How To Reduce Prison Overcrowding

Prisons are already filled beyond maximum capacity, and we continue to keep incarcerating more people. What can be done to end the problem of prison overcrowding and maintain the safety of the public? I chose this topic because I wanted to shine a light on what I consider to be an injustice. I believe that the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul. When I chose this topic, I wasn’t fully aware of the mandatory sentencing guidelines or how harsh they were. I always believed that judges had more leeway in deciding sentencing. Originally, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of criminal corporal punishment, because I believed it was cruel and something that other less civilized countries would do, not America. I believe that the prison overcrowding problem can be resolved by changing our laws regarding nonviolent offenders, abolishing the mandatory sentencing guidelines and using alternative solutions that do not involve incarceration.
Initially, I thought the only alternatives were changing the laws, expanding mental healthcare and rehabilitation. My research showed that while these were a good start to the problem, there are other options available as well. It was a real eye opener for me to learn the tremendous impact that mandatory sentencing guidelines has on defendants. Prosecutors determine how a person is going to be charged, and if convicted the judge is bound by mandatory sentencing guidelines. My research opened my eyes to the benefits of criminal corporal punishment and the positive effects it could have on deterring crime. I learned that the prisoner on prisoner violence that plagues most prisons is attributed to the overcrowding problem. Overcrowded prison cells and a lack of rehabilitation services are fueling the violence in