Overcrowding

This paper explores the causes of why not enough inmates are getting the rehabilitation needed to succeed outside prison walls. It may be a lot cheaper to provide them with programs than to house them for minor offences. Lastly, this paper will look at the cost effects of housing these prisoners and what kind of programs are offered while prisoners are serving their time. Without the proper rehabilitation, the result will be that our jails will stay overcrowded and cause a financial burden on all of America.
PRISON OVERCROWDING 3
Prison Overcrowding is a Financial Burden
Something needs to be done about prison overcrowding and the lack of rehabilitation programs. Without proper rehabilitation, prisoners become repeat offenders. This means we have to build new faculties just to keep up with the overcrowding. The current cost to our nation to incarcerate inmates is $30 billion per year, which is expected to quadruple in the next decade (Crawford, 2003). The result is that prison overcrowding is a serious financial burden for Americans.
Rehabilitation
First, prison overcrowding is a financial burden because prisoners are not getting enough rehabilitation to transition back to society. The responsibility of the Bureau of Prisons is to safely confine its prisoner population. However, another mission of the Bureau is to rehabilitate: to provide inmates with skills that will aid them in their ability to readjust after being released (Pavis, 2002). Most inmates come to jail with little or no education at all. Once released these prisoners are right back where they started from. Talbot (2008) states, “Many will be drug abusers who received no treatment for their addiction while on the inside, sex offenders who got no counseling, and illiterate high school dropout who took no classes and acquired no job skills.” The more prisoners that are rehabilitated, the quicker they can start to contribute to society once they are released.
Housing Prisoners
Secondly, prison...