Crime and Punishment and ways to make our prison system better - Research Paper Example

scourages the use of “probation and parole” as a result of which the offenders are being punished with longer prison terms with rare chances of “being released on parole” (9). Thus, in the present day, incarceration rates have been skyrocketing as a consequence of which there has been prison overcrowding across the US. Evidence further suggests that in 2008 alone, corrections have cost the exchequer a spending of “nearly $75 billion” across federal, state and local government facilities (10).

Thus, it becomes evident that the heavy rate of incarcerations remains a hefty onus on the country’s financial resources. This high rate of incarceration can be perceived as a consequence of lack of education and the prevalence of poverty, which is considerably high in African American ethnic group, and the resultant emergence of a new racism. The Policy Information Report by the Educational Testing Service finds that the rate of incarceration of black youths, especially those who dropped out from school, has increased to such an extent as to “jeopardize the achievement of broader social justice goals” (Coley and Barton 3).

This indicates that there is a gap in the educational opportunities of the Black youth as compared to the White people, which entails a greater number of incarcerations of the youngsters from black ethnical background. Research evidence further suggests that “illiteracy” and the lack of numerical skills are quite high in prisoners and a “half of all prisoners” does not possess any education at all (Crowded Out? The Impact of Prison Overcrowding on Rehabilitation 10). In the modern day, the job market has become highly competitive and business organizations have a wide variety of choices of workforce.

Thus, people who do not possess adequate educational qualification and professional skills remain unemployed. This situation compels them to look for alternative sources of income and they embark on criminal activities for earning