Prison in the United States - Research Paper Example

Prison in the United States Introduction The United States has higher rates of incarceration than any other industrialized country. Changes in American crime policy and sentencing policy are the key contributor to high incarceration rates (Bloom & Covington, 2003, p.1). Moreover, prison sentences in the US are generally longer and hash; indeed, the rise of incarceration rates coincide with the inception of tough sentencing policies. Furthermore, new policies on combating drug trafficking have contributed to the rise in incarceration rates significantly. Similarly, the public demand tougher actions from the criminal justice system. There is overrepresentation of people of color in American criminal justice system (parole, jail, probation). According to Clear, Cole & Reisig (2008, p.471), “African American men are imprisoned in United States at a rate more than three times higher than white males.” In addition, male population under the criminal justice system is higher than female population. The prison system in the US, especially in relation to mass imprisonment has led to collapse of the family units, as parents get imprisoned leaving behind their children. Indeed, the number of single parent householders has increased due to incarceration. Thus, this paper will compare the rate of incarceration in America and other countries, explore the factors contributing to mass imprisonment, significance of gender and race in criminal justice system, and addresses cultural implication of mass imprisonment, conditions of confinement and what we can learn about the American society from the way it treats its prisoners. Describe the rate of incarceration in the U.S. as compared to the rest of the world? The United States has a significant number of inmates compared to other nations; generally, America has 2.3 million incarcerated persons, more than other country. Russia, England, German and Japan respectively rank as countries with high rates of incarceration after the United States. Additionally, prison sentences in the USA are longer than in other nations’ prison terms. Indeed, the country employs tougher justice in hope reducing crime rate. According to Conrad (2005, p. 223), “the rate of incarceration for the United States is 702 for every 100,000 American citizens, the highest rates in the World.” Indeed, the rate of incarceration in the United States is 5-6 times more than other industrialized countries (Mauer, 2003, p.3). The graph below illustrates the incarceration rates in US in comparison with other countries. Source: Mauer, M., (2003). Comparative International Rates of Incarceration: An Examination of Causes and Trends. http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/inc_comparative_intl.pdf Besides, America reports more cases of violent crimes than other industrialized countries. Why does the United States lead other industrialized nations in mass imprisonment? The United States leads other industrialized nations in mass incarceration level due to high numbers of violent crimes, porous borders with Mexico, which inflates drugs trafficking, racial turmoil, criminal justice policies, and degradation of social safety net. In addition, the criminal justice system incarcerates more minor offenders than other nations. Essentially, a large percentage of incarcerated person in the US are put behind due to drug and substance trafficking. Other countries do not impose stringent laws prohibiting drugs trafficking; hence, they have fewer inmates on trafficking grounds. Thus, the America’s measure to combat drug trafficking has led to more incarcerated persons serving longer sentences. Similarly, there is a higher rate of violent crimes related to drugs cartels in America in comparison with other countries. The US criminal justice system is also influenced by democracy; primarily, courts judges, prosecutors are elected, and hence they are subject to public scrutiny. Therefore, the judges and prosecutors tend to be tougher in order to please the public (Mauer, 2003, p.9). This can be attested by the fact that America incarcerates offenders of nonviolent crimes more than other industrialized countries. Contrary, criminal justice employees in other nation are public servants; hence, their decisions are not influenced by public demands. Similarly, changes in the sentencing policies have contributed to 88 percent of prison expansion in the United States. This is emphasized by Mauer (2003, p. 7) who claims that ”sentencing policy changes over a period of three decades, particularly the shift toward mandatory and determinate sentencing, restrictions on judicial discretion, and a greater emphasis on imprisonment as a preferred sanction.” The racial divide in America also plays a role in mass imprisonment; persons of black ethnicity constitute the highest number of incarcerated persons. Moreover, racial discrimination against black Americans makes them more susceptible to criminal activities and imprisonment. Certainly, a number of African-Americans have been victimized due to their color. Specifically, the American culture has branded people of color as troublemakers or criminals, hence leading to massive indiscriminate detention and imprisonment of African-American youths. According to Conrad (2005, p.223), “72 percent of incarcerated persons are people of color, with blacks constituting 46 percent of all incarcerated people”. What are the cultural implications of our use of mass imprisonment on local communities? Mass imprisonment has profound impact on the culture of local communities. Primarily, imprisonment has affected the family unit in American households. Males have been drawn away from their families, leading to growth of single-parent families (Pattillo & Weinman, 2006, p.21). Moreover, it weakens family’s ties due to long periods of incarceration and separations. Thus, children raised in families with incarcerated parents lack parental guidance and end up following their parents’ steps. Indeed, mass imprisonment leads to cycle of incarceration from generation to generation. Moreover, mass imprisonment creates a group of ex-convicts which alginates from the local society. This is due the notion that, after long imprisonment, inmates are unable to reintegrate in the local community. Lastly, mass imprisonment leads to moral and societal decadence