American Jails

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that recent statistics show that federal and state prisons are overloaded because of a rapid increase in crime fueled by the proliferation of drugs. The author stresses that many people view the overcrowding of prisons, jails and the expensive confinements, which replace them, as being indicative of a failing criminal justice system in American society, which must be re-examined. The paper relates that an original idea, which has been abandoned for years, was for a prison to serve as a center for rehabilitation, not as a place of retribution: This approach is now being revived.

Table of Contents:
The Problem
Approaches or Solutions

From the Paper:

"American jails and prisons today are composed exclusively of cells for solitary confinement, sensual deprivation and psychological torture. Incarceration today is characteristically racial and largely spurred by drug offenses. Young black men are imprisoned 14 times more than white. Between 1986 and 1996, the rate for African Americans increased from 10,102% in Louisiana; 5,499% in Georgia; 5,033% in Arkansas; 4,284% in Iowa; and 1,473% in Tennessee. They are also mostly poor and belong to the minority or ethnic groups. US records show that there are now more than 50 million criminal files and at least 4 or 5 million new ones get recorded every year."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bates, D. (2006). Policy Makers Working to Find a Solution for Increased Incarceration. Falls Church News Press. http://www.fcnp.com/432/parole.htm
• Beck, A. R.. (2001). Jail Bloating: a Common but Unnecessary Cause of Jail Overcrowding. http://www.justiceconcepts.com/jail%20overcrowding.pdf
• ISECUREtrac. (2004). Reducing Prison Overcrowding. ISECUREtrac Corporation. http://www.isecuretrac.com/sa_po.asp
• Joel, D. (1989). Time to Deal with America's Prison Crisis. The Heritage Foundation. http://www.heritage.otg/Research/Criminalbg735.cfm
• Jon. (2004). A Solution to Prison Overcrowding. Jon's Jail Journal. http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.com/2004/10/15-oct-04-solutions-to-prison.html

More papers on American Jails:

• Research Paper # 74969 : "African American Males and the Criminal Justice System "
• Essay # 53455 : "History of the American Prison System"
• Analytical Essay # 63022 : "The American Prison System"

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