Overcrowding Problem in Prisons - Coursework Example

Problem Analysis Though prison conditions have improved to a large extent there is still the concern of overcrowding of facilities which lead to badconditions in many prisons. This is due to the increase in the inmate population which has resulted in shortage of living space for prisoners. In the current scenario the prisons are functioning to packed capacity which leads to prisoners having to share their living space or having to live in open dormitories. This is contradictory to the reforms that insist on good facilities to prisoners. This has become a global problem and a cause for concern for the entire prison administration. Defining overcrowding can also mean stating the result of overcrowding and its effects on humans. Research has focused on spatial density which is the amount of space or square feet available for a person in a particular facility. Social density is described as the number of people sharing a room in the facility which is the biggest factor when it comes to crowding in a facility. There are other factors as well that might contribute to increase the density like personal control and the environment as well. The overcrowded environment can have a bad effect on the individuals and can cause antisocial behaviour caused due to boredom and lack of control. The overcrowded situations have three types of effects on the prison settings. To begin with there is a shortage of everything including space and other resources which have to be shared to the limits. The prisoners get very limited opportunities to take part in development and rehabilitation programs. The boredom caused due to lack of work can lead to misbehaviour and controlling problems for the concerned authority. Since the resources have to be shared everything from washroom facility to recreational things are curtailed leading to frustration and violence. The other effect of overcrowding is directly on the individual’s behaviour. The overcrowded environment puts a stress on the individual in addition to the general environment of the place itself. Boredom, anxiety and the loss of identity can cause a major setback along with the degrading conditions experienced by the individual. Each person reacts in different ways to these conditions and could display extreme aggression, withdrawal or even resort to violence to counter the environmental effects. No matter which way they react it would not be a healthy or social. One of the basic factors that get impacted is the social interaction which becomes fragile due to the competitive means of survival which they need to adapt in order to exist. When a person is put in an overcrowded situation he tends to view everyone around him in an unpleasant manner which leads to an unhealthy social interaction. Similarly privacy is completely lost due to which even conversations are mostly kept to the general context. The third effect is the lack of good administration due to the heightened demand factor and the limited space constraints which have an adverse effect on the individual. In particular the space constraint has lead to misclassification of prisoners depending on the space available. This is however against the standard segregation methods that are meant to be used for security purposes. The result of this can be that the individual progress id slackened thereby increasing his tenure in the facility. This misclassification of prisoners due to lack of space can mean that the prisoner is made to adapt to the situation instead of the program being made to suit his purpose which has a major negative effects on the individual. This becomes a vicious cycle wherein the lack of space leads to misclassification of the prisoner having to spend time with the wrong roommates which in turn causes stress. This eventually leads to misconduct due to lack of proper supervision and services, followed by restriction in progress and a failure to adjust into the system resulting in no parole. Studies have shown that overcrowded situations can be tolerated for short durations whereas over a long period it leads to stress and other psychiatric conditions. Suicide rates tend to increase in overcrowded situations. However these effects are cannot be generalised to all prisons and can vary as per situations. The consequences of lack of space can have a negative effect on not only the system but rehabilitation of the prisoner as well as would not help in getting the individual back to the society in good terms. In addition to the overcrowding a badly designed facility can create further problems. Building the right type of correctional facilities can reduce he problem to a large extent. Research has proved that prisoners who have their own space tend to progress faster within the system. This shows that more than enough space it is the access to privacy that matters to most inmates. In addition to this territorial behaviour can be accommodated with good planning as it is a common to all prisons. Measures to control overcrowding “1)     Invest in community punishments that work and command the confidence of the community 2)     Divert mentally ill people from the courts and into treatment 3)     Provide drug treatment in the community 4)     Reduce unnecessary remand 5)     Stop recalling so many people to prison for technical breaches of their licence” ( Juliet Lyon. Prison reform trust). Overcrowding can also be controlled if the courts can