The Unconstitutional Horrors Of Prison Overcrowding

An opinion piece was found in Newsweek online with a blaring headline: THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL HORRORS OF PRISON OVERCROWDING. The article is preceded with an illustration of a jail cell in Texas where a prisoner would wait to be executed. The author starts her article off with a hypothetical scenario involving convicts being executed entirely based on their healthiness. She went on to reference the 2011 Supreme Course Brown v. Plata. Mayeux mentions how the most functional of prisons have a difficult time employing certified medical staff. This prison in California was built to house only 80,000. But somehow it ended up with twice that amount. During these conditions, the Supreme Court declared a court order for California to decrease the†¦show more content†¦Disciplining inmates appropriately and confronting the conflicts as they happen is next to impossible because not only are the prisons so overpopulated, but because of how understaffed these facilities are, there are nowh ere near enough Correctional Officers who can engage and manage every little spat between cellmates/inmates. Majority of the state and federal prisons are working at or above their capacity. Another effect this has on the CJ system is the fear of any inefficiencies the system has for itself. America does not want to ever be perceived as â€Å"soft on crime,† domestically speaking; or abroad for that matter. That attitude translates to local entities, like the police departments and the courtrooms alike. Although this is the resounding sentiments for law enforcement officials, there are nationally published syndicated outlets who feel ‘being soft on crime is being smart on crime.’ Mainly because it decreases the prison population in a more cost-effective way. The penitentiary has evolved into very big business. However, the Federal government issued a memo during August of last year stating that it plans to phase out private prisons. Essentially private prisons have done what they were contracted to do and are set to be relieved of their duties by May 1 of this year 2017. There have been some unforeseen moments stemming from within the criminal justice system itself. A news story hit theShow MoreRelatedPrison Reform During The United States1456 Words   |  6 PagesAshlyn Frazier Taylor English IV October 20, 2015 Prison Reform in America For many years now, the criminal justice system has become stricter, causing more and more people to be arrested and sentenced to prison. As prisons become more occupied, the living conditions, health, and treatment of prisoners starts to deteriorate, which has become a trend over the last few decades. However, President Obama has noticed this prison environment and has taken a stand in saying that something needs to be doneRead MoreDorothy Dix Changed the Prison and Mental Health Systems1068 Words   |  4 Pagesmaking it a better place. In the early 1800s, one woman decided that the prison and mental health systems could be improved to be kinder and more effective institutions. She saw a change to be complete in the world and made it her task to recreate the prison and mental health systems in a new and superior style. Throughout the years, prisons and mental health asylums have changed greatly, especially concerning unfair prison treatment, the reform movement, and today’s important impact. Before theRead MoreOvercrowding Prisons And The Prisons Essay1785 Words   |  8 PagesAlma Gonzalez Professor Shaw SOC 474OL 11 August 2016 Overcrowding Prisons Prisons were essentially built to accommodate a number of prisoners, but over the years, it has reached over capacity. Today in the United States, there are approximately 193,468 federal inmates that consist of the Bureau of Prisons Custody, private managed facilities and other facilities. The inmates ages range from 18- 65 with the median age being in their late 30’s. This number is counting both male and female population