Criminal Justice/Corrections Essay

Im prisonment is one of the many forms of punishment for missionary work of crimes in the United States. The length of time of gyves depends on the unassumingness of the crime committed. The most(prenominal) serious crime of murder and homicide is punishable by life impoundment and the whitlow forget be confined in federal prisons. Those convicted with less serious crimes like misdemeanor offenses volition be sentenced to shorter time in local or county j trouble oneself or with sanctions in community subjects or halfway house. Overcrowding in jails and prisons has been a crude sight in most of the correctional institutions in the United States.The nicnic. org. (2001) by a report from the GRACE Project of Volunteers of America revealed that fleck 500,000 persons are admitted and released from nominate and federal prisons yearlyly, twenty measure that cadence all over eleven million are admitted and released from jails yearbookly. This goes to show that at any eff rontery time of the year, the United States is maintaining and or feeding 10. 5 million con games. The administration foster revealed that jail worlds grew at a lower rate of 275% since 1980 while the federal prison universe of discourse increased by 427% in the comparable period.This unprecedented growth in hustle macrocosm is non judge and causing big budget deficit from the give in level up to the federal level of organisation. In as much as the bunko game people stick around rising and only a small come up over the years has left federal prisons repayable to completion of their imprisonment as punishment for their crimes, a big topic of age offenders which bring amplyer spending due to their gerontological- related ailments complicated the problem. This paper aims to memorandum the extent of the maturation offenders population across the U.S. the reasons for the increase and the roblems associated with it. Furthermore, this paper will also offer soluti ons to the problems establish from the documented causes and draws of the different e resigns in traffic with the problems. A number of lands in the U. S. expressed alarm over the inescapable fact that in their effort to rid society of undesirable and anarchical elements, their jails and prisons became jam-packed. Feeding and housing these inmates e particularly the agedness offenders greet them a striation more, sacrificing their budget for nurture.The affected countrys realize the generally accepted fact that rearing should be more financially supported than prisoners as this is the proven most effective way to raise a new generation of obligated and law abiding citizens. wolfram Virginia report that prison population in this verbalise exceeded the national average owing to its 9. 3% incarceration which is the highest among the U. S. states. The non-profit face further inform that between 1994 and 2004, the inmate population in west Virginia increased from 2,392 to 5,032 or 110% increase.Thegrassroot provideership. org (n. d. inform that the state intercommunicate that by 2012, the inmate population will increase by 35% over that of 2004 level or a fit of 6,774 inmates to feed and maintain. Although the increasing population of aging inmates is not mentioned, common sense will tell that the population is included since most of the aging population is sentenced to anguish in prisons for life. The state government in order to cope up with the unprecedented increase, worn- egress(a) $100 million to build new prisons.The organization further reported that in the last 10 years, the Division of department of corrections of West Virginia tripled its expenditure. To this effect, the state has increased spending for inmates five times the amount for high education and several(prenominal) other social services. In absolute figures, according to grassrootleadership. org, the state of West Virginia appropriated $6,435 per full time college stud ent and $19, 377 per person incarcerated by DOC. Inflation adjusted, the amount per college student is 33% higher than in 1994 while the amount per inmate increased 169% or five times the amount per student The grassrootleadership. g reported that West Virginia government get wind the very strict insurance of the state regarding sentencing and countersign as the cause of this urge in inmate population.To minimize this effect, the state consider Implementing a cap on the number of people incarcerated .. , along with re-examining sentencing and parole policies in the state that rat lead to an end of the soaring number of incarcerations. A thorough re- examination of the late parole policy of the state is in order (grassrootleadership. rg, n. d. conclusion, 2nd par. ). In addition to this strategy, the Day Report Center alternative which set asunder incarceration for misdemeanor crimes in favor of community service, home incarceration nd boards created for reparation is also put i n place. A economy of active $ 42-63 million per year can be realized from sevener centers based from the Lee Day Report Center cost experience of $14. 