User:Kiarra120/Prison overcrowding

Prison overcrowding could create a range of consequences that have become prevalent in the world today. First, prison overcrowding could affect resources (Clements, 1982). Simply put, the more inmates that are admitted, the less resources there are to distribute. Due to the lack of resources, inmates may be forced to spend large amounts of time doing nothing rather than becoming engaged in activity. The amount of resources continues to reduce as more prisoners are admitted, and social support services become limited. With a small amount of space and resources within the prisons, prison overcrowding could result in the slow progress of inmate release (Clements, 1982). The combination of those two factors could lead to the prison system slowing down, and prisoners’ progress would also begin to move slowly. If the prisoners’ progress is slowed, then their exit is slowed as well. This will heavily increase overcrowding and result in maximum capacity at a faster rate.

Prison overcrowding contributes to financial risks, specifically with the amount of money spent on mass incarceration annually (Equal Justice Initiative, 2019). Every year, $182 billion is spent on mass incarceration. Within that total, approximately $81 billion is spent on public corrections agencies and about $63 billion on policing (EJI, 2019). Much of this money is given to the staff to supervise large amounts of inmates for long periods of time. For example, in the state of Alabama, it’s possible to witness a correctional officer supervising up to 250-300 high-risk offenders for an extended period of time (Spencer, 2012). These circumstances can result in the increase of prisoner violence. In 2011, there was an approximately 40% increase in inmate violence that lead to some serious injuries (Spencer, 2012).

Despite its risks and consequences, prison overcrowding can be solved in many different ways. First, the use of diversion programs can aid in prisoners avoiding prison entry (Pitts, 2014). Diversion programs are programs that divert, or turn prisoners away from prison time. This could also free up much space within the prisons and prevent faster maximum capacity. More programs that take on rehabilitative and restorative approaches are also needed to divert offenders from prison admission. (Palermo, 2011) Restorative justice is when the interaction between the offender and the victim aids in the healing of the victim and the community. This, along with other therapeutic approaches would be more effective than retribution (Palermo, 2011). Other diversion programs consist of intermediate sanctions, such as fines, probation, restitution, and corrections (Pitts, 2014).

Another alternative to prison overcrowding is the use of early release incentives (Pitts, 2014). These are ways to encourage the reduction of prison populations, while motivating the prisoners who are eligible for early release programs. Some early release incentives may include: parole, house arrest, or good behavior, which are also referred to as “backdoor strategies” in that it strives to release prisoners earlier than their sentence expiration (Pitts, 2014). In addition, the construction strategy is a good alternative to prison overcrowding. This comprises of building more prisons for more prison admissions (Pitts, 2014). Furthermore, more space would equal better conditions for inmates because there would be more resources left to distribute within the inmates. These alternatives would save tax dollar money and lessen conflicts within the criminal justice system (Pitts, 2014).