...this path by reducing personnel costs, reducing beds and eliminating certain programs. The specific strategies that were adopted for such savings however differed. For example, Maine changed the way it provided medication to inmates and renegotiated its health contract with its healthcare provider. Even more controversial, some states reduced the amount of food given to inmates. An example is Georgia which reduced the meals given to inmates, but still provided the same calories. Other states including New York and Kansas stopped their planned technology upgrades and postponed their expenditure plans. However, the cost-cut measures that were employed by different states correction facilities included downsizing programs, closing facilities and reducing personnel costs. Downsizing programs Before the fiscal crisis, different states invested heavily on community supervision services through the expansion of treatment and other programs. However, the budget deficits made the states make cuts on those programs. Over 20 states reduced or eliminated programs, renegotiated or discontinued contracts (Mears, 2010). An example are Louisiana that consolidates some of its...
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...this path by reducing personnel costs, reducing beds and eliminating certain programs. The specific strategies that were adopted for such savings however differed. For example, Maine changed the way it provided medication to inmates and renegotiated its health contract with its healthcare provider. Even more controversial, some states reduced the amount of food given to inmates. An example is Georgia which reduced the meals given to inmates, but still provided the same calories. Other states including New York and Kansas stopped their planned technology upgrades and postponed their expenditure plans. However, the cost-cut measures that were employed by different states correction facilities included downsizing programs, closing facilities and reducing personnel costs. Downsizing programs Before the fiscal crisis, different states invested heavily on community supervision services through the expansion of treatment and other programs. However, the budget deficits made the states make cuts on those programs. Over 20 states reduced or eliminated programs, renegotiated or discontinued contracts (Mears, 2010). An example are Louisiana that consolidates some of its...
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...The current state of corrections in the United States is deplorable. Prisoners succumb to the mental and physical abuse, and the disgraceful living conditions of corporate owned penal institutions; all paid for, out of pocket, by the American taxpayer. To some, investing tax revenue into privately owned prisons seemingly reduces costs of new prisons and staff, as read in the previously cited article by Brian Kincade, “These private companies offer a correctional solution that prevents the government from having to sink capital into the brick-and-mortar of new prisons and other long term costs such as pensions, salaries, and health-care for new prison staff.” The exemption of prison cost seems like a promising factor when evaluating whether...
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...this path by reducing personnel costs, reducing beds and eliminating certain programs. The specific strategies that were adopted for such savings however differed. For example, Maine changed the way it provided medication to inmates and renegotiated its health contract with its healthcare provider. Even more controversial, some states reduced the amount of food given to inmates. An example is Georgia which reduced the meals given to inmates, but still provided the same calories. Other states including New York and Kansas stopped their planned technology upgrades and postponed their expenditure plans. However, the cost-cut measures that were employed by different states correction facilities included downsizing programs, closing facilities and reducing personnel costs. Downsizing programs Before the fiscal crisis, different states invested heavily on community supervision services through the expansion of treatment and other programs. However, the budget deficits made the states make cuts on those programs. Over 20 states reduced or eliminated programs, renegotiated or discontinued contracts (Mears, 2010). An example are Louisiana that consolidates some of its...
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...reduction that allows an individual to come down from a mandatory minimum and be eligible for a sentence along the federal guidelines. This is only one of many suggestions that would help save taxpayers money, reduce the federal prison population, and result in fairer sentences for non-violent first time offenders. There are three main categories that can trigger a mandatory minimum. The most common penalty for mandatory minimums applies to drug trafficking. Under this statute the minimum must be met if there is a particular type of drug that exceeds a certain amount, a sale to someone under the age of 21, the employment of an individual under the age of 21, and/or occurring within 1,000 feet of a school zone. The second most common is a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence when there is possession or use of a firearm in connection with certain underlying offenses. The third and most frequently applied mandatory minimum is triggered by a defendant’s prior criminal history (18 U.S.C .924 (c)). There are two possible ways to avoid a mandatory minimum sentence; one is “substantial assistance” and two is the “safety valve”. These relief mechanisms bring defendants under the mandatory minimum and therefore are sentenced under the guidelines. Overcrowding of prisons in America is an ongoing problem that continues to...
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...Prison Overcrowding in the US Name: Institutional Affiliation: Prison Overcrowding in the US Introduction Prison overcrowding in the US is a serious problem that has remained elusive for many decades. The problem of prison overcrowding emerged since the invention of prison as correctional facilities in the 19th century and until now; it is still troubling the authorities. Overcrowding in modern prisons is multidimensional problem. Various reasons are blamed for the challenge but they significantly differ from one nation to the other. Causes of prison overcrowding are not limited to the bounds of criminal justice but stretch to other facets of authorities including social welfare plans, availability and ease of access to health services, formal education and job opportunities. Debates on how to handle this issue on political platforms is an enough illustration of the problems political leaders undergo in looking for a lasting solution challenged by increased pressure from court orders and rigorous financial crisis. It is therefore evident that it is much easier to have overcrowded prisons than it is to develop and implement effective and efficient ways to manage overcrowding in prisons. Overcrowding in prisons is a broad problem that is centered on issues of policies and crime research. These issues involve criminal sentencing, the role of correctional facilities and sentences, accommodation of prisoners with access to health care and rehabilitation services and causes of crimes...