00 per day per inmate.The state of Florida recognized the increasing number of aging offenders in their prisons. The Florida Correction Commission (n. d. eported that in 2000, The Florida Legislature instructed and filld the Department of Corrections to establish and operate a facility for older inmates at the River critical point Correctional Institution in Chattahoochee. The Florida Correction Commission (FCC) further reported that the Florida Legislature required the Correctional Medical Authority (MDA) and the FCC to submit an annual report on the medical examination nearlyness status of aging offenders in the state administered and private institutions together with an examination of geriatric policies organism utilize in other states.The FCC revealed that the cost of maintaining an ripened prisoner is three times the c ost for a younger inmate. The reason for this is the geriatric problems associated with aging specially in a confined environment where depression always linger. The FCC further revealed that age 50 should be the starting point for patriarchal inmate definition. The FCC reported further that per their observation, there were three basic groups of former(a) inmates, the first-class honours degree time offenders, the habitual or career criminals and those that has grown older in prison waiting for the end of their sentenced imprisonment.According to FCC, inmates 55 years and older on the average were suffering from three degenerative health problems that require specialized and expensive discourse as in the case of approximately 15 to 25% of heir ancient inmates having mental health problems. For this reason, the aging inmates contri notwithstandinged greatly to their huge medical expenses. In the year 2000, the FCC reported that there were 5,082 aging offenders which represe nt 54. 9% increase from 1995 level. In June 2000 out of a total of 71,233 inmates, the number of 50 year and above offenders increased to 5,605. It is projected that by 2010, the Florida elderly inmates will swell to 8. % of the total inmates.The FCC further revealed from their mickle that 62. 8% of the elderly inmates were prisoned due to violent offenses and therefore require extended imprisonment. The state of Florida recognizes the significance of the terce type of aging patients or those who grew old in prison in addition to national and state laws requiring longer prison sentences as the contributing factor to rise of their aging offender population. The FCC reported that at present, no geriatric facility except for River marijuana cigarette Correctional Institution in Chattahoochee is devoted to the aging offender population.The state government plans to segregate the older population according to geriatric health needs and the tribute level needed so that the number of ail guards can be adjusted especially in nominal security segregated group for economic reasons. The FCC further reported that the Florida Department of old Affairs develop a course on elderly abuse, give out and exploitation to claim certified individuals to carry out preventive medical intervention so that elderly diseases will not become shrewd and more dearly-won to cure.Studies were also being under capturen to release elderly inmates who does not pose danger to society anymore due to their frail stature. Lastly, the Florida state is conducting survey as to the ost they will incur and the economic benefits if their preemptive programs will be implemented. The state of Georgia is also not exempt in aging offender problem. The Associated Press (2000) revealed that in 1979, there were almost 570 convicts decrepit 50 and up, increased to 3,050 in June 1999 and 5,000 in 2004. The Georgia prison officials estimated that the elderly inmates could swell to 9,000 by 2010.The As sociated Press further reported that like in other states, the cost of maintaining the elderly offenders is becoming more and more costly. The paper revealed that healthcare cost for average Georgia prisoner now amounts to $8. 25 a day. For an elderly offender 50 years old and above, the cost is $27. 00 a day or about $10,000 a year. The newspaper continue saying that the elderly offenders in Georgia prisons represents about 6% of the firm inmate population but the expense in maintaining them amounts to 12% of the annual health care budget for inmates.This so because the elderly inmates require costly and more specialized health care practices owing to their special geriatric problems. Georgia prison fficials revealed that longer prison sentences, tighter parole approvals and the inevitable aging of those prisoners waiting for the completion of their terms contributed to the swelling population of aging offenders. In addition, the The two Strikes and Youre Out law (Associated Pres s, Elderly Inmates Swell, 13th par. enacted by Georgia in 1994 which punishes a felon who commit crime of gird robbery, aggravated child molestation and sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, rape and kidnapping to a mandatory 10 year sentence without parole. The newspaper added that a second violation of any of the six felonies or murder, the felon gets a andatory life sentence without parole. All of these resulted to stacking effect of offenders in jails until the whole population get grayer and larger and more costly to handle.Associated Press further reported that John Kerbs, a researcher on criminal justice from University of gelt suggested selective decarceration to ease the problem of swelling aging offenders population in Georgia prison system. This includes more often officials parole review of elderly inmates , electronic monitoring of graying offenders in release programs that is closely supervised and edical paroles for chronic and terminally ill inmates.Based from availa ble studies, the states of Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas appoint the same problem on aging offenders as the states we have discussed. However, not all states in the U. S. look at aging offenders with compassion and understanding. wizard such state is atomic number 20. Times staff writer, Warren, J (2002) reported that the atomic number 20 Department of Corrections is well aware of the aging prison population.The state according to the writer is well aware of the fact that the cost of maintaining aging offender is thrice the cost of that of the younger inmates. Longer sentences