Prison The Cost Of Punishment - 3442 Words

Is keeping inmates by the hundreds in prison cafeterias instead of cells becoming the norm? This is what a documentary, Life In Prison: The Cost of Punishment, asks. It explores the lives of incarcerated peoples in three California state prisons, portraying the dire consequences of prison overcrowding. As of 2013, the total prison population in the United States was 2,217,000. This is nearly five times the total of 1980, 503,586. The United States has the largest number of incarcerated people in the world, and more than the next two countries combined (China and Russia). Its rate of incarceration is 698 per each 100,000. The issue of overcrowding in jails and prisons has become a growing problem nationally since the early 2000’s. It relates to the policy areas of Corrections and the Criminal Justice system, two very complex subjects. The criminal justice system has two distinct parts: federal and state, which only exacerbates the difficulty of addressing prison overcrowding. H ere we will look at and try to understand the causes and effects of the overcrowding issue, as well as analyze what possible solutions are already out there. We will show that prison overcrowding is caused by ‘tough on crime’ policies as well as a shift in corrections models, combining many solutions, will allow this issue to be controlled. Before going into depth about the overcrowding issue, it is important to understand how the Criminal Justice and Corrections systems work. There are four definedShow MoreRelatedThe Merits and Pitfalls of Capital Punishment Today1482 Words   |  6 Pages Capital punishment is an age-old practice. It has been used in civilizations for millennia, and will continue to be used for millennia to come. Whether used for the right or wrong reasons, capital punishment is unmistakable in its various forms. From hangings, to firing squads, to lethal injections, capital punishment and the associated proceeding have evolved over time. There have been many arguments against capital punishment, many of which still hold true. As capital punishment has evolved overRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Not Be Abolished750 Words   |  3 PagesCapital Punishment Should Not be Abolished There are many reasons why the United States of America keeps capital punishment. These reasons include the deterrence theory, the idea of retribution, cost of prisons, and general safety of the public. First of all, I’m sure that you have heard of the deterrence theory. Deterrence is basically the fear of punishment; and even though it doesn’t prevent all crimes, the results are still undeniable. The deterrence theory is when criminals thinkRead MoreEssay on Criminal Rehabilitation in the United States Justice System1640 Words   |  7 PagesNationally, every 7 minutes, another person enters prison. And every 14 minutes, someone returns to the streets, beaten down and, more often than not, having suffered a great amount of violence during his or her incarceration. Professionals will tell you that incarceration really does very little to stop crime, but we go on spending billions of dollars in order to lock up more and more people. We have become the country with the highest incarceration rate in the industrialized world. (National CriminalRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is More Expensive Than Life Without Parole917 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishment has been around since the 18th century B.C., when the code of King Hammurabi of Babylon established death as the penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty cannot be seen as â€Å"cruel and unusual punishment† since it has been around for so long. Capital punishment is the more efficient economic resolution between the death penalty and life without parole because capital punishment is less expensive than life without parole. Abolitionists claim that capital punishment is moreRead MoreVictoria Crowley. Soc 153 Debate Essay. April 18, 2017.1599 Words   |  7 PagesVictoria Crowley SOC 153 Debate Essay April 18, 2017 Professor Rodriguez Capital Punishment in the U.S. Today For centuries capital punishment has been used to â€Å"punish† criminals for a severe enough crime that they committed. It dates back to hundreds of years ago and has been enacted in many different countries, some that still have it today. Death penalty/capital punishment is the punishment of death an offender receives after having a court hearing and being convicted of a crime (ProCon.org, 2008)Read MoreImagine Having A Criminal, Who Has Escaped From Multiple1663 Words   |  7 Pageshaving a criminal, who has escaped from multiple prisons; the system cannot contain him. He has been charged with multiple crimes, including murder. He is very powerful and has lots of money. What should happen to this extremely dangerous criminal when he is caught again? This is where capital punishment would come into play. Some people say the capital punishment should not be banned in any U. S. state and many people say capital punishment should be federally banned. However, both sides wouldRead MoreThe Failure Of The American Prison System1302 Words   |  6 PagesThe Failure of the American Prison System The subject of prison evokes fearful and violent images seen in movies or on television; outdated clichà ©s consisting of men eating stale bread and drinking dirty water that are intended to repulse people and deter them from committing crimes and ending up in such a position. Unfortunately, the reality of the American prison system is just as troubling as the dated stereotypes surrounding it. Despite its success in keeping dangerous offenders off the streetsRead MoreEssay about Capital Punishment: An Ongoing Arguement1043 Words   |  5 Pagescapital punishment when concerning future violent crime rates. The death penalty is also costly when compared to the cost of imprisoning a violent criminal for life. With such a definitive punishment and with its finality, there have also been a large number of persons executed who were in fact shown to be innocent at a later time. Although there is a lengthy history of the death penalty in the United States, there is an immense disparity in regards to those who support capital punishment and thoseRead MoreShould The Death Penalty Be Abolished?1226 Words   |  5 Pagesthe death penalty can be traced back as early as 1608, when early European settlers executed Captain George Kendall for being a spy from Spain (â€Å"Part I: History of the Death Penalty†, n.d.). As time progressed the amount of money to sustain such a punishment slowly became a burden to States. As 32 States currently have the death penalty, taxpayers and politicians are becoming aware of the finical burden to continue with the death penalty. The trial and procedures are very lengthy and can require largeRead MoreCapital Punishment Is Not Effective865 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishment is legal authorization to kill someone as a punishment for crimes such as treason, terrorism, espionage, federal murder, and large-scale drug trafficking. In the 1960s, the American Convention on Human rights was created providing a right for life, but th e death penalty is included as an exception. While the percent for capital punishment is high in America the majority of Americans would rather have the sentencing be life in prison without parole. Even though capital punishment has