Anda di halaman 1dari 7

Kellie Murphy

Criminal Justice 1010


Martin Phillips
November 28, 2014
Incarceration in America
Criminal Justice is important to have in a modern society. The criminal justice system in
the United States is different than the rest of the world, but there are things in common as well.
There are many parts to the criminal justice system in the United States. Its many different
moving parts such as the legal system and corrections, that all work together to try to create a
safe environment for the general population. Although still there are many people that feel that
our criminal justice system has a lot of flaws and that we have far too many people who are
incarcerated. This essay will discuss three parts of the United States correctional system; the
history of United States prison systems, the current types of prison securities, and the statistics of
prisons. Learning the history and learning from history is one of the things that makes humans
unique, therefore history is always important to discuss. The different kinds of prisons are
important to know because then you know what it means to go these kinds of prisons, and the
need for them. It is very important to know how many people are incarcerated and why they are
there so people can help in their communities to combat these issues.
It is best to start at the beginning to understand how the correction system is today. The
history for how the current prison system was formed dates back to colonial times. In the
beginning there was two kinds of correctional institutions in place: jails and workhouses. Jails
were used to detain the accused that had a pending criminal trial. At the time it was very rare for

the jails to be used for incarceration of a criminal. Workhouses were used for the poor and
homeless and it was not open to felons (Barnes 1921). In English and American law it was more
common for Prisoners of War and high-ranking political prisoners to be incarcerated, and very
few common criminals. The only time people were usually locked away was while awaiting trial.
It was more common that when a verdict was given, release or punishment was given then. The
kinds of punishment that were given were typically a fine, public shame, physical chastisement,
and death. These forms of punishment started to not be used in the 1700 (Lynch 2014). The
people of Western Jersey and the Pennsylvania Quakers were the ones who developed the idea of
using imprisonment as a way to punish crime, and a century later they added hard labor which
combined the jails and workhouses (Barnes 1921). In the 18th century, capital punishment was
used more than before. This created more crimes to be classified as capital crimes. It went from
about 50 to more than 200 crimes to be classified as capital crimes. Theft of something as simple
as a handkerchief could lead to an execution. In the 19th century there was a push for reform. The
idea was to reform inmates into model citizens by offering work, education, and counseling.
This was also when children were separated from adults. But there was still problems with
overcrowding and cleanliness. In the 20th century, the use of the word corrections was
introduced. Architects started adding more sunlight to the design of buildings to lessen
oppression. But the war on drugs made it difficult with overcrowding (ADPSR 2013). Today in
modern prisons there are many different types of prisons to accommodate the amount of people
incarcerated.
Our current prison system has been created to help house the many different kinds of
criminals that the justice system has identified. There is no doubt that there is a need for
separation the different kind of offenders. It wouldnt make sense to put really dangerous

inmates in with the inmates that did not commit violent crimes or have dangerous behaviors.
This is why we have the different levels for correctional facilities. The levels of correctional
facilities are: minimum, medium, maximum, and supermaximum. Minimum security prisons
make up 20% of the prison populations. They do not look like what you would think is a prison,
it is said to look more like a college campus. The security measures are significantly less than
that of maximum; for example they do not have armed guards. The inmates are mostly made up
of first time offenders and there is a high percentage of white collar crime. Computers and
televisions are allowed in the rooms of the inmates and inmates are allowed off the prison
grounds for education and employment opportunities. Medium security is the next level, which
makes up 40% of the prison population. Medium security prisons hold inmates that are not
considered a high risk or causing harm to others or themselves and are not a risk of escaping.
The inmates that house medium security committed less serious crimes then those of maximum
security. The security levels are higher than those of minimum security but inmates are offered
treatment and educational programs while incarcerated and are allowed more interaction then
inmates in maximum security. Inmates in medium security are also given the freedom to move
between structures, which is partially what allows for more interaction. Medium security prisons
do have armed guards but do not have a more lax surveillance method. The prisons are typically
surrounded by high fences and a less restricted living quarters then maximum. Some of the
newer facilities have dormitory style housing. Inmates can be transferred to minimum security
prisons as a reward for good behavior. Maximum security is the third level, which houses the
higher risk inmates. Approximately a quarter of the prisons in the US are maximum security.
Maximum security prisons houses roughly 30% of the prisoners in the United States. Usually
what first comes to mind about prison is how maximum security operates. Maximum security

