Preview

War On Drugs And Prison Overcrowding Analysis

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1951 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
War On Drugs And Prison Overcrowding Analysis
War on Drugs and Prison Overcrowding Analysis
Jeremy A. Garcia
CJA 454
December 10, 2013
Edward Lopez
War on Drugs and Prison Overcrowding Analysis
The war on drugs in the United States is an expensive and deadly ongoing battle that has not yet been won. The term war on drugs provides drug distributors with more income due to the illegal nature of drugs. Americans do not have readily available easy access to many types of drugs that are illegal. Because narcotics are illegal that is enough for many people to want drugs. This is a major problem faced today in our prison systems throughout the United States. Especially in the state of California where many people find their way into our criminal justice system due to many factors …show more content…
The issue of concern involved the overpopulation of prisons throughout the state. The overcrowding of the prison system in California violates the United States Constitution (Li, 2011). This was ruled by the United States Supreme Court. The added problem to the overpopulation is the fact that California is going through a financial hardship. This means that there is not enough money in the budget to build more prison that does not violate the constitution. It could also mean that the many prisons built throughout the state contributed to the financial issues faced throughout California (Li, 2011). The facts remain that California spends about 5 billion dollars per year jailing and taking care of the growing inmate population (Li, 2011). The inmates housed in jails and prisons throughout the state are not being rehabilitated. There is a tough integration faced by paroled inmates to reintegrate back into society. There is a mark on his or her record that validates the individual as a convicted felon. Many leave the prison system with nowhere to go and end up homeless to return to the streets. With inadequate housing and no job the prison system becomes a revolving door throughout the inmate’s life (Li, 2011). Drugs play a major role in recidivism and the initial sentencing to …show more content…
(2012, July 15). A Brief History of the Drug War. Retrieved from http://www.drugpolicy.org/new-solutions-drug-policy/brief-history-drug-war
Gillard, D. K. (2013, March). Drug Offenders in the Correctional System. Retrieved from http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Prisons_and_Drugs#sthash.2De1X2nr.dpbs
Li, H. (2011, May 4). California Prison Overcrowding: How’s That ‘War on Drugs’ Working Out? Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/california-prison-overcrowding-hows-war-drugs-working-out-285805
Stevenson, A., & Anderson, D. (2011, March). Rate of Felon Parolees Returned to Prison. Retrieved from
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Cja/234 Sentencing Paper
    • 1495 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Cja/234 Sentencing Paper

    In the United States the number of criminals incarcerated in state and federal correctional systems has grown massively over the past several years. The number of those incarcerated has the greatest effect on state and federal correction systems. From 1930 to 1975 the average incarceration rate was 106 inmates per 100,000 adults in the population (Mackenzie, 2001). These numbers remained relatively stable until after 1975 (Mackenzie, 2001). By 1985 the rates were 202 per 100,000. By 1995 it was 411 and by 1997 it was 652 including local jail populations (Mackenzie, 2001). At the end of 1998 more than 1.3 million prisoners were under Federal or State jurisdiction (Mackenzie,…

    • 1495 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Argument Against Three Strikes
    • 5293 Words
    • 22 Pages

    Argument Against Three Strikes

    Over the last two decades (1980-2000), the US prison population has increased 450%. California has led the nation in prison growth since the early 1980s, and it incarcerated a higher percentage of its population than any nation on earth by 1994. The same year California enacted a controversial sentencing law that will drive prison growth for decades to come. This is the story of that law.…

    • 5293 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    War On Drugs In The 1960s
    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages

    War On Drugs In The 1960s

    Ultimately the new “war on drugs” had a negative impact on American life during the mid 1980s-early 2000s due to the economic costs, the strain put on our justice system, and the civil liberty violations that occurred. As with any other war or bureaucratic endeavor, money must be heavily drawn upon and invested. When discussing the overall cost of this “war” through this time, congressman Lee Hamilton stated that, “Federal and local governments spend over $3 billion each year to fight drugs.” (cite) In his quote it becomes apparent that the United States had become highly invested and arguably obsessed in a seemingly impossible “war.”…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Incarceration In Prison Research Paper
    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Incarceration In Prison Research Paper

    Most would say ( ) that t is the war on drugs that populate the prisons, though it is not 100% correct, but it is filling up our prisons with drug-related offenses, holding up to 17 percent. Though in just taking out offences for drug charges, it would only drop 1.5 to 1.2, and we would still be the largest incarcerated country. Therefore from drug related problems, during a period, (1975-1991) where crime rose and so did population, but then, (1991-2010) where crime decline but population still rose, showing that there was more than the problem of drugs. Because that wasn’t the direct answer, questions and concern look at if there could be problem with the political system and law…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Should Prisons Be Allowed In America
    • 1962 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Should Prisons Be Allowed In America

    These issues are having an effect on the government and U.S citizens. Overcrowding is among the most controversial issues in America’s prisons. Barden wrote, “Between 1979 and 1984, 126 new prisons were built in the United States. Yet these prisons have not met the demand for more prison space. By 1986 our prisons were operating at between 107 and 121 percent of capacity” (Barden 50). Overcrowding of prisons does not only affect the outside world, but also the prisoners inside due to increased violence resulting in many deaths. Barden said, “Prisons continue to be overcrowded to this day. In more than 40 states, courts have issued orders to reduce prison overcrowding. But the states have been slow to comply” (Barden 50). The reason for not taking action is due to the expenses that come with increasing prison space. Most states do not have the money to reduce overcrowding, especially after the recession. Violence is most likely the best known issue in prisons. The author stated, “In the old days, prisoners feared brutal guards. Now the fear permeating American prisons comes mostly from fellow convicts. Beatings, stabbings, and homosexual rapes are everyday occurrences” (Hjelemeland 52). Violence leads to deaths and suicides in many of America’s prisons which also affect those convicts’ families. Another fact Andy wrote was, “Overcrowding is a major factor in…

