Overcrowded Prisons Pros And Cons Essay

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There are many problems in the correctional system in the United States. One of the main problem is that prisons are overcrowded. These prisons have been overcrowded for a very long time. Prisons are overcrowded, understaffed, and underfunded. One solution to this problem is placing offenders with minor offenses on house arrest.Prisons could let offenders out early and placing them on house arrest. With the breakthrough in technology this would allow the offender to be monitored by a monitoring device. This would help because it would save the taxpayers money and would let the correctional system focus on more serious offenders. House arrest has become more popular with prisons becoming overcrowded. House arrest is where the offender is restricted …show more content…

The first con is that an offender has less supervision compared to a person placed in a prison or jail. There are no guards walking through every hour or room searches but there are random house visits once or twice a month. Even with house visits it's very easy for an offender to commit crimes while still on house arrest. An offender could sell drugs, run a gang, or abuse there children or spouse while on house arrest. Another con of house arrest is that the offender is responsible for paying for his device. This makes it unfair because some offenders may not be able to afford it and have to go to a government facility. Another con is that many people think that house arrest people get off easy. We are in the “Tough on Crime” era in society so people think that the offenders should have to serve out their time in a government facility. And Because they are on house arrest they do not have to be in there house all day every day. This is another reason why people think they get off easy. That also brings up the point of people not feeling safe with people that have committed a serious crime and are on house arrest are out there. I can first hand say that when a person see’s you with an ankle bracelet on they get pretty scared. Another con is that some offenders have found away to take the devices off without detection