Overcrowding Prisons

Overcrowding Prisons

The short of financial support in United States prisons has an unfavorable outcome on the state's capability to manage facilities properly. Inadequate money for inmates throughout the country is linked with various problems in the efficiency and effectiveness of carrying out the major duties of the prison. Overcrowding in prisons has several effects with inmates serving their sentences, its constructs a negative effect on the inmates mental and general health.

Overcrowding in prisons is one of the largest challenges that the American criminal justice system faces today. A hug part of overcrowding conditions is the war on drugs. The war on drugs alone costs taxpayers a great sum of money a year, because new facilities are built to house the increasing amount of drug offenders. This phase starts by placing an inmate in the wrong classification, followed by mental stress and lack or accessible services. These offenders need drug treatment for their addictions, which most will not obtain while incarcerated due to the lack of funding, untrained staff, and administrative issues. The end result is the greater part of these inmates will return back into society with their old way of life.

Another issue that contributes to overcrowding is general health. With limited beds accessible inmates are placed according to the space available rather than the correct security level, treatment, or rehabilitation needed. This frequently leads inmates to segregation, because they do not know how to handle people and stress of being incarcerated and become violent. If not properly placed and examined this could led to sexual abuse, allowing inmates to pass on disease. Even though there is not a adequate way to reduce disease for there are not enough qualified staff or rooms to quarantine sick inmates. With HIV testing being an option and not mandatory not all HIV inmates are known to authorities. Many inmates may and can infect others not only with HIV, herpes, TB and hepatitis C through rape, tattooing, and any type of sexual contact. These inmates can later be released into the general population to spread these diseases to innocent people.

Although increasing prison capacity will decrease overcrowding, the new facility should benefit those who work in the prison system. Staff members should be well trained in effective communication, respect, anger management and relationship skills. To provide involvement from the community, volunteers and religious groups to increase helpful programs for the inmates. By having a system in place it will allow the workers to improve conditions in housing inmates according to their level of risk. Decrease inmate joblessness by offering activities to help cleanliness by training inmate's preventive health care, food prep, and kitchen and bathroom cleanliness. To help inmates feel less hostel and stressed by