Reflection on the topic i will list below - Research Paper Example

Reflection Possible factors for the increase in prison population in the US in the recent years include increased violence, underground channels of drug and human trafficking, and increased accountability for not-so-violent crimes. Increase in the prison population comes with certain merits, some of which are mentioned in the article including availability of low-cost labor in-home, and increased profitability. However, the demerits of these outcomes include increasing rate of unemployment for the non-violent and responsible citizens outside the prisons as their jobs are being traded over to the prison population as a measure to reduce the cost of business.

Besides, there is incentive for the business owners and stakeholders in the prison to elongate the sentences and increase the prison population even with the prisoners whose crimes are even not factual. The alternative form of punishment that can be suggested for retribution or deterrence is probation. Probation is a kind of community correction in which the offender is allowed to remain in the society but with certain obligations and limits. Probation may require the offender to report the probation officer regularly, be house arrest, or subject to such other restrictions.

Probation obviates the need to imprison the offender and is more flexible compared to imprisonment for the offender. Another form of punishment can be fine imposition. While the fine has to be decided on the basis of severity of crime and the financial status of the offender, it is a strong form of punishment. By imposing fines, the state is also able to collect substantial amount of money that can be used positively for nation-building.