Incarceration Essay

As a nation that constantly strives to progress, there is a consensus that those who commit unlawful behavior should be sent to correctional institutions, yet the United States government fails to question whether their traditional prison system legitimately works. One method scholars utilize to measure a nation’s public safety and criminal justice effectiveness is by analyzing the recidivism rate, which is defined by the National Institute of Justice as the number of released inmates that return

industry in the 1970’s, the prison population of the U.S. has increased by an estimated 500%. Despite this, statistics suggests that overall reported crime rates have remained relatively stable. (Fortner, 2013). A question is raised then, as to why incarceration rates would be on the rise despite little change in crime. This essay will attempt to answer this question and to make sense of the Prison Industrial Complex. It will also argue that the privatisation of the prison industry has resulted in the

17 February 2017 Research Paper/Lit Review Part I Since mandatory sentencing began in the mid-1980s, the United States prison system has seen a dramatic upswing in incarceration rates (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008, p. 1). “The United States’ increasingly punitive sentencing philosophy has resulted in an overreliance on incarceration, resulting in an incarcerated population that has soared from approximately 340,000 in the early 1970s to nearly 2.3 million today” (Raeder, 2012). “Parents held in the

crime, is not working. Currently, in the United States, we are living in an era of “mass incarceration.” Almost 1% of men in this country and .1% of women are incarcerated (Phelps). With an incarceration rate of roughly 693/100,000 The U.S. stands far behind it’s NATO counterparts with the next highest rate of incarceration, in the United Kingdom, at roughly 145/100,000 (Wagner et al.). These high incarceration rates are reason for concern, and many researchers have begun to suggest solutions to this

A common dilemma in the United States prison system is the debate of rehabilitation vs. reparation. Reparation involves strictly punishing the prisoner for their crime. On the other hand, rehabilitation aims to “fix” the prisoner for a potential eventual return to society. Ethically, reform makes more sense than reparation, as it aims to make the prisoner more useful to society, while increasing the overall safety of the society. A strong rehabilitation program would additionally cut down the number

It is disheartening that children without fathers have become an increasing statistic in the U.S. over time. In the world today, families without fathers are surpassingly prevalent and what people really need to know is who, what, when, where, and why? Not only is it important to be educated on why fathers are increasingly abandoning their families, but it is also important to understand the effects on children of fatherless families.   Families without fathers are classified as a trend because the

Dear Ms. Haynes,     As you may know, the fight towards social justice has been going on long enough. Through recent events such as taking a knee during the national anthem or the white-supremacist rallies; tension has grown to new heights. Although it may be difficult to fight the issue of social justice within our divided nation, I believe there is a solution that could help build a foundation towards equality. An issue that isn’t often highlighted is how troubled youth will find themselves in

Fresh Start: An Evaluation of a Local Re-entry Program The Long Branch Free Public Library was established 100 years ago with a mission to enrich the lives of Long Branch residents by providing resources and opportunities for life-long learning (Long Branch Free Public Library, n.d.). Currently, the library provides a wide range of services such as a computer lab, employment center, after school youth programs, notary services, faxing, and much more. These features make this library more than just

always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented” (“Elie Wiesel Quote”). Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow, which discusses criminal justice and its role in mass incarceration, promotes a similar idea regarding silence when America’s racial caste system needs to be ended; however, Alexander promotes times when silence would actually be better for “the tormented.” The role of silence and lack of silence in the criminal

Many ex-cons face trouble when it comes to the employment process and have trouble obtaining jobs; however employing them could greatly reduce the recidivism rate. A common misconception about ex-offenders is that releasing them from incarceration allows them to partake in criminal activities again and become recidivists, however, they are much more likely to do this if they cannot find sufficient employment; a key way to reduce this rate of recidivism is by employing them. According to a newspaper