Prison Overcrowding in America's Prison Essay

At the very least, many prisons have a justified reputation as themselves being violent places where the concentration of criminal personalities will tend to stimulate higher levels of gang affiliation, internal drug trade and abuse, and, in general, absorption in a culture where criminality is normal. The result is that many who enter young, with limited criminal experience or with more modest criminal proclivities may be exposed to the kinds of patterns and behaviors that will ultimately lead to a repetitive susceptibility to criminal behavior once released.

Another core issue related to overcrowding is the cost to society to feed, clothe and support the lives of those who are habitual offenders and products of the prison system. Public money is dedicated to the upkeep and incarceration of these individuals, calling into question the rationality of channeling such money into the support of incarcerating mid-level drug offenders, white collar criminals and other non-violent offenders.A more rational way to approach those who represent no threat to the safety of others in their criminal proclivity is to enroll them in community service and public agency programs that center on an intercession of work for the public welfare and normal, healthy interaction with society. This will take the form of public cleanup projects, road maintenance, building upkeep and other programs which, under the authority of a traditional prison guard system, will be stewarded toward helping those with criminal pasts to avoid the negative patterns affiliated with the prison experience.

In addition, the contribution to the public through labor would help to offset the costs of prison room and board. The sum result would be a resolution suitable to the needs of both society and those criminals whose behaviors suggests an opportunity for a second chance often presumed inaccessible by traditional prison administration perspectives......