and substantial declination in paroles were considered as the cause of the rise in number of aging inmates. The Times staff writer further stated that the state in this times of economic belt tightening faces a $24 meg deficit mainly because of the health care expenses of the graying inmate population. Despi te this, the state of California is hesitant to implement cost cutting strategies unlike the other U. S. states.The felons, young and old are mixed in cells. Although the idea of sequestration based on age, health status and security needed is being considered, that never got off the ground due to the fact that the Correction and state officials are against it. A typical day in the life of an aging offender is a struggle against extortion, insult, bullying and disrespect from the stronger and younger inmates. The correction officials claim that segregation require additional upfront cost in terms of new buildings and prison facilities and this have no room in a state with huge budget deficit.The prison officials laim that offenders did crimes to society and so they have to suffer the consequences in prison. The staff writer said that nothing in the state legislature is bent to be piano in treating offenders. They even passed a law called Three strike and youre out law to address the problem of the habitual offenders. This law sentences a felon to life imprisonment with no parole provision on the third crime conviction regardless of the nature of the wrong doing. The writer revealed that the population of inmate in California federal prison as of 2002 is about 4% of the total inmates f 5,800 men and women.According to the writer California reported an expenditure of $676 million on medical care of inmates but decline how much is for the elderly. The author further stated that California prison officials conceded the fact that the elderly require a 24 hour hospice care, high cost cardiac care, costly organ transplants, expensive cancer treatment and closely supervised treatment for dementia. On the national perspective, the U. S. authorization of Prisons total inmate health care expenditures from 1990 to 1999 amounted to $2. 7 billion (U. S. General story Office, 000).The GAO office also recognizes the fact that aging inmate population contributed greatly t o this expenditure. The BOP also consider the changes in sentencing laws like mandatory minimum sentencing and the habitual criminality conviction as contributory to graying of the federal prisons. To write on health care expenditures with emphasis to aging offenders health care, the GAO consider several options. The GAO encourage the states prison officials to obtain discounts through bulk purchases of states prison system needs and privatizing health care services in some states.This will involve appointing specialized private hospitals as alternative to government run health care services in cases of mounting geriatric health care problems patterned after the Medicare- based cap on payments ( GAO 2000, Summary, 3rd par). This according to GAO will save the government about $6 million annually. The GAO also proposed payment of $2. 00 per request visit over the accustomed round of doctors. This co-payment scheme is aimed to reduce unnecessary medical visit requests by the inmate disrupting the busy doctors. The co-payment scheme will generate revenue of about $1 million annually.It has been documented that the most compelling problem of aging offenders is the inability of some states to deliver the needed medical care for their ailment. The Bureau of Prisons admitted that a number of states is not ready to tackle the rising population of elderly offenders in their prison system resulting to huge budget deficits. This is due to the fact that it cost three times higher to maintain elderly offender than a younger one and five times higher than the expense of a college student. The geriatric ailments are more expensive to cure.To decelerate the inevitable increase of aging offenders number in the prison system, a systematic approach should be done. The sentencing and parole system should be soft in dealing with the elderly inmates. The prison should start with the segregation of the elderly based from the state of their health and their physical ability and ca pacity to do crimes to society. The terminally ill, frail and weak should be stipulation medical parole and let them join the main stream of society. They have suffered a dish up of physical and mental punishment in jail in vary for the crime they have committed.Those who are still strong but behaving well in prisons should be given parole but will be required to report to Day Report Centers to determine the progress of their preoccupancy to the mainstream of society. Those having mental problems should be confined to hospice care centers under minimum security. The sickly but still able bodied should be separated from the lodge and should pay $2 per requested doctor visit over the typical doctors daily round. The able bodied and wild ones should be housed separately and fit(p) under strict security until they mellow down and complete their imprisonment sentence.The two and three strikes and youre out law will take care of habitual offenders. Other cost control strategies pr oposed by GAO can be considered seriously by the states now that the aging offender problems were given full attention to further realize cost savings.. The recommendations are based on the philosophy of win- win strategy in decision making. Considering them will rid federal prisons of unnecessary huge expenses, give freedom to deserve aged inmates and let the states use the savings for education of the youth to produce a new generation of able- bodied and law-abiding citizens.