as a result of lack of role models and leaders. Besides, families whose breadwinner is incarcerated are likely to engage in antisocial behavior in order to meet their needs. What is the significance of race and gender in the criminal justice system? In American criminal justice system, arrests, pretrial and the sentencing are influenced by race. People of color; African-Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are more likely to be incarcerated than white people in America. According to Clear, Cole & Reisig (2008, p.481), the “criminal justice systems seem to contend with the fact that some races are predisposed to commit crime by nature.” Moreover, offenders of color tend to receive harsher sentences compared to white offenders. This is made worse by law enforcement officers who tend to encourage use racial profiling in their investigations. Further, classification of imprisoned people is race dependant in many states and federal corrections. The number of incarcerate women is lower than their male counterparts; however, there is a record increase (nearly double) in incarcerated women than men since 1980 (Bloom & Covington, 2003, p.1). Furthermore, the existing sentencing laws are male-oriented; consequently, they do not cater for women lives, responsibilities, and characteristics. Essentially, both male and female use similar programs, yet most of these programs are designed for males. In addition, criminal justice system procedure discriminates indirectly some races and gender. Notably, offenders of color and women are generally poor, making them more unlikely to bail themselves from courts, thus tending to remain in prisons. Describe some of the conditions of confinement and ways prisoners are treated. The existing condition of confinement in American prisons includes presence of violence, poor healthcare, inappropriate segregation, oversight and accountability and knowledge and data. Presence of violence in American prisons is not a new phenomenon; however, prisons administrators have done little to cartel this condition. The correctional officers are at a risk of assault from inmates, who also perpetrate violence against each other. Primarily, violence conduct is fueled by the high stress environment in prisons. Common types of violence include rape, gang violence and beatings from officers and stripping. Nevertheless, violence in jails has dire consequences as it leads to severe harm, death, and suicide. Similarly, correction facilities lack effective healthcare; thus, prisoners are exposed to high risks of diseases and illness. Indeed, overcrowding contributes to high transmission rate of communicable diseases in confinements. Moreover, living standards are very low, making inmates to be more vulnerable to contract diseases. Besides, other behavior in jails also facilitates deterioration of health of incarcerated persons, for example, drug, and substance abuse, unprotected sex, tattooing among others. The condition under which healthcare is provided deters inmates from accessing vital treatment, for instance, prisoners are not accorded necessary privacy during treatment. Furthermore, some prisoners are segregated, an aspect of confinement that has counterproductive effects. Evidence of racial segregation and placement of ‘supermax’ facilities is prevalent in American corrections. In addition, there is segregation based on health and disability status. What does the way in which we treat prisoners in the U.S tell us about our society? The treatment and life accorded to prisoners reflects the society’s views and priorities. The US society is self-centered and exploitative, as shown by government and other institutions use of prisoners for free or cheap labor. In addition, corporations are more interested in exploiting inmates in production of their goods than they are concerned with rehabilitation. The government also exploits inmates through state-use-system where inmates are employed to produce goods for institutions consumption and government agencies (Clear, Cole & Reisig, 2008, p.367). Goods produced by inmates are bought at unreasonable prices. In addition, inmates lack adequate essential materials or programs due to unwillingness of state governments to commit funds to prison budgets. Conclusion The rate of incarceration in the United States is 5-6 times more than other industrialized countries, while prison sentences are longer than other nation’s prison terms. It has been established that the US prison system favors mass imprisonment, with many offenders, both violent and non-violent, as well as minors finding themselves behind bars for long periods. Moreover, this is worsened by the fact that the criminal justice system is influenced by public demands. In American criminal justice system, several cases of racial-related arrests, pretrial and the sentencing have been witnessed, with people of color being overrepresented in America criminal justice system. Moreover, the laws used in the criminal justice system are male oriented and do not carter for women specific needs. One effect of mass imprisonment has been the destruction and breakdown of cohesion in family units and local communities. Worse still, ex-convicts find themselves overlooked by the society, as they are usually unable to easily reintegrate in the society; thus increasing chances of recidivism. The existing condition of confinement in American prisons includes presence of violence, poor healthcare, inappropriate segregation, oversight and accountability and knowledge and data. Finally, by observing the treatment accorded to prisoner, one is able to identify that the society is self-centered and exploitative. References Bloom, B. & Covington, S. (2003). Gendered Justice: Women in the Criminal Justice System. Retrieved from http://www.stephaniecovington.com/pdfs/4.pdf. Clear, T., Cole, G. & Reisig, M. (2008). American Corrections. Belmont: Cengage Learning. Conrad, C. (2005). African American in the U.S. Economy. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield. Mauer, M. (2003). Comparative International Rates of Incarceration: An Examination of Causes and Trends. Retrieved from http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/inc_comparative_intl.pdf. Pattillo, M. & Weinman, D. (2006). Imprisoning America: The Social Effects of Mass Incarceration. NY: Russell Sage Foundation. Read More