Overpopulation in the Prison System has been a growing concern in society. An explanation for this is the rise in crime over the past years. As the crime rate increases so do the amount of convictions, which leads to more incarcerations and overpopulation in the Prison System. The cause for the increase in crime over recent years has been partly attributed to the disappearance of jobs.
Many people have been victims in the struggle to find jobs. When faced with unemployment many have turned to crime to supply their family with basic necessities such as food, clothes, and shelter. They become frustrated, depressed, and angry so they turn to crime to be able to provide
When crimes are committed the end result is incarceration. As the prisons become more and more populated many issues have to be addressed. Is the prison system working as a deterrent for crime? In these cases no. Sixty percent of the prison populations are young blacks who committed crimes by the age of fifteen years. When these young adults are incarcerated, their chances of obtaining jobs after they are released are reduced even more. They get out of jail and have no where to go, nowhere to live, and nowhere to work so they are again faced with crime as their only solution.
The rehabilitation rate of incarcerated people is low. A solution to this problem may lie in initial intervention and rehabilitation programs for after they are released. An example of this might be job location offices that help ex-convicts with locating jobs. Overpopulated prisons should be a concern for everyone. It is a reflection of what is going on in society. When jobs are scarce and people feel hopeless they can turn to crime. Having programs that help those who have lost their jobs can create alternative methods for them to keep their households together, and to keep away from crime.
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