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MICHELLE SMITH

ENGLISH COMP II

MARK NEWMAN

I believe that prisons are overcrowded because the number of drug convictions. To better understand what I am meaning I want to define the meaning of overcrowding and what a conviction is. Overcrowding means to fill (accommodations or a space) beyond what is usual or comfortable, or house in accommodations that are too confined. A conviction is a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by a verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in court.
The opposing view feels that the reason for the overcrowding in the prisons is due to the tougher laws that the lawmakers are requesting, “lawmakers nationwide adopted a “tough on crime: stance from the 1971 Controlled Substance Act and Cannabis Control Act of 2005, the actual point of just wanting a conviction, and the mandatory minimums of prison sentences. (1) They feel “the only way to reduce crime is to keep offenders off the street, win at all cost mentality, and mandatory sentencing believe that it reduces crime and is fair for any criminal ensures uniformity in sentencing: (1)
Proof is provided by SHARC (Statewide Harm Reduction Coalition) shows that the overcrowding of the prisons is in fact due to “War on Drugs.” “The war on drugs began 30 years ago – before that the prison population was level. 70-75% of people in prison are drug war prisoners. (3)
“In 2005, 40 % of all prisons admissions in Illinois were drug- related crimes, up from 8 percent in 1985.” Says Chicago Metropolis 2020. (4)
Furthermore, Lott Pickett, correctional officer of 16 years with the Peoria Adult Transition Center in Peoria Il states, “PATC houses 245 inmates. There are 8-12 inmates bunked per room. Out of the 8-12 inmates in each room, 4-6 inmates are in there for drug related convictions. (2) He also states that “ The intake use to be mainly made up of residential burglaries, theft, and DUI and over the years the intake for prisons on drug

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