Overcrowded Prisons: Retribution Or Rehabilitation?

Retribution or Rehabilitation? In the United States of America overcrowded prisons seems to be normal. People are not typically surprised or shocked when they hear about just how much overcrowding is going on in the prison systems. They may not care because, well they are prisoners, and they deserve to be there, but in actuality prison overcrowding can be a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Overcrowding tends to be a result of several things, but one of the main ones is recidivism. Recidivism is the act of committing a crime again, after being released from jail. There are two ways I believe overcrowding can be solved. Number one: build more prisons. But why should we, as a society, pay more money for more people to be criminals? So the

Sentences usually have a minimum amount of time a criminal has to serve in jail. When every offender has to be in prison for a certain amount it adds to a numerous amount of incarcerated people at one time, which creates overcrowded prisons. If the law allowed early release of rehabilitated prisoners it would reduce the number of people in prisons. “Advocates say early release targets only low-risk, nonviolent criminals who are already close to the end of their sentences… supporters say, early release based on earned time can give prisoners incentives to participate in educational or work programs, improving their chances of successfully reintegrating into society after prison and lowering recidivism rates”(Early Release For Prisoners). Although the early release for prisoners should only be granted if they in fact have been rehabilitated. Prisons need to focus on helping the prisoners change into productive members of society instead of punishing. Overcrowding and rehabilitation seem to not work well together. It is impossible to ensure that all prisoners receive the help they need when there are so many of them. “Chronic overcrowding is an important reason for why rehabilitation is less effective in prison and jail settings” (Sentencing and Prison Overcrowding). Because rehabilitation does not work very well in prison, there needs to be more centers focusing on helping

There are only six of these specific centers, but there are numerous others like them. These centers do a remarkable job at cutting down recidivism. The key is to keep the former prisoners busy, and they succeed at doing so by being involved with these programs. Some activities they participate include things such as volunteer work and involvement with the church. Perhaps, the government should spend more money on rehabilitation centers in order for them to be more effective. The more effective these programs are, the less incarcerated people there are and overcrowded prisons are not a problem. Society needs to be more aware of repeat offenders after they are released. If the public is informed of this issue, they will understand that their tax money is being put to an extremely important and useful cause. “Community supervision programs and strategies that serve as alternatives to incarceration can effectively hold offenders accountable while providing them with an opportunity to get back on their feet. These policies are proven to reduce the rate at which offenders return behind bars, in turn cutting the crime rate, protecting our communities, and achieving the best public safety return per taxpayer dollar”(Prison