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Systemic Issue |
How are these systemic issues handled in the prison you have chosen? (75–100 words each) |
What changes could be made to lessen the effects of these issues? (100–150 words) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | At its core, prison congestion refers to a situation where the total population of inmates exceeds the official capacity of the prison. For example, if a prison is capable of 200 inmates but has a population of around 400 inmates, the prison facility is said to be congested. Congestion is being handled in prison by diverting minor cases to other prisons. Also, the rates of pre-trial detention have been reduced in prison by improving the accessibility to justice. Another way the issue is being handled by ensuring there are non-custodial alternatives for post-sentencing and pre-trial. | There are both long-term and short-term changes that can be done to reduce the effects of congestion in prisons. Short-term changes that could be implemented include releasing some prisoners based on amnesty and compassion, improving access to legal aid, and increasing prison capacity (Olaya et al., 2018). Long-term changes that can reduce overcrowding include overall improvement of the criminal justice system's efficiency and decriminalization of certain offenses. |
| Funding gaps | Funding gaps in prisons have been an apparent issue. Regardless of how well the economy is doing, the prison is rarely funded. Yet prisons are expensive to build, and once in operation, they are expensive to maintain. The administration is lobbying for increased funds for this particular prison to live better and ensure smooth operations. Also, the little available funds are being well-accounted for and being used to improve and expand prisons as opposed to misallocation | To lessen the effects of funding gaps, the federal government should ensure that they increase their budget for prisons. Also, patchwork fixes should be avoided, and instead, the government should consider funding new facilities. Additionally, the outdated equipment that often compromises the safety of the staff should be addressed. The pressing issue of funding gaps should be addressed in discussions concerning budget allocations. |
| Violence | Violence among inmates or officers is not uncommon in prison. Violence is often associated with gang activity in prisons. Once one gets into prison, they feel it's normal to be part of a gang. Some offenders feel the need to be violent for protection purposes. One of the ways that have worked towards handling violence in prison is providing better security (Pellow, 2021). This includes CCTVs to record footage so that offenders found guilty of violence are punished. The punishment in most cases is usually solitary confinement. Guards are also heavily weaponized for protection purposes. | Admittedly, violence in prisons is hard to control because of the diversity of offenders. However, some of the changes that can be implemented include increasing the ratio of prisoners to guards to try and keep the violence under control. There should be more officers compared to a certain number of prisons. Also, gang violence needs to be stopped by sensitizing and educating the prisoners on the same dangers. |
Personal Approach
My approach to the purpose of punishment is deterrence. The imprisonment of offenders is crucial in society. This is because it will protect the rest of innocent citizens from violent people and offenders. In relation to imprisonment, deterrence posits that the threat of punishment will prevent or deter people from committing crimes and reduce the chances of offending in society (Bartollas & Siegel, 2018). Therefore, sending an individual to prison for a criminal offense is for the well-good of society at large.
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References
Bartollas, C., & Siegel, L. J. (2018). Corrections Today . Cengage Learning.
Olaya, C., Gomez-Quintero, J., & Navarrete, A. C. (2018). Crime and punishment as a social system: the case of prison overcrowding. Kybernetes .
Pellow, D. N. (2021). Struggles for environmental justice in US prisons and jails. Antipode , 53 (1), 56-73.
