Is The Most Expensive Prison System In The U.S Truly Working?
I am writing about the prison system in California. I am going to investigate how California became a state that spends the most money on prisons in the United States. I also am going to research if our prisons are the most effective. I will also be comparing our system with other prison systems from around the world. I am going to take an in depth look at where all the money is spent relating to the prison systems. I am going to give my opinion after gathering research on the issue and talk about a few ways the issue can be resolved.
The United States holds over 2.3 million people behind bars. Each year, as California’s population rises, its prisons grow more crowded. As funding for education lessens in California, funding for prisons rise. California has risen to become the number one spender in prison systems amongst the United States. But how did this happen? Is California really the toughest state when it comes to criminals? In the 1960’s, California was investing money to promote higher education; coincidently the crime rate dropped about 25%(1). As an individual in California, we are incapable of single handedly deciding how revenue in The Golden State is distributed. For the most part, politicians are in control of the states finances. Prisons are currently operating at double capacity. Is it that we have so many criminals inside the state? Or are the taxpayers supplying free room and board to homeless drug-addicts, and unlucky individuals who are caught committing petty crimes? As time passes, the crime rates grow. California is home to 35 prisons, which is the most that one state has in the United States. So why is it that when flicking through the news, or opening a web page do we tend to see a new violent crime that was committed? More than likely, I will see more than one crime committed in a day. Although the state that I live in spends millions of
Bibliography: 1. Collins, Craig “Crimes & Prisons” Mar 2004 https://bb.csueastbay.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_30_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D%20_384426_1%26url%3D 2. Dawson, Robert & Brechin, Gray Farewell, Promised Land, London, England: University of California Pres, 1999. 3. Kaskla, Edgar, California Politics, Washington D.C: CQ Press 2008 4. Sowle, Stephen D. 1995. "A Regime of Social Death: Criminal Punishment in the Age of Prisons." New York University Review of Law and Social Change 21. 5. Pillsbury, Samuel H. 1982. "Creatures, Persons, and Prisoners: Evaluating Prison Conditions Under the Eighth Amendment." Southern California Law Review 55 6. “Corrections and Rehabilitation,” 2010 http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/