The United States Incarceration System - 1710 Words

The United States incarceration system is a structural foundation of punishment in which is formed by robust authoritarian power. The United States criminal justice system is not an institution to be underestimated, as it represents the highest incarceration rate of all world nations at a staggering 700 inmates per 100 thousand citizens (Krisberg, 7). Based on the social and political structure of democracy in the United States, it is argued that incarceration systems should follow the same roots of equality and freedom; however, the current format demonstrates otherwise. Currently, the United States criminal justice system faces issues of inhumane treatment due to the sheer overcrowding, which restrict inmates from just treatment within penitentiaries. This lack of equality standards was argued in the 2011 court case, Brown v. Plata, which California prison systems were forced to decrease prisons overcapacity rate from 175% to 137.5% due to the overwhelming amount of inmate mistreat ment (Koehler, 3). In the decision of Brown v. Plata (2011), supreme court justice Anthony Kennedy argued dignity should be an organizing principle in the United States justice system and demonstrated in all correctional facilities. Anthony Kennedy, along with guest lecturer, Jonathan Simon characterize dignity as a fundamental piece to the incarceration system, and without it, inmates are victimized to cruel and inhumane treatment. Dignity does not consist of domination and unequal treatment ofShow MoreRelatedThe Incarceration System Of The United States1025 Words   |  5 PagesIndeed, once upon a time the incarceration system was set in place with two firm duties: retribution and rehabilitation. When did these institutions, once considered virtuous and just, become the hallmark of inequality? On September 27th, 2015, Pope Francis remarked on a visit to a Philadelphia jail â€Å"It is painful when we see prison systems, which are not concerned to care for wounds, to soothe pain , to offer new possibilities,† a moving sentiment that would soon resonate with the American populationRead MoreThe Incarceration System During The United States1252 Words   |  6 PagesOur incarceration system once pursued two firm yet opposing goals: retribution and rehabilitation. The Age of Enlightenment spurred an influx of imprisonment ideologies that soon congealed into a justifiable approach towards criminals. Jails, workhouses, and prisons aimed to reintegrate lawbreakers back into society but not before they were punished. The precarious balance between such contradictory motives unfortunately proved impossible. When did this system, once considered virtuous and just,Read MoreIncarceration Of The United States Criminal Justice System1744 Words   |  7 PagesIncarceration Rates in the US are The United States criminal justice system has failed to rehabilitate criminals. Even after being punished for their crimes, convicts continue their wrongdoings without having gained valuable lessons from being incarcerated and are sent back to prison. Jails are supposed to aid those imprisoned by helping them gain skills that will reduce future occurrences and enable them to act morally in society. Punishing criminals is not as productive as it isRead MoreIncarceration Is A Method Used By The United States Criminal Justice System1364 Words   |  6 PagesIncarceration is a method used by the United States criminal justice system as a repercussion for certain unlawful actions. Criminal punishment varies upon circumstance of crime. The United States consists of approximately 125 federal prisons with approx. 200,000 inmates. According to statistics, women represent 6.7% of inmates in federal prison. When thinking of women in prison, one s first thought may be, â€Å"Wha t about the children?† In the United States, the numbers of incarcerated women areRead MoreThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration1199 Words   |  5 PagesImagine if someone was able to change others perceptions on the American criminal justice system? Michelle Alexander was able to accomplish that by altering some people s entire perception on the American criminal justice system by focusing on our most pressing civil right issues of our time for some of those who did read her book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness. Michelle Alexander stated that The most despised in America is not gays, transgenders, nor even illegalRead MoreThe Judicial Corporal System Of Islamic Criminal Justice System Essay1299 Words   |  6 PagesIncarceration, especially in the United States, is widely known to be a massive taxpayer burden— to the tune of over $52 billion per year (CITE p414). In 2012, the annual cost per inmate in the United States was approxim ately $21,000 for low risk inmates, and up to $34,000 for high risk offenders (CITE p386). Additionally, incarceration places a significant financial burden on the offenders themselves, because they would lose their current jobs, and any job prospects they would have in the futureRead MoreMass Incarceration : A New Form Of Slavery Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesMass Incarceration: A New Form of Slavery in the United States Lorena P. Ambriz History 12A Abstract Starting in the 1970s, the rising rate of imprisonment came to be known as Mass Incarceration. What was once an average of 100 people getting imprisoned for every 100,000 adults, prior to the 1970s, has now grown to become more than 600 individuals per every 100,000 adults imprisoned. With only five present of the total world population, The United States holds an astonishing 25 percent of theRead MoreAmeric Land Of The Incarcerated1296 Words   |  6 Pagesthe poem The Star Spangled Banner after witnessing the attack on Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy in the War of 1812. The poem was sang to the tune of a well-known British song and eventually, Key’s once amateur patriotic poem became the United States national anthem in which the lyrics strongly symbolize our country’s perseverance and freedom. The Star Spangled Banner can be heard at a variety gatherings such as official military functions and sporting events where celebrity singers oftenRead MorePositive A nd Negative Impacts Of The Correctional System1514 Words   |  7 PagesFord Valdosta State University â€Æ' Introduction The correctional system as a whole has a significant impact on the United States. From policy, incarceration, sexual victimization, and those who oversee correctional facilities it all takes a toll on the country. Simply stated, it is the butterfly effect seen in action. When one decision, action, or lack thereof is implemented there will either be positive or negative consequences. Statistics encompassing sexual victimization, incarceration rates in theRead MoreAmerican Incarceration : Where We Are, And What Can Be Done?1518 Words   |  7 PagesYasir Choudhury Dr. Joà £o Vargas UGS 303 Mass Incarceration 5 October 2015 American Incarceration: Where We Are, and What Can be Done From its early inception as a necessary aspect of modern society to its broken state that can be seen today, the American penal system has changed radically in recent history from an institution that performed the duty of safeguarding the public from those too dangerous to be left unsupervised to a business model concerned more with generating a profit for shareholders