be more flexible in treatment of cases. Small offences like drinking etc. do not need imprisonment and instead can be taken case of with other alternative punishments and thereby reduce the inflow of inmates into the correctional facilities. We could look at possible correctional supervision or compensation to the victim instead of the extreme measure of imprisonment. Especially in the case of juvenile offendents hey can be put in he custody of a responsible person or guardian to have a check on them or mild cases can be discharged with a reprimand as well. The main problem with the judicial system is that it is extremely overloaded. Plea-bargaining has helped ease the situation to a large extent with being not only effective but also efficient. This however has been debated for very long as some find the system unfair to the defendants though it helps in easing the strained judicial system. Another possible way out would be to use the unused military barracks as temporary prisons which can house minor offenders who will be able to work and yet be disciplined without becoming a burden to the tax payer. The prison plays the part of keeping the dangerous individuals from society. Keeping this in mind the offenders can be rehabilitated and punished at the same time by curtailing their freedom. The present system needs to be redesigned in the aspect of rehabilitation wherein the prisoner is released back with better values and motivation so that he does not attempt the crime again. This can be done by taking away his freedom while leaving his dignity intact. A long term plan needs to be in place where we look at the root cause like giving proper support and care to children to make them an advantage to the society. Proper education can be an effective method in controlling juvenile crime. In case of aggressive individual proper training and discipline can work wonders. Since prevention is better than cure we must look at addressing the problem in the root before it gets out of control. The sentencing system needs to be readdressed and should start with small punishments and gradually taken to the maximum. Release formalities must be improved for the criminals, this would ensure the individuals make use of the system and keep moving in the stipulated time. Monitoring and expediting cases could further help in clearing out the extras. Timely monitoring of inmates to judge their progress can divert some of them into various other programs while making way for the fresh inmates. Pre trail programs can help with releasing individuals before the trial by providing the necessary information to decision makers to make the necessary decision of either safely releasing the defendant or have him under supervision until further progress. Most of the imprisoned are there because they could come up with the money for bail. Bail reform needs to be overhauled to ease the overcrowding i the prisons. In addition special courts to handle drug violations, domestic violence can enhance the justice system and help in giving justice at a faster rate. Alternative programs to keep the individual in the society with the required supervision can also be a good solution to keeping the prison from overcrowding. All these systems can be improved upon with the help of the judicial system but none of them can be taken as the only solution to the problem. In addition to the above the release programs do not function in a timely manner with he authorities becoming extremely cautious. This results in offenders serving more time than required. New and reformed sentencing methods need to replace the present ones. Community residential services can also be great alternatives to reducing crowds at prison facilities. Political commitment and good leadership is required to redirect resources and fund the right programs. Conclusion The problem of prison overcrowding due to over population and increased crime rates has to be controlled with the proper long term solutions. It will not be possible for countries to increase prison space to keep up with the increasing offender population. The public needs to be educated that imprisonment is a fairly new method of punishment whereas corporal and capital punishment were the common ones earlier. “It has been estimated by certain quarters [APCCA] that there are now approximately six million prisoners in the world of which approximately 2.5 million are from the countries of Asia and Pacific Region. It is very likely that the number of prisoners will continue to increase”. (Overcrowding of Prisons and Non-Institutional Treatment of Offenders). The judiciary authorities along with the police should take a positive step towards seeking solutions along with the prison authorities to reduce the overcrowding of the facilities. Positives solutions can be taken in small steps and then move on when we get the desired results. Works Cited K.T. Sangameswaran. The Hindu. Southern States. 22nd June, 2003. http://www.hinduonnet.com/2003/06/22/stories/2003062205970100.htm PRISON OVERCROWDING. 1996. JOHN HOWARD SOCIETY OF ALBERTA. 24th Aug, 2008. http://www.johnhoward.ab.ca/PUB/C42.htm Juliet Lyon. Prison reform trust. OCT 2005 – Five ways to stem prison overcrowding. 24th Aug.2008. http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/subsection.asp?id=349 Overcrowding of Prisons and Non-Institutional Treatment of Offenders. 24th Aug, 2008. http://www.acpf.org/Asia/Sri%20Lanka/PpSriLankaItem3.pdf Read More