The past two decades have seen a dramatic increase in prison population worldwide, with American correctional facilities at the forefront. There has been a notable increase in drug and weapon offenders over the years. Other types of offenses that have contributed to population growth in prisons include immigration offenses, non-regulatory public order and violent, supervision and property violations. However, despite the fact that drug offenders make up almost half of the BOP population, violent crime has had a minimal impact on the population growth in prisons (Pfaff, 2008). The following are causes of population increase in prisons.
Prolonged Jail Term for Drug Offenders
Extending the expected time served by drug offenders by the authorities has led to a tremendous growth in prison population.
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High Conviction Rates
Sentencing rate, which is the rate at which courts convict arrestees, has increased, triggering population growth in prisons.
Strict Policies
Increased red tape in law enforcement to improve safety has led to the expansion of prison populations. For instance, in the US, the heightened immigration and gun policies have led to more arrests and convictions.
High Rates of Recidivism
Recidivism is the likelihood of an offender falling back to the life of crime after imprisonment. High recidivism rates especially among drug offenders, drunk driving and cyber criminals has contributed to the large population in prisons (Pfaff, 2008).
Poor Planning and Inaccurate Projections
Inadequate planning by policy makers and other stakeholders has led to increased populations and poor distribution of offenders among facilities.
The problem of increased population in prisons can be solved by reducing laws regulating nonviolent crimes, implementing new employment policies to reduce underemployment and unemployment, getting rid of private prisons, and establishing solid prison education programs (Pfaff, 2008).
Conclusion
Inmate population in prisons has ballooned for the past two decades. There has been a major increase in the number of drug offenders, immigration offenses, non-regulatory public order and supervision violations. However, despite the increased war on drugs, violent crime has contributed less to the growth of population in correctional facilities.
Reference
Pfaff, J.F., (2008). The Empirics of Prison Growth: A Critical Review and Path Forward. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology . (Issue 2). 98. Retrieved from https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7290&context=jclc