prisons are large and typically house more than 1000 inmates. The security is high in these
facilities. They are surrounded by concrete walls that are twenty to thirty feet tall and also extend
into the ground so that inmates cannot dig tunnels out. The cells are 8x14 feet and have a bunk,
toilet, sink and sometimes a closet. The inmates are kept under a close watch by armed guards
and some may have orders to shoot to kill if there is an escape or disturbance. When inmates are
not physically being watched, the guards have TV surveillance which can be used to watch the
inmates sleep, shower, and even use the toilet. Inmates are frequently strip searched, patted down
and have constant headcounts. Supermaximum is the highest level of security, also known as
supermax. It is home to the worst of the worst inmates as in those who have committed
heinous crimes. High profile inmates such as Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, and
Terry Nichols, who was responsible for the Oklahoma City bombings are housed in supermax
prisons. The California Security Housing Unit (SHU) at Pelican Bay Prison represent the
majority of what the conditions typically are for supermax prisons. Supermax prisons are one
person, 8x10 cells with no windows that receive food through a slot in the door, are allowed no
decorations and are under video surveillance 22.5 hours a day. Supermax inmates are allowed
only ninety minutes a day to exercise or shower. They are also strip searched before and after
leaving their cells. Inmates are placed in restraints when moved from one place to another
(Miller & Gaines 2010).
Most of the general population does not know how many people are incarcerated here in
the United States, and the statistics can be slightly alarming. There are many different reasons
why a person could end up in prison these days, and there are many different races of people that
end up in prison. There are men, women, and juveniles that are incarcerated. There are two
correctional systems, State and Federal. State is typically those who committed crimes in one

state, usually violent in nature. Federal is typically crimes committed against a government
agency and are not usually violent. Every year the U.S. Department of Justices Bureau of
Justice Statistics releases the statistics on prisons and prisoners of the United States from the
previous year. This publication is where the following statistics are found. In 2013, 56% of
federal inmates were incarcerated on drug offenses, 25.8% were for public order charges, 10%
were for violent charges, and less than 10% for property. The statistics are different for state
inmates, 53.8% are incarcerated for violent offense, 18% for property, 16% for drug offenses,
and 10% for public order. Violent crimes consist of crimes such as murder, manslaughter, rape,
sexual assault, and robbery. Property crimes examples are burglary, larceny, and fraud. Drug
charges are drug possession and trafficking. Public order offenses are things such as drunk
driving, public indecency, and liquor law violations. In 2013, the State and Federal correctional
authorities had a total of 1,574,741 prisoners with 57,862 that have not yet been sentenced. Male
inmates vastly outnumber the number of women incarcerated. The amount of sentenced males
incarcerated, in 2013, was just under 1,500,000 and the women were just under 105,000
prisoners. Of the males that are incarcerated the majority of them are African-American, white,
Hispanic, then other races. Of the females that are incarcerated of them are white, AfricanAmerican, Hispanic, then other races. Adults are not the only ones who end up in prison. In
2013, there were roughly 1,200 inmates that were under the age of 17 that were held in adult
prisons. These statistics show the different kinds of people that are incarcerated and why they are
there.
In conclusion there are many aspects of the criminal justice system. And it is important to
understand these aspects in order to know how our justice system operates. In this day and age,
people complain that we have harsh punishments but in reality back in the day they were killing

people for stealing handkerchiefs. Also there is many different kinds of prisons that people can
go to if they commit a crime, and it is not all just maximum security as most people envision.
The statistics of people in prison is very important to know as well. What is shocking is how big
of a difference of the number of inmates between males and females. These statistics also show
the difference in what state and federal governments prosecute and imprison.

Works cited:
ADPSR. Prison History. Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility. 2013. Web.
25 Nov. 2014.
Barnes, Harry E. The Historical Origin of the Prison System in America. Journal of the
American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology. 12. (1921). JSTOR. Web.
E. Ann, Carson. Prisoners in 2013. U.S. Department of Justice. 30 Sep. 2014. Web. 25 Nov.
2014.
Lynch, Jack. Cruel and Unusual: Prisons and Prison Reform. Colonial Williamsburg. CW
Journal. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
Roger, Miller L., and Gaines K. Larry. Criminal Justice Salt Lake Community College. Mason:
Cengage Learning. Pg 468-473. 2010. Print.

Anda mungkin juga menyukai