The law enforcement Act of 1994 stated that a state qualified to receive the federal grant for prison construction if it has; Increased the percentages of violent offenders in prison, had added an increase in the time that the violent offenders would serve in prison. This Act led to a change in State policies and resulted in the building and expansion of prisons. However, the trend that followed the application of these policies is a rise in the number of sentenced criminals (Centre for American Progress, 2019). The high rate of incarceration has resulted in being a burden to the criminal justice system and is clearly a practical problem that is evident in society.
Incarceration is highly associated with negative social and economic outcomes especially in societies mostly affected. Therefore, it causes more problems to the criminal justice system as there is a tension between law enforcers and these societies. In addition, the high rate of incarceration has led to overcrowding of the state prisons and Federal Bureau of Prisons. For example, in U.S, there are over 2.2 million incarcerated adults which is the greatest number in the world (Weiss et al.2018, pg.79). This means that the prisons carry more prisoners than their designed capacity. The Criminal Justice system also has to deal with the consequences of poor health care among prisoners and a higher risk of suicides.
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The criminal justice system aims to improve society by reducing the rate of crime. However, it causes more harm in giving longer periods of confinement instead of sufficient periods. This problem continues in the criminal justice systems as it accounts for the increase in social disparities and suffering, especially in minority communities. The criminal justice system should devise policies that help achieve the main purpose of sentencing criminals which is to correct their behavior and enable them to get back to society as better people.
References
Centre for American Progress. (2019, March 26). The 1994 crime bill continues to undercut justice reform—Here’s how to stop it . Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/criminal-justice/reports/2019/03/26/467486/1994-crime-bill-continues-undercut-justice-reform-heres-stop/
Weiss Riley, R., Kang-Brown, J., Mulligan, C., Valsalam, V., Chakraborty, S., & Henrichson, C. (2018). Exploring the urban–rural incarceration divide: Drivers of local jail incarceration rates in the United States. Journal of Technology in Human Services , 36 (1), 76-88. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2017.1417955
