Overcrowded Prisons and Jails

By: Brittany Routier

In America, we have over 2.3 million prisoners, either in prison or jail. With numbers like
that, it makes us ranked the number one country with prisoners. Why is that number so high? Is
it our criminal justice system? Is it because we actually have that many criminals here in the
United States? You would think with that amount of people behind bars, our crime rate would be
lower. Unfortunately, it is not lower. Every day, we hear something new happening. Civilians
getting shot, stabbed, or robbed. Always hear about gang related crimes. And you cant forget
about the drug related crimes. So, if we have so many people in jails and prisons, theres hardly
any more room left for the other criminals that are out and about every day. In my report, I am
going to be talking about the overcrowded facilities we have here. And some suggestions on how
we can lower the number of people locked up.
Lets look at the factors of why so many people are locked up. Our cultural need we have
to punish people we deem beneath us. We would rather build prisons at great expense than spend
smaller amounts of money attempting to have children grow up to not be criminals. Not saying
we shouldnt punish people for the crimes they have committed, but we dont need to be
throwing every single person we see as a bad person in jail. Maybe they need help. Maybe
someone who is addicted to drugs and is trying to rob a bank is a cry for help. If someone is
addicted to drugs, wouldnt they need rehabilitation before a prison sentence? Taking their record
into consideration of course.

Poverty. People turn to crime after they have lost their job, lost their benefits, and have no
other place to turn. Sometimes, losing a job can have a huge impact on a person. So much, they
want to commit a crime. If that person gets caught, being that they are without a job, they end up
not being able to afford an attorney so they get a public defender. We all know public defenders
dont really fight for you, they hardly say anything while in front of a judge, so said person get
the book thrown at them, landing a prison sentence. Also, people who grow up in run down
neighborhoods, usually dont have much to look forward to, so kids turn to crime and/or gangs,
which then leads them in prison or dead (worst case scenario).
Racial profiling. More than a few inmates are where they are because they were the
wrong color in the wrong place at the wrong time. Look at the statistics. African-Americans and
Hispanics comprised more than 60% of the prisoners, even though African-Americans and
Hispanics make up approximately one quarter of the US population. Do people of color really
get longer sentences or harsher punishments because of the color of their skin? According to
Unlocking America, if African-American and Hispanics were incarcerated at the same rates of
Caucasians, today's prison and jail populations would decline by approximately 50%. That is an
incredibly high percentage.
Lack of rehabilitation. We do a poor job of rehabilitating criminals, and an even worse
job of accepting them back in society after they have paid for their crimes. This contributes to
high recidivism rates, which keep our prisons filled. I have heard before that criminals do miss
being locked up because they cant live in society. So in order to get out of dealing with our
society, they commit another crime and boom back to the prison they go. How is that fair?
Sure I would love to be able to get away from society once in a while, not have to deal with
certain people, but I cant so why should they? We shouldnt be giving them what they want.

Letting them go back to prison or jail because they cant stand it. They shouldnt be given 3
meals a day, amenities, a bed to sleep on, not a care in the world really, just because its easier
for them. I definitely understand with the way our society treats ex-cons. But it shouldnt be that
easy for them. To me, if a prisoner wants to go back to prison because its easier for them, that
means that prison life is too easy. There would be no way I would want to spend my life behind
bars because of a stupid decision I made.
There should be a class or classes while doing time they can take (since they are getting
an education any way) about getting back into society. Learn things to do or what not to do. How
to ace an interview, and how to talk to people. How to work hard at a job, not just working up a
reputation. As I said before, society doesnt treat ex-cons like theyre people. They look at them
with disgust. Thats an extremely big factor as to why someone would want to get away from it.
But instead of just letting it happen, if there were a class in jail or prison, they could learn how to
deal with people who treat them a certain way.
About $70 billion dollars are spent on corrections yearly. Prisons and jails consume a
growing portion of the nearly $200 billion we spend annually on public safety. That is mostly
taxpayers money. I dont know about you, but that number does not thrill me. Especially since
most of the prisoners could be out. In September 2014, a Congressional Budget Office analysis
found that passing a bipartisan bill in Congress to reform mandatory minimum sentences, the
Smarter Sentencing Act, would reduce prison costs by $4 billion in just the first decade.
I found an article that was about juveniles in prison for life without parole. There is
another reason the jails and/or prisons are full, juveniles. Depending on the crime a juvenile
commits should of course be punished the correct way. But letting a juvenile, someone who is
under the age of 18, sit in prison for 50-60 years is absolutely ridiculous. That gives them no

chance at anything. No life, no friends or no family of their own. There are some states who have
banned the use of JLWOP (juvenile life without parole) but there are states that use it. Utah being
one of them who uses it. Every juvenile who commits a crime should have a chance. They are
juvenile, they are immature, and they really dont know any better. Like I said before, depending
on the crime, depends on the sentence, but at least give the kids a chance.
The incarceration rate for woman is increasing drastically. But a woman with a family
that is willing to change for her family, should be able to at least try. If she is addicted to a
substance, she should be placed in rehab instead of jail. That way she can get the help she needs
to get back on her feet and take care of her family. Of course, that is if she is wanting to change
and better herself for her family.
People who are charged with drug crimes shouldnt just be given a jail sentence. Drug
court is an option for someone with an addiction. They are supervised very closely and are given
the appropriate amount of time for the treatment to work. That allows someone to get a job and
have a purpose in life, instead of sitting behind bars. If they have a family, it allows for them to
be there for the family and provide for them. There are other alternatives to just locking someone
up. As stated before, depending on the crime, depends on the punishment. If someone commits a
murder, of course you dont want that person walking around town like nothing happened. But if
someone just got charged for intent to distribute drugs, like marijuana, shouldnt be sentenced 5
10 years.
In August of last year, I had a friend spend a few days in Salt Lake County Jail. Before
she was even booked, she was in a holding cell for 10 hours before they moved her to quarantine
because the jail was so full. That alone tells you the jail is overcrowded. She was only in there
about 4 days because of a DUI, but Im pretty sure she was not supposed to be in quarantine for

that. When she got out she told me some pretty weird stories of the other females that were
locked up there, most of who were detoxing off of meth or heroin. She had mentioned thats
usually what quarantine is for, people who are detoxing, but she was able to experience it
without detoxing.
There honestly needs to be something done with the way our justice system is
overcrowding the jails and prisons. After writing this research paper, I want to find a way to
make something happen. Since I feel this strongly about the issue now, I cant wait to see how I
feel once I graduate college and am able to make some changes.