Prison Overcrowding And The Criminal Justice System Essay

Prison overcrowding occurs when the inmate population exceeds the rate in which inmates are released. More than half of America’s prisons are overcrowded. Strict government and state budgets are partly to blame for this issue. Operation of prisons at maximum capacity is dangerous for employees and other inmates. Prison overcrowding continues to add stress on the entire criminal justice system. Public Defenders, wardens, judges, governors, and probation officers must amalgamate to help resolve this issue. These entities usually run independently from each other and do not continuously consider the influence decisions have on the prison system. This paper incorporates a panel discussion and media broadcast between a judge, a warden, a governor, a public defender, and a probation officer. After a fight breaks out at Elm Heights Prison these individuals participate in a news broadcast to discuss the ramifications of exceeding prison population. Furthermore, this paper focuses on the judge’s perspectives and solutions to prison overcrowding. Criminal justice officials are facing different challenges than those that existed many years ago. A greater number of narcotic users are now being housed in prisons. Incarceration numbers for petty crimes is on the rise. Courts are sentencing offenders for smaller petty crimes, thus taking up space for criminals who have committed more serious crimes. Ultimately it is the judge who makes the final sentencing decision inShow MoreRelated235764916 CJA 394 Week 1 Criminal Justice Overview Paper SAMPLE page only1665 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Select one of the following issues: †¢ Racial profiling †¢ Prison overcrowding †¢ The war on drugs †¢ Increased use of technology †¢ Cultural diversity Write a 1,050- to 1,705-word paper addressing how your selected issue affects the criminal justice system as a whole. †¢ Describe some of the change(s) the criminal justice system as a whole has made in response to the issue you selected. †¢ Include your opinion on whether the changes are sufficient. Should more changes be made, and if so, what changesRead MoreOne Of The Main Problems With The Law Is Injustice In The1458 Words   |  6 Pages One of the main problems with the law is injustice in the criminal justice system. There are so many innocent people serving time in jail. 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