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...opinion, I believe that before the 1800s women’s prisons happened to be very developed for the women that committed crimes and caused problems. Before the 1800s, in prisons there happened to be these types of devices that were used, which were called the Brank, and it was used to punish and control the women that happened to be outspoken women and the women that disobeyed their husbands. At this time, things happened to get very bad for women. Before the 1800 century, the type of punishment that was used for women happened to be given in many different forms which really caused problems during this time. Some of the women that happened to be serious offenders happened to be hung or even burned. Plus, there happened to be some women that were sold as slaves to others. Since then women’s prisons have changed completely. If they were to commit a crime they will be punished for it, but they will be punished in the proper way without violating their rights. A number of individuals happen to argue that the 1800 century and the early 1900 century happened to be a period in which the change of the juvenile criminals would have taken place. There were a lot of key features that were in the juvenile justice system which happened to cause tension between the systems of punishment and reformation, plus the separation of all of the juveniles from adults of the criminal justice system. I believe that if there wasn’t a difference between the prisons for the juveniles and adults there would be...
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...national legal systems and our daily lives. However, growing levels of legal and political integration now demand that we broaden our vision of European law to encompass the domestic legal systems of individual European states. Some work has already begun in this regard,[2] but it is only on rare occasions such as this that we can engage in a meaningful exchange of ideas and information on areas of common concern. Criminal justice is a most appropriate and worthy topic with which to begin. In times past, sentencing would not have featured very prominently at a conference of this kind. Back in 1965 when Sir Rupert Cross decided to devote his inaugural lecture as Vinerian Professor of Law at Oxford University to the topic of “Paradoxes in Prison Sentences”[3] he felt constrained to begin with a rather lengthy explanation as to why an academic lawyer might choose such a topic. He referred, for example, to a recent government report[4] which had...
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...Capital Punishment and Crime Deterred Should capital punishment be used in a justice system to deter the level of serious crimes in a society? There have been arguments that capital punishment is the best way to deter crime and arguments that say it is not all over the world. The justice system is in place to keep societies functioning proper, and punish those who hurt that goal, capital punishment is one of the ways that have been aiding in the success. If capital punishment does act as a deterrent for crime, shouldn’t a society use it as a tool for the justice system? However, if capital punishment does not act as a deterrent for crime, then should it be scrapped by the justice system and emphasis be placed on looking for a new way to deter crime? This is more than just a crime deterrent issue because it involves taking a life to save a life. This is an ethical issue of whether capital punishment is the best way to solve the problem, and this has been argued by millions of people all over the world for decades and it is still a highly debated topic to this day. Capital Punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the practice of sentencing a person to execution as punishment for a capital crime after a proper legal trail. It is typically only used as a form of punishment for people who commit serious types of murder. It may not be known, because many countries never actually use it, but there are 58 countries that currently have a form of the death penalty (Unknown, 2010)...
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...The Value of Community Corrections Sharvon P. Woodard Professor: Tiffani Davis Introduction to Sociology January 29, 2012 Society defines community corrections as a set of penalties and sanctions given to people convicted of crimes that are unrelated to imprisonment. Community corrections frequently come in the form of probation or commuted sentencing from a parole board, often upon release from prison. Examples of these penalties include residence in halfway homes, monitoring by reporting centers, work release programs, house arrest, and general community supervision. Community corrections programs serve the purpose of monitoring behavior of the convicted criminal, evaluating the likelihood of recidivism, holding criminals accountable to monitoring standards, establishing rehabilitative programs that serve a positive socializing function, and contributing to financial efficiency goals of the community. The type of corrections program is typically adjusted across a range of factors, including supervision, rehabilitation, and counseling. Each of these interests has the long-term goal of reducing the risk of future criminal activity and keeping the community safe. The most properly functioning community corrections programs streamline punishments with the needs of the criminal based on active assessments and risk awareness (Belenko & Taxman, 2011). The idea is that these personalized programs will ultimately be more helpful than a simple stay in local penitentiary...
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...During the 1800s women who went to prison were considered to be guilty both under the moral law and criminal law. The reason for this is because of the fact that she broke the moral laws society sets for women as well as the criminal law in place for all. There were many ways that criminals were punished during the 1800s; hanging, burning, banishment and slavery. The ones that were committing adultery or even killing her husband were automatically burned alive. Those that had only committed a misdemeanor crime were punished by things such as whippings, branding, and being placed in the stocks. There were even social punishments that were put in place just to promote public humiliation and shame to themselves and their families. There was even a mask like cage was placed over the woman’s face so that their husbands and fathers could punish them for being outspoken, gossiping, and disobeying. It was during the late 18th and 19th century there was a complete change in the way that juvenile criminals were treated. The first was that penitentiary life was extremely hard on the youth that were being imprisoned and therefore doing more harm than good. The second was that when the youth were in the prison with the older adults, they were learning bad behavior and habits from them which would cause further problems later on. The last is that the young people would only be rehabilitated if they were treated better by people that understood the children and how they behave. If there was...
