Prison Budgets

The recession and budget challenges that are currently happening have played a large role in the incarceration rates in that the prison administration and governments that help to fund them are trying to find different ways to reduce the amount of money it costs them to hold an inmate in a correctional facility, but still deal with the high amount of incarcerated individuals that have longer sentences with the current stance that is being taken on crime by politicians. According to Seiter (2011), “With tightening budgets, it is now a much more complicated decision as to whether to increase taxes, reduce the correctional population, or eliminate some services or supervision to meet budget shortfalls” (p. 510). Corrections is in a difficult position because
Public opinion has caused politicians to work on getting laws passed that appear to be very tough on crime. This tougher stance on crime means that correctional facilities will be having a higher influx of individuals that are being taken off the streets and punished for their criminal behavior, especially since during a recession some individuals look for less than legal ways to earn money. There are four conditions that are necessary for prison policies and procedures to be effective in supporting the prison mission as well as prison management. The first condition is that the prison administration should have policies that meet the professional guidelines for the industry as published by the American Correctional Association. The second condition is that staff and inmates are made aware of the policies and any changes in policy that the prison administration put into effect. The third condition is that the policies are carried out and enforced equally and consistently among the inmates by staff. The last condition is that a quality control element is installed within the prison to ensure that the policies and procedures are being implemented in the correct fashion by staff with all members