Danna KrayemInfo 173

Professor Colucci

NECESSITY OF

PRISON REFORM

Population of US prison inmates: 2.3 million

Total US population: 312 million This means that about .74% of the US

population is locked up in prisonsThe USA’s incarceration rate has

increased by more than 50% since 1991 and the crime rate has been reduced by about 50% since 1991 as well

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LOCKED UP IN US PRISONS?

A prison is a place where people are physically confined and usually deprived of a range of personal freedoms.

Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime.

Other terms used for “prisons” are penitentiary, correctional facility, remand centre, detention centre, and jail or gaol.

In some legal systems some of these terms have distinct meanings.

WHAT IS PRISON & HOW DO YOU GET

THERE?

Prison is meant to serve as a form of deterrence, retribution, security, and rehabilitation but does not always do so

Solitary Confinement is too inhumane and inexpensive Many prisoner get locked up in solitude for months, even years

at a time for minor crimes or none at all within the jail overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and extreme abuse of

inmates at the hands of deputies Many prisoners are not even supposed to be in prison but are

given extreme punishment for minor crimes States have an upper hand during reapportionment, for

example, when their prisoners are counted as part of the state population even though they don’t have other rights like voting

PROBLEMS WITH PRISONS

Men get locked up for so long without women that they become gay from suppressed sexual tension

Rapes occur too frequently in prison cells, a minimum of two times per week

Weapons are smuggled into prisons for protection and for threatening purposes

Youth are put into adult prisons and are abused mentally, verbally, and sexually because they are so much younger than other prisoners and easier to manipulate

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF PRISON TIME

FALSE CONVICTIONS

Enforcing stricter scrutiny when deciding if a prisoner deserves prison time

Using today’s technology to keep a closer eye on what goes on in prisons, how inmates are treated, and be precautious of false convictions

Run stronger background checks on prison officials to assess their moral values and make sure they have sincere intentions

Create a stronger reintegration system into society for people done with prison time that allows them to leave with more than $200 in their pockets

PRISON REFORM IDEAS