Prison Problems

            Prior to 1970, a great emphasis was placed on rehabilitation for inmates. False research was produced that indicated that rehab was not working and therefore; educational and vocational training was reduced. The rehabilitation model was erased and replaced with punishment and incapacitation (Warren, 2008). Thus, the goals of the state moved to incapacitation, just deserts, deterrence, and retribution (Warren, 2008). New policies were implemented that focused more on crime control than rehabilitation and thus offenders were removed from their community for longer periods of time (Warren, 208). Thirty years later, the United States is starting to see the effects of incarcerating offenders for life. Ethnic disparities, racial laws, overcrowding, massive cost, high recidivism, and larger budgets are all consequences of sending offenders to prison for life.

            Overcrowding is one issue that affects the budget, the safety of staff, and the safety of inmates. With U.S. policies geared towards incapacitation, prison systems are overflowing with inmates and health conditions inside prisons have declined. Prisons in America are currently under receivership by the courts, meaning that the courts took over the prisons healthcare system and are trying to bring the standards of healthcare back to constitutional levels. The problem with being under receivership would be that it cost taxpayers millions more fix the problem. Healthcare costs are growing by 10 percent each year and will continue to climb as the prison population gets older. Another issue is that the United States incarcerates more people than China and Europe. 750 out of 100,000 American adults are in prison while in Germany 93 out of 100,000 people are incarcerated, the U.S. imprisons eight times more people than Germany (Liptak, 2008). As a result of high cost, building and operating prisons has increased the prisons budget faster than any other state budget (Warren,2008).

            According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, in 2007 the United States spent $44 billion in taxes on corrections (Liptak,2008). In 1987 the budget was $10.6 billion, the budget increased 127 percent (Liptak,2008). Including the federal government, money from bonds, and state spending the total is around 49 billion (Liptak,2008). Every year it cost around $40,000 to house an adult in prison and the amount doubles when juveniles are incarcerated. The Tough on Crime method has cost Americans billions of dollars and that amount will continue to increase if incarceration rates continue to climb. Correctional officers and staff are around 75 percent of the states budget for corrections, but in 2006, California spent 500 million of overtime pay alone (Liptak,2008).

            The cost of prisons not only affects Americans as taxpayers, but it also affects the inmates as customers of the state. With less money for rehabilitation and education, inmates have a greater chance of coming back to prison after release. The Correctional Education Association found strong evidence to indicate that education reduces recidivism and increases the chances for an inmate to find employment after release (Linton et al, 2010). 40 percent of the prison population have not completed high school which indicates that prisoners are less educated than the general public and inmates would benefit from rehabilitation, educational, and vocational training (Linton et al, 2010).

Since 2007, the U.S. has spent an additional 25 billion on top of the 49 billion in just four years. Considering the cut backs that states are making to their budgets, we may see a decrease in the states budget for corrections. Less money for corrections equals higher numbers of inmates released. If half of the inmate population has less than a high school diploma and the recidivism rate is around 75 percent, California will still have to spend millions for those inmates who return to prison. Cost effectiveness of prisons will become a priority as well as safety, which will also increase the cost of prisons.

References

Linton, John., Lockwood, Susan., Nally, John., & Steuver, Stephen J. (2010). The Top

Nine Reasons to Increase Correctional Education Programs. Corrections Today. 8, 40-43.

Liptak, Adam. (2008, 2, 29). U.S. Imprisons One in 100 Adults, Reports Finds. New

York Times.

Warren, Roger K. (2008). The Most Promising Way Forward: Incorporating Evidence-

Based Practice into State Sentencing and Corrections Policies. Federal Sentencing Reporter. 20(5). 322-325.