Pew report indicator of a broken prison system
Jonathan Wolinksky '10
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Commentary
America is obsessed with putting people in prison. A recent report put forth by the Pew Charitable Trusts Center on the States found that for the first time in American history, more than 1 in every 100 adults in this country is in jail.
In 2007, the United States prison population grew by 25,000 inmates. With this spike in jailed convicts it would be logical to assume that crime rates have spiked as well. The report finds, however, that "violent criminals and other serious offenders" only account for a small portion of the increase. The vast majority of the new tenants of the American prison system are "low level offenders."
The more specific aspects of the report are in a word, startling. Of all men age 20-34, one in every 30 is behind bars. For black men of that same age group, it is 1 in every 9. While these facts speak to issues prevalent in our society relating to race, education and socio-economic standing, the overall trend of locking people up by the millions is shocking on a broader level.
The report looked at the 2,319,258 adults behind bars at the beginning of 2008 who costed the United States $49 billion a year. This is up from $11 billion 20 years ago. There are many causes for this astronomical number, some of which are beyond anyone's control.
There are causes, however, that are not only controllable, but highly suspect. These include statutes such as habitual offender laws, colloquially known as "three strikes laws." These mandate periods of incarceration to those who commit three or more crimes of a certain degree.
A major problem with these laws is that they differ between the states, with some such as California including shoplifting among the crimes that count for a "strike." In other words, three strikes laws are open invitations for states to see who can create the most flawed systems of punishment possible.
Then there are mandatory minimum sentences. These laws tie the hands of judges by requiring them to give X amount of years in jail for Y crime, regardless of any extenuating circumstances, which exist in nearly every criminal case.
Such laws illustrate a picture of a society that prefers to adopt an inflexible system for judging its members.
The Supreme Court's recent decision to relax some federal mandatory minimum sentences for certain offences (e.g. crack cocaine possession/distribution) is a tiny ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark and dreary penal system.
People must realize that prison inmates don't just disappear after they're sentenced. Taxpayers still pay for their incarceration. Since any formal attempt at rehabilitation went out the window along with the striped uniforms, we have to deal with former inmates once they are released.
Throwing people in jail seems like the easiest option, but with over 2 million people in U.S. prisons, we have to question whether or not we are taking things too far
In 2007, the United States prison population grew by 25,000 inmates. With this spike in jailed convicts it would be logical to assume that crime rates have spiked as well. The report finds, however, that "violent criminals and other serious offenders" only account for a small portion of the increase. The vast majority of the new tenants of the American prison system are "low level offenders."
The more specific aspects of the report are in a word, startling. Of all men age 20-34, one in every 30 is behind bars. For black men of that same age group, it is 1 in every 9. While these facts speak to issues prevalent in our society relating to race, education and socio-economic standing, the overall trend of locking people up by the millions is shocking on a broader level.
The report looked at the 2,319,258 adults behind bars at the beginning of 2008 who costed the United States $49 billion a year. This is up from $11 billion 20 years ago. There are many causes for this astronomical number, some of which are beyond anyone's control.
There are causes, however, that are not only controllable, but highly suspect. These include statutes such as habitual offender laws, colloquially known as "three strikes laws." These mandate periods of incarceration to those who commit three or more crimes of a certain degree.
A major problem with these laws is that they differ between the states, with some such as California including shoplifting among the crimes that count for a "strike." In other words, three strikes laws are open invitations for states to see who can create the most flawed systems of punishment possible.
Then there are mandatory minimum sentences. These laws tie the hands of judges by requiring them to give X amount of years in jail for Y crime, regardless of any extenuating circumstances, which exist in nearly every criminal case.
Such laws illustrate a picture of a society that prefers to adopt an inflexible system for judging its members.
The Supreme Court's recent decision to relax some federal mandatory minimum sentences for certain offences (e.g. crack cocaine possession/distribution) is a tiny ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark and dreary penal system.
People must realize that prison inmates don't just disappear after they're sentenced. Taxpayers still pay for their incarceration. Since any formal attempt at rehabilitation went out the window along with the striped uniforms, we have to deal with former inmates once they are released.
Throwing people in jail seems like the easiest option, but with over 2 million people in U.S. prisons, we have to question whether or not we are taking things too far
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