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Resolving Overcrowded Prisons. Resolving Overcrowded California Prisons
Since the early 1990’s, California has tripled the capacity ...
Submitted by drewcomer on April 8, 2008
Category: English
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Resolving Overcrowded California Prisons
Since the early 1990’s, California has tripled the capacity of its prisons, increasing the number of prisoners faster than any other state. In fact, California’s incarceration rate is 51% higher than the national average. However, in spite of the massive increase in prisoner incarceration, the crime rate has not declined as much as in other states: our state crime rate is 24% higher than the national average. Still, California’s state prison population continues to grow and as long as current policies stay the same, we are expected to exceed current prison capacity by nearly 11,000 beds in just over three years. To accommodate for this, officials with the Department of Criminal Justice have asked for two new prisons – which will cost taxpayers $711.5 million in building expenses and $72 million in annual operation expenses, for a total of $2.151 billion over 20 years (Smith, Roger). This request is not only costly but unsustainable: there is not a sufficient amount of time to meet the projected prisoner surge, as construction of the prisons would take several years, and there are not enough prison guards to meet the current demand. New and effective strategies must be put into action to solve California’s prison overcrowding problems. The government must join in the effort to implement smarter and sustainable solutions that will save taxpayers dollars, reduce the risk of individuals re-offending, and provide those who are re-entering society with tools for personal responsibility. Probation must be strengthened and programs that focus on reducing risk, such as treatment and reintegration, must be fully funded and implemented in order to resolve the problems associated with our prisons.
Probation revocations contribute to as many as a third of prison admissions annually. The cause for these high levels of revocation lies in the purpose of probation programs across the...
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