Prison Overcrowding



Prison Overcrowding

Introduction

This assignment is based on Prison Overcrowding. According to the Department of Justice, the population in prisons of the United States has increased at massive scale form the last several years. This means that 149 U.S. citizens are behind bars, the equivalent of the entire population of Houston, Texas, the fourth conurbation of the United States, or twice the population of San Francisco. The overcrowding in prisons is one of the causes of quarrels and disputes of territory.

Overpopulation in prisons can be attributed to several factors, including the failure to find and use effective alternatives to incarceration, the lack of funding for prison building programs, bureaucratic inefficiency to move prisoners between institutions, and the loss of existing capacity due to aging and deterioration (Bleich, 1989).

Discussion and Analysis

The country's detention centers recorded a more than 200% overcrowding. The situation is so critical that some prisoners have to sleep in bathrooms and corridors of prisons. The prison is a serious issue. In short, congestion creates a problem for the entire state in different areas. But above all, the dilapidation of buildings, combined with overcrowding, explains that the conditions of detention in prisons are not worthy of our country. Imprisonment must be experienced in satisfactory conditions of hygiene and safety, both in regard to the construction and maintenance of buildings. The detention facilities and, in particular, those for housing, must meet the requirements of health especially in regard to cubic content of air, lighting, heating and ventilation. Because of prison overcrowding, it is difficult to organize collective activities in jail such as walking, sports, work and training.

Prison overcrowding is one of the major problems, which lead to 1) reduced staff morale, 2) the difficulty of security and control, 3) staff and prisoner health and social problems, 4) increasing levels ...