    • 1962 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Privatization Vs Incarceration
    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Privatization Vs Incarceration

    The increased use of for-profit privatized prisons in the United States has created a system of mass incarceration due to compromised motivation for these institutions to maximize profits. Over the last four and a half decades, the United States has experienced a surge in the incarceration rates. In 2013, 1,598,780 people occupied state or federal prisons compared to 196,429 in 1970 (“Incarceration Generation” 1). This rise in prison population may be a result of harsher penalties and legislation on non-violent crimes. For instance, President Nixon officially declared the “War on Drugs” in 1973 and endorsed this through the creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (“Incarceration Generation” 1). The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, passed…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On The Tough On Crime Movement
    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On The Tough On Crime Movement

    The tough on crime movement was the necessity to be tougher on crime and convictions. With the tough on crime mentality, the increase of offenders within the correctional institutions increased thus making for an issue of overcrowding within corrections. The tough on crime movement came about after President Reagan began imposing several laws such as the Anti-Drug Abuse Act that imposed mandatory sentencing even for first time offenders who were charged for drug offenses. The mentality in the 1980s was to be tough on crime and convictions rather than rehabilitation. The increase of offenders began to rise and making an impact within corrections. The tough on crime mentality stayed strong through the 1990s where eventually it solidified when more laws came about stating mandatory sentencing for offenders and providing more federal aid to states that were willing to adopt these laws. Today the tough on crime mentality remains strong and the rise of offenders is continuing to rise. Within the court system, “Judges do not want to put potentially dangerous offenders back on the streets and are more likely to set higher bail amounts and less likely to grant release without bond requirement” (Seiter, 2016). This mentality tends to incarcerate more offenders that cannot afford to grant bail resulting in more offenders in correctional facilities thus increasing population…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Overcrowding In Prisons
    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Role Of Overcrowding In Prisons

    From the mid-1980s drug offenses increased primarily due to the pressure put on by the war on drugs (Neubauer & Fradella, 2014). This has contributed to overcrowding of prisons across America. In order to ease the overcrowding in prisons, rehabilitation through court sentenced drug treatment programs is a practical and economical alternative. Assigning offenders to applicable drug treatment programs would decrease overcrowding caused by drug offenses, lower recidivism rates, and provide savings for the criminal justice system.…

    • 337 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Over Crowding In Prison
    • 467 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Over Crowding In Prison

    The major issue in the United States corrections system is the over-crowding of are prisons. The United States Prison System and department of corrections have become an everlasting part of our justice system, but for various reasons confinement may be causing more harm than good. Although most would say that prisoners who have found themselves in the penal system are nothing but animals who are getting what they deserve. The fact stands that they are human beings who are still by law covered under the constitution. True inmates do not have full Constitutional rights like your everyday tax payers, however; they are still protected under the laws of prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment outlined in the Constitution. In the United…

    • 467 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Drugs in the Prison System
    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Drugs in the Prison System

    Although inmates are housed in prisons for crimes against society, it is law enforcement’s responsibility to ensure their safety and that the illegal temptations of the outside world do not breach the prison walls. How Are Illegal Drugs Infiltrating the Prisons? Prisons are designed primarily to keep people inside, and less focus is placed on what is coming in. Regardless of the emphasis, the expectation of a facility that has full control over the population should be a drug free environment. However, drugs and other illegal contraband find their way inside undetected.…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Drug Abuse In Prisons
    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Drug Abuse In Prisons

    It is said that due to the War on Drugs prisons are rapidly overcrowding causing a chain of effects of not only drug use, smuggling and manufacturing, but also of violence and riots. It seems to be a vicious cycle.” (Samuels para.7) Things that cause should be the main thing to focus on right now so they can stop the drugs in prison. Treatment programs are essential in prisons to help inmates get better. For the treatment to work the prisons need to be cooperative wanting to better themselves , and is it hard for them because of the prison vibes and violent behavior. In the end if it doesn’t work it will be hard to find a solution at this…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Drug Offenders In American Prisons
    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Drug Offenders In American Prisons

    Among problems the United States faces, one of the most prominent is the incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders. While the jailing of drug offenders does not seem so serious at first glance, under close inspection this proves otherwise. Among the flaws of this system, are the elevated crime rates that compare poorly to the rate of nations worldwide, the excessive budget wasted on housing these drug offenders, and finally, the sheer unconstitutionality of it all. By…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Drugs And Prison Overcrowding
    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Drugs And Prison Overcrowding

    University of Phoenix Criminal Justice Administration CJA 453 Juan Campos February 5, 2009War on Drugs and Prison Overcrowding Prison overcrowding is a major problem1in our criminal justice system and it continues to bea hotly debated topic as to how we should address the problem. One of the main reasons our prison systems have a problem with overcrowding is drugs. More specifically, the "war on drugs" started by President Reagan in 1982 brought a dramatic increase1to the number of people put behind barsfor drug offenses.…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prison Overcrowding in California
    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Prison Overcrowding in California

    References: Romaine, J. (2011, may). California Prison Overcrowding: How’s That ‘War on Drugs’ Working Out?. International Business Times,(), . Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/california-prison-overcrowding-hows-war-drugs-working-out-285805…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    MUN - Resolution
    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages

    MUN - Resolution

    Concerned by the gross overcrowding of the prisons (many of which were built to house up to 600 inmates, and are currently housing over 1000) due to individuals being held in cells for over 2 years awaiting trials; thus preventing the imprisonment of active drug trafficking criminals through lack of availability of cells,…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics