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Prison Overcrowding In Prison

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Prison Overcrowding and the Death Penalty
There are 2.3 million people incarcerated in prison or jail in the United States of America. The United States of America has the highest incarceration of any country in the world. One out of five people in prison is in there for drug crimes (Rabuy, 2017). Prison overcrowding is inhumane and unnecessary to protect society from offenders. Prison overcrowding is due to mandatory minimum sentences, three strikes laws, the war on drugs, and lack of rehabilitation programs. In addition, there is little evidence that the death penalty reduces crime, and it costs more than to keep a prisoner for life.
Mandatory Minimum Sentences
The mandatory minimum sentences have greatly contributed to the prison overpopulation …show more content…

The law was intended for violent crimes. Three strikes laws are used excessively in for crimes like theft or drug possession. In California, Leandro Andrade was given two consecutive terms of twenty-five years to life for three felony theft, drugs and burglary in 1995 (Heyer, 2012). Perhaps Andrade could have been rehabilitated, but instead, he is one of many prisoners in the overcrowded prisons in California. Three strikes laws overcrowd prisons by giving people excessive sentences for crimes that do not fit the punishment. The three strikes laws should not be used on nonviolent …show more content…

The death penalty has also put innocent people to death. Housing inmates for life would contribute to the overcrowding problem, but financially the death penalty does not make sense. Solving the problem of mandatory minimum sentences, the war on drugs, three strikes laws and other failures of the prison system would make room for life inmates and not use the death penalty. The cost is extremely high, and it is not worth the risk. There is no evidence that the death penalty prevents crimes from happening. Abolishing the death penalty will save money and keep innocent people from dying.
Conclusion
Three strikes laws, the war on drugs, lack of rehabilitation programs and mandatory minimum sentences have caused the prison overcrowding problem in the United States. Furthermore, the death penalty is not a solution to crime and cost society. Rehabilitation is key to preventing prison overcrowding, preventing future crimes, and offenders becoming a successful citizen in

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