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Prison Overcrowding

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Prison Overcrowding
Prison overcrowding is a global problem affecting many countries, the United States included. In his research, Jimmy Nguyen (2012), states that overcrowding in these correctional facilities has denied the prisoners or the inmates their basic human and constitutional rights. In her article, Susan Campers (2012), agrees with Jimmy that the state of prison overcrowding in the United States is a demonstration of a failing correctional system. In this essay, the paper gives a summary of these two articles and how their findings impact the five components of the criminal justice system.
Jimmy says that while humane treatment and rehabilitation are vital components of a correctional system as part of the criminal justice components, overcrowding hinders their achievement. If not well rehabilitated, as is the intent of a jail term, these former inmates are bound to commit more crime when they return to their communities as indicated by the increased rate of recidivism. In his comparative study, Jimmy states that the United States has the largest prison population among …show more content…
Overcrowding in prisons, as postulated by the two articles is a demonstration of failing justice system, right from the law enforcement agencies to the corrections. The law enforcement agents need to consider how to create their presence on the streets and ensure that they only make arrests that are meaningful because increased presence on the streets will lead to antagonism from the citizens (Forbes, 2013). The second component of the justice system is the prosecution and therefore, evidence presented by the law enforcement must be reviewed well to ascertain that certain crimes can be tried before a court of law. In case the evidence is not good enough to secure a conviction, then the prosecution can ask for imposition of fines to deter such
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