Increasing Numbers of Inmates in Prisons - Research Paper Example

?Increasing numbers of inmate in prisons Introduction In 1990, the population of inmates in the United s increased by about 135% since 1980 (Flanagan and Maguire, 1993). This indeed is showing the fact that there is a positive growth of crimes in the United States which increased inmates in the country. Presented in this paper are findings in line with the reason about the dramatic increase of prison system in the United States since 1980s. The proponent discusses the association of some factors with the increase of people detained in the prison cells of the United States. These factors include the increase of older population, the increase of crime and productivity of inmates in the United States. Increase of older population and its impacts Over the years, the population in the United States continues to increase due to high fertility rate, increase of live birth and some other factors such as geographical movement of the people. In 1995 the national population in the United States has grown by 13 million from 1990 (US Census Bureau, 2010). From 2000 to 2006, the US population increased by 6.39% but the overall population growth rate slowed down by 17% (Geo Midpoint, 2011). However, the entire national population in the United States does not shrink in number, rather it continues to grow. Its condition at present time is moving into an upward spiral while it becomes older in general. However, this trend started in 1980s. The population growth rate in 1980 was 10% and 13% in 1990 (US Census Bureau, 2010). In 2000, the US population was growing older with majority of them from fifteen down to fifty-four year old (US Census Bureau, 2010). This implies that the population in the US is getting older. However, a certain study shows that age structure is related to the prison population (Marvell and Moody, 1997). The age groups with high imprisonment rate are eighteen to twenty four, twenty five to thirty four, and thirty five to forty four. In 1980 to 1987, it was the groups with age twenty four to forty four that grew most rapidly (Walker, 1996). This probably explains the dramatic increase of prison system in the United States starting in 1980s. Considering that the population in the United States is getting older and the age of individuals with high imprisonment ranges from eighteen to forty four, the number of crimes is expected to move in an upward spiral. In general, the number of violence and crimes in the United States has a positive association with the increasing number of its older population. For instance, those people who committed crimes or violent behavior at the age of 18 may eventually repeat the same act in the following years of their life. For instance, it is found that re-victimization pattern is associated with imprisonment (Finkelhor et al., 2007). In fact, this study further shows that within family older siblings are most likely to stand as factor for both risk and decrease of re-victimization process. This further implies that age is associated with the increase of crime in the United States. In fact, it is not only in the United States, but in other countries that most of inmates have long criminal records (Tonry, 2004). This means that they have various records of imprisonment or being in prison due to crimes or violent behaviors they committed against the law. These people have committed the same or related crimes all over again due to alcohol and drug abuse (Tonry, 2004). In the United States, substance abuse and alcohol addiction are pervasive issues that the national government has long been given with its wider focus and attention. The fact that these social problems have contributed to the increase of crimes, violent behavior of a person and other related accidents, the government is very eager to alleviate or eventually impede their negative impacts. However, there is another important issue that needs to be closely determined aside from finding for the right solution of these social problems. In the United States, adults and young adults are strongly linked to alcohol addiction and substance abuse. There seems to be a cycling pattern in this issue because adults tend to influence the younger generation. For instance, what the younger generation may see from their preceding age group may substantially create a certain level of influence on them. Study shows that those children with parents who are drug dependents are at a high risk of adolescent drug use, abuse and dependence (Hoffman and Cerbone, 2002). This study further implies that children always look at adults and then have the great chance to be influenced by what they perceive in their environment. This usually starts at home and parents should have specific and important task for their children and that is to be a good example for them. However, in the case of parents who are struggling with bad habits such as excessive alcohol intake and substance abuse, the first to be influenced by these sociological problems are primarily their children. The specific example of parent-to-children influence is a strong proof that adults have important point to share in the increase of crimes and violent behavior in the United States. Although there may be other considerable factors that will help increase the crime rate, the strong influence of adults to their younger generations has the great possibility to create a path for various social problems in the past. Thus, considering that the population in the United States is increasing which comprises a great portion of adults, there is always a great probability that the younger generation will be strongly influenced by the latest trending of behaviors and other related social concerns coming from people of the older generation. This issue is not just a matter of influence, but there is a great portion of the subject about the number of population in the United States and what comprises the most in it. Knowing that adults are primarily linked to crimes and related activities, there is a strong point to consider their level of influence in the society especially that they outnumbered the younger generation. Considering that the number of crimes is associated with the number of adults in the United States, the justification of this observation should be well understood in the first place. In 1980s as discussed earlier, it was already claimed that adults are most likely to be engaged in crimes. This specific trend continues until today. This only proves that there exists a chain of effect that runs from generation to generation. This also implies that there is always a high level of influence that exists among adults and the younger generation within the United States. At this point, it is always safe to say that the increase of older population in the United States contributes to the increase of crimes in the country and eventually the number of prisoners. Increase of crime The growth of crime and violence was remarkable in 1983 in the United States (Siegel, 1983). In behalf of this increase, there were many perspectives that are said to be under close investigation. Psychological analysis was implemented in order to obtain further information regarding this concern. However, one of the most important concerns other than this is to know the impact of increase of crimes in the United States. Intuitively, provided that there are many crime cases that are solved, the eventual impact of crime increase is also the rise of inmates in the prison system. This in particular will need sufficient budget from the government. In some countries, inmates are mushrooming in narrow cells because of lack of budget from the government. Not to mention the other impacts such as increase of diseases or illnesses which at some point will also incur additional costs. It cannot be argued that the increase of crime adds up the number of inmates in prison cells. However, in