Crime In America

In the CNN documentary, "Maximum Insecurity," journalists take a deep look into the United States "Get Tough on Crime" policy that has made our nation become very complicated in the last couple of decades. There are a number of problems America is facing when it comes to how the criminal justice system is being considered. The costs the government and its citizens are paying are becoming extravagant and the issue still stands on whether or not criminals are getting rehabilitated or just preparing for a despicable life once they are set free. There are also concerns surrounding the decisions judges and lawmakers are making towards the correct sentences offenders should be receiving.

The documentary went behind bars to give extensive analysis on what exactly wards endure when they are placed in such facilities. It said that criminals are stripped of their clothes and their dignity. Most of them are overwhelmed with fear, but must not show it or the situation will become much worse. It just takes time for them to eventually get used to. In America there are 450,000 men and women in county jails alone. One in every 140 adults is behind bars. Texas has about 30,000 inmates housed in county jails and one fourth of them are non-violent drug offenders. The 1980 baby-boomer is when violent crimes became most prevalent. Ever since then, the rates have been increasing dramatically. There is a huge increase in the amount of crimes women produce nowadays too. Americans have always been sensitive about crime and there has been an ever-growing coverage by the media that scares most people. News of crime, especially as portrayed on television, has brought a sense of closeness of danger into our living rooms. American citizens list the fear of crime as an overriding concern in their lives

"Maximum Insecurity" mentioned that there was rising violence behind bars, which makes Americans think, are these people actually learning there lessons in there? Most Federal law makers make strict sentences without any parole. There is a high percentage of people in prison for simple drug offenses. Just the knowledge of a drug crime can put a person in for ten years. That is one of the many reasons why the "three strikes law" was established; to filter out the extremely violent offenders from our society and not waste more time and money on the people that do not pose as much of a threat to the public. Most conservatives on Capital Hill agree that sentencing discretion should be taken away judges and given to prosecutors who know more about certain cases. Sentences these days are too extreme and do more damage than good. The punishment should fit the crime.

The film said that Texas has the highest incarceration rate in the country with 118,000 behind bars and that their inmates work without wages. Two out of three states have habitual offender laws. One of the biggest concerns facing this system is the increase in prisoners over fifty years old. Many prison populations are becoming older. The older offender requires an environment that is more slowly paced. The need for specialized programming and medical services will be, moreover, required. Similarly, more people will be dying in prison, not only due to longer sentences, but also because of scourges such as AIDs and drug-resistant tuberculosis. It will be necessary to develop special units for those offenders with specific health needs.

Currently, prison populations are a mix of short-term offenders and "lifers," definite and indefinite sentenced inmates, the young and the old. This diversity is reflected in a wide variety of program offerings. For example, programs which offer a short, strong turn around - like boot camps and vocational education - primarily benefit younger, short-term inmates. It is three times the cost for old people to be incarcerated. $50,000 to $70,000 is spent a year for an elderly person that is locked up. An average of $25,000 is spent on a younger inmate. Training will become more diverse in the future. Reflecting the prison population, our employees will have to become better versed in supervising and caring for the very young, the very old, the mentally ill and the infirm. A lot of citizens believe that these people no longer pose a threat and should be released early, but parole boards are not likely to release convicted murderers. When convicts are released, it is very difficult for them to find work and a place to live. They need more help because most do not have friends or relatives. Prisoners facing decades of incarceration will need tools with which to battle becoming institutionalized - not only as a humane gesture, but also to prepare for their survival after their eventual release.

It is ridiculous, in my opinion and to most others, how much money is spent on corrections these days. The film gave some rates as to how much America is spending yearly. It said that California just opened up sixteen new facilities and it costs $24 billion to operate them a year. The government will pay $350 billion to keep up with the flood of inmates in the next couple of decades. They are spending more on corrections than on education. In the book, Smart Sentencing, it says, "Crime is a major social problem in the United States. Until recently, this country had few sentencing options for punishing criminals. Offenders were either incarcerated or given ordinary probation....In search of remedies, many states began to experiment with intermediate sanctions, punishments