Spring Break
One out of 100 in U.S. behind bars
Chris Davies, Daily Vidette Staff
Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: News
One percent of those living in the "Land of the Free" are doing so from the friendly confines of a prison cell.
A report by the New York Times stated that U.S. prisons have seen an increase of 25,000 persons over the last year, bringing the total number of inmates to just under 1.6 million.
This number is almost triple of what the prison population was in 1987. The report used information from the Pew Center on the States, which serves to provide research to benefit public interest. The methodology of the Pew Center differs from that of the Justice Department, who calculates that one in every 130 Americans is incarcerated.
The demographics of inmates is alarming as well, many ethnic groups rank much higher than others. The Justice Department data for 2006 states that one in every 36 Hispanic adults is behind bars, and one out of 15 African American adults are in jail as well. The rate of African American males between the ages of 20 and 34 in jail is one in nine. Ben Speck, a junior criminal justice major, believes that this will have a long lasting impact.
"I think the problem of overcrowding is bad, but I had no idea it was this bad. There are so many people in the system I believe that this will just breed more crime instead of the opposite," Speck said.
The report goes on to explain that while incarceration rates have increased, since 1987 the rate of violent crimes has reduced significantly.
This increase in inmates has caused the cost of operating and maintaining penitentiaries rise considerably, a burden that is placed upon the states. The report states that in 2007, states spent $44 billion on corrections facilities, at an average of $23,876 to incarcerate a single criminal.
Erin Shaw, a freshman graphic design major, believes that if more were done to reform punishments this would not represent such a large problem.
"The amount of people in jail is kind of outrageous, I really think that the time served for different crimes should be looked at. Someone [like a predatory criminal] should really be locked up for a long time, but those who commit smaller crimes shouldn't," Shaw explained.
The New York Times article stated how many states "recycle" their non-violent criminals. These states release these criminals only to have them commit similar crimes and serve time again, like California's "Three Strikes" law. This represents the major problem in overcrowding of prisons.
A report by the New York Times stated that U.S. prisons have seen an increase of 25,000 persons over the last year, bringing the total number of inmates to just under 1.6 million.
This number is almost triple of what the prison population was in 1987. The report used information from the Pew Center on the States, which serves to provide research to benefit public interest. The methodology of the Pew Center differs from that of the Justice Department, who calculates that one in every 130 Americans is incarcerated.
The demographics of inmates is alarming as well, many ethnic groups rank much higher than others. The Justice Department data for 2006 states that one in every 36 Hispanic adults is behind bars, and one out of 15 African American adults are in jail as well. The rate of African American males between the ages of 20 and 34 in jail is one in nine. Ben Speck, a junior criminal justice major, believes that this will have a long lasting impact.
"I think the problem of overcrowding is bad, but I had no idea it was this bad. There are so many people in the system I believe that this will just breed more crime instead of the opposite," Speck said.
The report goes on to explain that while incarceration rates have increased, since 1987 the rate of violent crimes has reduced significantly.
This increase in inmates has caused the cost of operating and maintaining penitentiaries rise considerably, a burden that is placed upon the states. The report states that in 2007, states spent $44 billion on corrections facilities, at an average of $23,876 to incarcerate a single criminal.
Erin Shaw, a freshman graphic design major, believes that if more were done to reform punishments this would not represent such a large problem.
"The amount of people in jail is kind of outrageous, I really think that the time served for different crimes should be looked at. Someone [like a predatory criminal] should really be locked up for a long time, but those who commit smaller crimes shouldn't," Shaw explained.
The New York Times article stated how many states "recycle" their non-violent criminals. These states release these criminals only to have them commit similar crimes and serve time again, like California's "Three Strikes" law. This represents the major problem in overcrowding of prisons.
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