the United States the rates of crime fluctuate (Winsberg, 1993). This means that over time, there is rise and fall of the crime rate. However, this does not mean that this fluctuation will not add up to the number of inmates detained and confined in the prison cells. In the first place, there are different crimes committed by inmates. Some of them are major crimes and the others are not. This further implies that there are those inmates who would be confined for a few days but it would take years or even within their entire life for others. Considering that there is substantial increase of prisoners’ population since 1980s, it can be said that crimes associated with long years of penalty are increasing in number as well. This goes beyond the fact associated with the increasing population in the United States and its high level of democracy. In fact, there is a major point to consider that democracy may increase crime and the number of inmates (Lin, 2007). This is just one of the major points together with the possibility that the increase of population also increases the number of inmates. However, even if the population increases including the number of crimes committed but the degree of penalties for transgressions are shorter, the number of inmates will not grow rapidly. This eliminates the possibility or chance of having convicts mushrooming in number in the United States’ prison system. In the United States, imprisonment is used for most violent crimes and prisons being employed under specific terms (Tonry, 2004). Thus, it is important to consider that for as long as those inmates are not convicted for a long period of time, prison cells are most likely to cater small number of crime cases. This minimizes the number of persons that the United States’ prison system should cater. However, as stated earlier, it is a reality in the United State’s prison system that some inmates are returning due to series of crimes they committed. Thus, there is no assurance at all that those released convicts will not longer be returning in prison cells. In fact, as stated earlier, most convicts in the United States have series of violent crimes or records. Committing crimes again and again will most probably earn long periods of sentenced terms. Considering that most inmates in the United States’ prison systems have already committed series of crimes, sentenced terms are normally increased. However, the very point of this is still the increase of crime committed which in this case may be defined within the case of a repeat offender. For example, incarceration and gang crimes are strongly associated and have specific positive relationship (Kent et al., 2000). This interrelationship strongly contributes to the increase of crime. For as long as gang crimes continue to exist, having repeat offenders is always a possibility. The main purpose of this is to point out the idea that repeat offenders themselves are the main reasons of the increase of crime rate in the United States. It is in this point that the United States is trying to control repeat crimes by using programs that controls offenders and their state of mind. This has been given a strong attention because repeat offenders are most likely to create greater damage than those who created crime once (Someda, 2009). Since there are more repeat offenders in the United States, it is then implied that crime rate should result to increase of inmates because the degree of crimes committed may inflict different level of sentenced terms. This only shows that the increase of crimes from the point of view of studying repeat offenders has positive impact on the dramatic increase of prison system in the United States. Productivity of inmates Making inmates productive is a specific campaign against the rise of crimes and violent activities in the United States (Tonry, 2004). In the first place, this will have corresponding economic impact. For instance, when inmates are exposed to productive activities such as those that would generate income, additional fund is raised for the government to be used in the prison system. This reduces the rise of cost that is associated with the increase of offenders coming into the prison cells. On the other hand, the psychological impact of exposing convicts on productive activities may pave way to the reduction of prisons in the United States’ prison system. This is the specific individual benefit of the said move (Flanagan and Maguire, 1993). Prisoners are given the opportunity to live a new life while they are being trusted of things at their level. When they are given the chance to be productive like giving them the opportunity for employment, their whole life may change because in the first place they have the opportunity to maximize their full potential. The psychological impact of it is that they are learning to create a strong self-esteem for themselves and they may also learn to appreciate their worth in the society. At this point, the benefit is purely personal as stated by Flanagan and Maguire. This specifically will help reduce the number of crimes in the future because the offender are transformed internally which helps them prevent from committing crimes all over again. As stated earlier, there is a considerable number of inmates in the United States that have series of committed crimes which basically is the main reason of their being convicted within required sentence. This is also further implies that at the moment prisons’ productivity program may not be sufficient or it may be lacking of the ability to control the number of inmates especially those returning ones. As it was stated, economic and personal benefits may be obtain by keeping prisons productive. Finally, Flanagan and Maguire recommended that keeping prisoners productive may also have institutional benefits. At this point, it is important to consider that the United States has tremendously applied the best effort foot forward in order to manage the number of convicts from time to time. This is just a plain implication that indeed the prison system requires careful management because of its specific growth. However, keeping prisoners productive may also imply institutional amendments that will help reduce confinement while ensuring job opportunities, economic benefits and even personal accomplishment among inmates. Conclusion In this paper, the proponent presented some reasons why the prison system faced dramatic increase over the years starting from 1980s. It is clearly discussed that various social concerns pave way to the increase of inmates in the United States. Some of these concerns include population growth and the influence of older generation over the next age group. Then there is indeed an increase of crime which the government needs to address by employing productive measures among inmates. These are just some of the issues that need to be understood in order to have clear identification of the root cause of the dramatic increase of inmates in the United States’ prison system. References Finkelhor, D., Ormrod, R. K., and Turner, H. A. (2007) ‘Re-victimization patterns in a national longitudinal sample of children and youth.’ Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 31 (5): 479-502. Flanagan, T. J., and Maguire, K. (1993) ‘A full employment policy for prisons in the United States: Some arguments, estimates, and implications.’ Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 21 (2): 117-130. Geo Midpoint (2011) US Population trends, 2000-2006: National and regional trends [online] Available from: http://www.geomidpoint.com/population/trends-2006.html (Accessed 6th July 2011). Hoffman, J. P., and Cerbone, F. G. (2002) ‘Parental substance use disorder and the risk of adolescent drug abuse: an event history analysis.’ Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Vol. 66 (3): 255-264. Kent, D. R., Donaldson, S. 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