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The Pros And Cons Of Rapid Growth Of Prisons

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Prison population within numerous states have reached historic highs following decades of rapid growth (Mitchell & Leachman, 2014). Although states statistically spend more on corrections, they continuously underinvest in educating children and young adults (Michell & Leachman, 2014). If states changed focus toward investing in education, it would likely boost economic growth (Michell & Leachman, 2014). Moreover, the overall economies of various states would likely grow stronger and prison populations would plummet (Mitchell & Leachman, 2014). Like any change, there are both positive and negative aspects attached to the overall decision.

Some of the negative aspects involved in reducing expenditures within criminal corrections and diverting the corrections’ funds to early childhood education programs include the fact that states must find money to pay for both incarceration and early education (Hawkins, 2010). As states complete fiscal year budgets, our youth would experience more school closings, school faculty layoffs, diminished school programs, and see a rise in continued education expenses (Hawkins, 2010). Links between education and incarceration are very well documented and researched (Hawkins, 2010). Often, these links lead back to lower income based neighborhoods. …show more content…

Without the proper funds to maintain the overcrowded prison populations, programs within the facilities would be drastically diminished (Mitchell & Leachman, 2014). More importantly, because funds would be limited, criminal corrections would have to rely more on community corrections, which could jeopardize safety within communities. Because it would likely take time for the change to occur, ensuring community safety and proper programs for inmate rehabilitation would result in rebuttal arguments on the overall effectiveness and instant gratification and/or changes within the

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