The problem of overcrowding in our prisons.
How to prevent crime and were to get help.
Drug offense's and prison population.
1. Drug treatment programs.
2. Rehabilitation.
B. Lowering recidivism.
1. Philosophy of drug courts.
2. Use of the military.
Conclusion: Prison is for punishment as well as rehab illation.
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Overcrowding of prisons.
The u.s. incarceration rate is the highest in the world! As the prison population has been rapidly expanding with a growth average of 5 percent a year. Acording to Meek, J.G "Currently there are over 1,987,000 inmates incarcerated across the U.S." (pg 1) this amounts to about one of every 147 Americans are living in prisons. Of that amount Florida houses 4,519 confirmed alien inmates. That's 6.2% of Florida's inmate population, which draws $129 million from the federal government annually. .
Our justice system has failed to put a dent in the reduction of crime. Solely because most Americans want a quick fix solution. Building more prisons and locking them up and forgetting about them is not a quick fix, someone has to care for these offenders. Building more prison leads to more of the taxpayers money being spent instead of looking for a solution. Not only are Americans upset judges are faced with not being able to sentence these criminals to what they deserve, because of the all ready overcrowded prisons.
As we search for ways to combat crime, we must focus on the criminals already in prison. Prisoners have certain characteristics this told by the National law journal "more then 50 percent have some type of learning disability. Over 60 percent are drug users, 66 percent are from broken homes. Statistics show that 50 percent of all prisoners are young African- Americans, with most stemming from below the poverty level". (pg 1,2) Most prisoners have about a 9th grade education level with no or very little job skills. Having no positive roll model or none at all to guide them.