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...Racial Disparity in Sentencing Racial disparity in sentencing in the criminal justice system is a problematic issue. Individuals often believe that racial disparity in sentencing does not exist; however, substantial proof in the criminal justice system proves otherwise. According to statistics of Marc Mauer, “unprecedented rise in the populations of prisons over the past three decades is a six fold increase, resulting in the incarceration of nearly two million Americans.” The breakdown of statistics is as follows: “One in every eight African-American male groups between 25-34 year old is a result of incarceration and 32% of African-American males born to society can expect to spend a term in a federal or state prison if the current racial disparity continues” (Mauer, 2004, p. 79). Four reasons of Racial Disparity The four reasons for the flourishing continuance of racial disparity in the criminal justice sentencing process are ineffective assistance of procedural bars, and council, jury selection and venue, prosecutorial discretion, and juror racism (Tabak, 1999, p. 6). Research documenting states like New York and California prosecutions have board spectrums concerning discretion seeking capital punishment; however, these four reasons apply to cases, which capital punishment is sought. “Capital punishment can be sought for intentional murders which individual may commit during the course of a felony and the intent to commit murder can be formed instantaneously before the...
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...A prison is in place to confine and deprive people from their basic freedoms. A prison is an institution that is part of the criminal justice system that is imposed for the conviction of a crime. A criminal that is charged or going to be charged will be held in a prison if unable to come up with the money for bail. A criminal defendant is also placed in a prison if they are found guilty of a crime (Americanprisonsystem.com, 2009). The penitentiary was a stepping stone in the evolution of the prison. The penitentiary, however, was the first attempt to use confinement as the punishment itself. In England, one of the first models for the modern prison was intended to provide a place of penance for prostitutes. No matter where most of us live in the world the modern day penitentiary has some philosophy and design history. The penitentiary is a place that posted to be clean and healthy for the inmates. In addition, it a place that ensures the punishment the judge gives to the criminals and other punishment while in the penitentiary (Foster, "Chapter 2/The Penitentiary Ideal," 2006). The criminals are able to think about his or her wrongdoing and try to accomplish a change in life while incarcerated. The ideal for penitentiary is to keep the criminals off the streets, so that he or she cannot continue to commit crime in the society. Penitentiary ideal purposes were both secular and spiritual (Foster, "Chapter 2/The Penitentiary Ideal," 2006). A penitentiary had purposes...
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...Criminal Courts Criminal Courts The professional courtroom work groups consist of judges, prosecuting attorney, defense attorneys, public defender, and others who earn a living serving the courts. Schmallager (20010) stated (pp. 269-307). Trail judges duty is to ensure justice he or she is responsible for safeguarding the right of the accused and the interests of the public in the administration of criminal justice. The courtroom judge has authority, ruling of the law weighing objections from both sides, deciding on the admissibility of evidence, and disciplining anyone who challenges the order of the court. Prosecuting attorney has the job of representative of the people in state case against the defendant accused of committing criminal offenses. Defense counsel are trained lawyers who represent the accused as soon as possible after arrest and ensure the defendant civil rights are not violated during the process by the criminal justice system. Defense attorneys defend criminal defendants in the United States it can be a private attorney, court appointed, and a public defender lawyer. Bailiff is an armed law enforcement officer who ensures order in the courtroom, announce the judge’s entry into the courtroom, call witnesses, and prevent the escape of the accused. Bailiffs in federal courtroom are deputy U.S. marshal. Trial court administrator’s job is to facilitate the function of the courts in particular judicial districts of areas. Court reporter crate an accurate...
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...Rehabilitation in prison is more like rehab for criminals who are serving time in prison. Every prisoners in prison are supposes to go through rehabilitation before they are release back into society. Sometime prison rehabilitation does not work and prisoners are release back into society without being rehab proper. In many case, prisoners return back to prison because they do not receive the proper rehab in prison the first time they were in. I believe that prison is not the best place for rehab because prisons seem more like a place where people have to do where they have to do to survive. Many prisoners do not think about rehabilitation in prisons because they are too busy thinking about how they are going to survive in a bad environment. I also think that many prisons destroy people before they rehab them. Many people who have serve time in prison normally go right back in when they get out of prison. I know many people who have serve time in prison and soon return because of what prison life have turn them into. I think that prison need to really think about rehabilitation a little more than just trying to keep prisoners lock up forever. Prisons seem more like a cage for animals than a place where criminals go to get rehab. Many prisoners do not get rehab and others become more of an animal than a person that is trying to do right in life. I am not saying that everybody in prison does not get rehab but, rarely not that many prisoners get the rehab they need while in prison. If prison...
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