Overview Of The Events Leading Up To The Corrections Explosion

The Corrections “explosion” in the United States refers to the increase in incarcerated individuals since the 1970s. This surge resulted in overcrowded jails and prisons. This essay will examine the events leading up to the corrections explosion. The effectiveness of suspended sentences and probation in reducing the burden on overcrowded jails and prisons will be discussed. The institutional and societal consequences of high rates of incarceration will be addressed. Events Leading Up to the Corrections Explosion Events that have led up to the corrections explosion include the 1980s War on Drugs, 1980s and 1990s mandatory minimum sentencing laws, three strike laws, and victim rights legislation (Rio Salado College, n.d.). The 1980s war on drugs

Between 1980 and 2010, half of the 222% increase in the nationwide prison population was due to longer sentencing, with the number of prisoners servicing life sentences having increased dramatically (Fair Fight Initiative, n.d.). In previous decades, victim impact statements and truth in sentencing laws required offenders to serve approximately 50% of their sentences, now, as a result of victim’s rights legislation, offenders must serve at least 85% of their sentences (Rio Salado College, n.d.). With inmates serving more time before qualifying for parole, the incarcerated population continues to increase. Events Leading Up to the Corrections Explosion Events that have led up to the corrections explosion include the 1980s war on drugs, 1980s and 1990s mandatory minimum sentencing laws, three strike laws, and victim rights legislation (Rio Salado College, n.d.). The war on drugs in the 1980s led to the implementation of stringent drug laws. For example, the “Mass Incarceration Trends” the passage of the “Anti-Drug Abuse Act” in 1986 imposed five-year mandatory minimums for low-level drug offenses, including the possession or sale of five grams of crack cocaine (Nellis,

If the defendant abides, the defendant does not have to serve a jail term (Sentencing Council, 2022, p. 28). Suspended sentences are effective as they promote rehabilitation by allowing offenders to maintain employment, family relationships, and ties to their community, which are critical to reintegration. Individuals sentenced to suspended sentences are less likely to reoffend than those immediately sentenced to imprisonment or community service Probation is a court-ordered period of supervision in the community, after a court determines guilt, where the defendant is allowed to remain in the community while adhering to specific rules of conduct. Failure to comply with the conditions of probation can result in revocation. Trotter’s article “Reducing Recidivism Through Probation Supervision: What We Know and Don't Know From Four Decades of Research” shows that probation can reduce recidivism, specifically if probation officers are using pro-social modeling and reinforcement, problem solving and cognitive techniques (Trotter,