Huntington County Jail Case Study

According to statistical data found in the Bureau for Justice Records, there are a number of problems that most prisons in the country face. The records indicate that the number of adult federal and state inmates increased from `139% in `1980 to 260% (Walker, 1999). As a natural default, the United States of America has the highest incarceration rate in the world. This in itself brings about one of the major problems that are faced in modern incarceration which is overcrowding in most prison facilities. The number of offenders in the country has increased rapidly over time while the country prison system has not really been able to cope with this rapid increase. Prisons intended for one or two inmates are now crowded with more than fifty individuals. Because of this most prisons are overcrowded and most of the facilities available are unable to cater for the needs of all the prisoners (Siegel, 2009).

There are five state prison systems in which exist in today's penitentiary systems and they are maximum-security prisons, close-high security prisons, medium-security prisons, and open security facilities. Variations between these five systems are common and uncommon because in a

Learning about the county jail was an interesting experience. Amongst all the sight seeking, I realized there was several departments within the jail itself. The different departments are called the booking department, incident reports, and finger printing department.

Overcrowding in our state and federal jails today has become a big issue. Back in the 20th century, prison rates in the U.S

The overcrowding prison reflects that the inmate population has grown much faster than the funding for prisons, which is controlled at the state level. In most cases, state funding has not come close to keeping up with the rise in the prison population, leading to decrepit prison infrastructure that is wholly inadequate for housing such large numbers of inmates. Without capacity to house inmates properly, some prisons have resorted to having prisoners sleep in gymnasiums, and many have overcrowded cells to accommodate the extra bodies. This overcrowding has led to deteriorating cleanliness of prisons and declining safety. Today, non-violent prisoners are forced to live in close quarters with violent ones, and the results are predictable.

In this document I will be comparing the security and technology differences, classification and holding of inmates and the size differences of the Wabash and Miami County jails. After going to the Wabash County Jail with my criminal justice class and getting information from other students about the Miami County jail. And touring the Wabash County Jail. I now have a better understanding of how jails are operated. I learned that jails operate in more ways than just holding inmates for a short period of time such as; hold witnesses for the courts, operating community based programs as alternatives to incarceration etc.

All County jails are designed to detain inmates. Wabash County Jail was built in 1979 and Miami County Jail was built in 2009, both jails have similarities and both have their differences; thing such as cell blocks, how jails control their inmates, and how jails allow family and friends to visit. These things are very important to the jailing process.

One major problem of prison overcrowding is the effect it has on prison organizational stability. The more prisoners and people put in jail have made it harder for prison guards and staff to monitor and control them. The entire prison system must make enormous changes in order to accommodate for the number of inmates versus the number of prison guards (O’Leary). This often results in a misclassification of offenders. Many who come through the system are classified based on the amount of space available instead of on the security level and programs that would be most suitable for them (Howard). “It is not uncommon to find inmates, classified as medium security, incarcerated in maximum security institutions, while other inmates are in medium security who were previously considered candidates for maximum security” (Howard). Misclassifying offenders often leads to “slow progress through the corrections system as well as a slow exit” (Howard). This in turn only prolongs and increases the overcrowding problem (Howard). The corrections programs should be reformed to meet the needs of the inmates rather than the inmates having to adjust to meet the requirements of the system. Offenders need to be on specific rehabilitation programs that are customized to fit their needs, such as alcohol and drug abuse programs and so forth.

The Wabash county jail is a linear jail. That means that all the cells are in a straight row and is a little unorganized. It also means that the guards have to do things manually. They have to open the doors and close themselves. The Miami county jail is a pod system. That means that the cells are surrounding a pod and is a little more organized. It also means that they can do most of the stuff in the pod. They can open and close the doors with the push of a button.

It is home to 2,500 inmates which is more than double what the facility was built for. The jail needs to be remodeled, but this is very expensive and will take an extensive amount of time, while the number being incarcerated is still growing at a steady pace. Most of the inmates at the Oklahoma county jail are only there awaiting trial, which the Oklahoma speaker of the house calls a debtor’s prison. He believes this is corrupt and needs to change. One idea that Oklahoma had to help with the cost of dealing with all its inmates was to make them pay for their stay. Inmates, that are ultimately convicted, are required to pay the expenses of living in the jail. Not only were they required to pay, but they were being charged even more than the cost to keep them. This is not the right method to deal with prisoners. Sure, the prison is saving a lot of money by having the inmates themselves pay for living there, but what happens when the inmate gets out of jail and has no money to his name, because all the money he worked for was going to the jail? The inmate will be back. They will most likely commit another crime when they are released. Not in all cases, but it can become a problem. If the inmates are required to pay, then what’s keeping the judge to sending them to jail. That means more money for the jail. It’s a hard problem to solve but America must face the problem of overcrowding at some point, before the system collapses in on

The Wabash county Jail and the Miami County Jail are both so different in so many ways. Wabash County Jail was built in 1979; this jail is 36 years old. Being 36 years old has made this jail a little bit out dated. This jail should only hold up to 72 inmates. The visitor center, for the inmate’s family is a boxed in room that is divided by a wall and a window. The Miami Jail was built in 2009. The Miami Jail is only 6 years old. It is updated and has an inmate holding rate of 240. The Visitor center is all done virtually. Each cell block has a virtual screen that has a phone attached to it.

Prisons and jails hold some similar characteristics but are completely different models in which they serve in the criminal justice system. Some of the types of crimes that America faces today are: violent crimes, property, white collar or organized crime, and public order crimes (Worrall, 2008). The criminal justice system sets the regulations and policies of how an offender will be held accountable for their inappropriate actions. The criminal justice system is a process that takes time and money from society. The following information will briefly discuss the main purposes for the jail and prison systems, which will focus on the length of sentencing, funding sources, and private sector ownership. Let’s begin by explaining the length of

Prison Overcrowding is one of America’s most critical issues in the Criminal Justice system. Just as the name states, the problem is insufficient jail space – for which the solution would be to build more facilities. What causes this problem? There are a lot of people in the world that believe putting all crime doers in jail is the best resolution. Let’s be honest here

Ex husband of Janelle Evans received a jail sentence from the judge for possession of heroin, according to Radar Online Dec. 10, 2015. Courtland Rogers 0pled guilty to charges when he confessed that he used heroin 45 days ago.

Privatizing prisons may be one way for the prison population to get back under control. Prisons are overcrowded and need extra money to house inmates or to build a new prison. The issue of a serious need for space needs to be addressed. “As a national average, it costs roughly $20,000 per year to keep an inmate in prison. There are approximately 650,000 inmates in state and local prisons, double the number five years ago. This costs taxpayers an estimated $18 billion each year. More than two thirds of the states are facing serious overcrowding problems, and many are operating at least 50 percent over capacity. (Joel, 1988)” Private prisons may be for profit, but if they can solve the issue of cost then it may be a