Reincarceration Essay

In modern times, the reformation of prisons has become a pressing issue. The current penal system is often criticized for its poor treatment of inmates and how little they care for the basic human rights of incarcerated people. Prisons are overcrowded, understaffed, and under-resourced, leading to harsh living conditions that can exacerbate mental health problems and increase the likelihood of reoffending. In order to help prisoners adjust to the real world and create a better lifestyle after their time in jail, the government must provide educational programs to help prisoners learn skills so that they can find jobs after their release. These alterations will help lower incarceration rates and keep people from reincarceration. Social classes

Reincarceration is what causes most people to get stuck in the loop of going in and out of prison most. Once the process starts, it is difficult for the felons to escape from the cycle. Studies show that “in the State of New Hampshire, approximately 96 percent of people currently incarcerated will someday return to our communities" (American Jail Society). It is very common for ex-prisoners to end up back in jail. Things like parole time and limits set on them once freed keep them in the system, making reincarnation easier and only a matter of time. Statistics show that “over 600,000 individuals are released from prison annually and three-quarters of them are rearrested within five years of their release” (APA). Change must be made soon in order to fix such unfortunate odds for released

Prisoners were sent into dungeons that were often dark, damp, and unsanitary places where they would be subjected to terrible mistreatment. The effects of these conditions were devastating and long-lasting and would cause many to gain diseases. Prisoners were locked into inhumane cells and would spend days at a time in solitary confinement. Physical health would deteriorate quickly due to malnutrition, dehydration, and disease. These cells were not fit for humans to live in and would often cause prisoners to die because of such terrible treatment. Human rights would not be something that prisoners had until very recently. Lenny O'Keefe and Kraig D. Emery of the American Jail Association write, “In the past, corporal punishment and capital punishment were considered useful deterrents to criminal behavior. In the past, societies incarcerated offenders in places such as dungeons, the galleys of warships, and primitive jails. Not until 1777, when prison reformer John Howard penned an essay titled ‘The State of Prisons,’ did the treatment of prisoners become more humane”(AJA). Mental health did not exist back then, and people in charge of prisons would let prisoners live in places that would make them lose sanity and health very