The Pros And Cons Of The US Prison System

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This study exposes the shortcomings of the US prison system. Although the prison system is a correctional system, its internal regulations primarily serve to damage rather than to help inmates better themselves. In addition, it is clear that the jail system cannot accommodate the number of inmates due to overcrowding. Large sums of money are allocated to prisons, but they are still filthy and unable to offer better programs to keep inmates out of jail and guide them to a reasonably successful future free from crime. Although the prison system exists to punish criminals, it is known for being oblivious to society since it is corrupt and overcrowded, conceals convicts experiences, and frequently alters its laws through reforms The prison system …show more content…

As a point of reference, the prison system conceals the victim's experience since the inmates don’t have much access to outside communication, and are allowed to have horrible relationships with staff and other inmates. To support an article states, “Most correctional facilities allow limited movement and communication, scant access to work or educational programming, and hostile and dehumanizing relations with staff.” (Howard; Website) In that statement, it proves that correctional facilities limit what prisoners can express and make living socially harsh. The horrible conditions, and relationships between staff and inmates, create more crime and oftentimes lead to mental health issues due to trauma, and physical illness. An example of how bad the conditions of the prison is stated in an article titled “Prison Reform Should Be a Bipartisan Issue”, “The walls of the rooms had residue of human feces, bodily fluids, blood, dirt, and mold. The community showers were recently scrubbed of black mold-some which remained.”The report adds that inmates said that they “did not have access to their attorneys, families, or proper nutrition.” This is enough evidence to prove how unsanitary and unjustified the prison system can be, and to be living in those conditions makes sense as to why many prisoners face physical and mental illness. A direct …show more content…

The reason the US prison system is corrupt is that the US is unable to attend to and help each and every one of its inmates that are in correctional facilities. A great example of this is stated as “America is only 4 percent of the global population but 22 percent of the world's prison population.” (Banfield, Website) Meaning that we are so little of the global population yet such a big percentage of the world's prison population. The US also do not want their inmates to share personal stories since it would bring the Prison system into a lot of accusations in they will not be able to handle. EVIDENCE:“Most correctional facilities allow limited movement and communication, scant access to work or educational programming, and hostile and dehumanizing relations with staff.” (Howard;Website) The prison system is trying to fix its corrupt correctional system by creating reforms and which it has shown efficiency. Although it is not able to fix the hardships that were committed under the prison system before the reform. Alongside all of that the prions systems require a lot of money. EVIDENCE: “The First Step Act does more than initiate criminal justice reform; it restores dignity and decency back into the conversation and sends a message that despite our differences, with proper rehabilitation and help, we all deserve a second chance.” ( Vargas; Website) Therefore the Prison system