with no privacy or seclusion. With this it can cause tension and frustration not to mention anger within the population of the inmates. With all of this going on it can lead up to conflicts, widespread prison rape, and violence this is a concern that can not be taken for granted or overlooked.

"From 1984 to 2000 jails in the United States operated with inmate populations that were at or above 90% of their overall rated capacity. California's prisoner population expanded eight-fold from roughly 20,000 in the early 1970s to its current population of approximately 160,000 prisoners." (Haney, 2008). With this information that is becoming a very serious issue that is becoming fast in rate. Meaning the welfare of guard and inmates is at a higher risks and the population of prisoner is at a rise having the facilities being understaffed. This is having one guard to several inmates and this is giving the inmates an easier way to cause harm or even escape.

These type of correctional facilities are in a serious and risky move that is going to reclassifying inmates and transferring them to other prisons, "meaning that inmates classified as a medium risk gets reclassified to a low risk and likewise so that other correctional facilities will accept them" (Velie, 2009). With correctional facilities like that they will need to maintain harsh policies and an extremely strict control over their prisons. With out control over a large population there will be chaos and it can spiral out of control.

"A 2006 report from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that reported inmate-on-staff assaults increased 6 percent over the prior fiscal year" (The U.S. Department of