Prison Overcrowding in California Essay -- proliferation, penal codes,

Introduction The proliferation of prison overcrowding has been a rising concern for the U.S. The growing prison population poses considerable health and safety risks to prison staffs and employees, as well as to inmates themselves. The risks will continue to increase if no immediate actions are taken. Whereas fighting proliferation is fundamentally the duty of the U.S. government, prison overcrowding has exposed that the U.S. government will need to take measures to combat the flaws in the prison and criminal justice system. Restructuring the government to combat the danger of prison overcrowding, specifically in California, thus requires reforms that reestablishes the penal codes, increases the state’s budget, and develops opportunities for paroles to prevent their return to prison. The following context will examine and discuss the different approaches to reduce the population of state prisons in California in order to avoid prison overcrowding. Defining the Problem The problem is that regardless of different methods and approaches to prevent prison overcrowding, California still have one, if not, the largest prison population when compared to other states in the nation (ALEC, 2010). Prison overcrowding, defined by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or CDCR, is when the prison housing capacity is exceeded, creating less spatial room to accommodate inmates (CDCR, 2008). California’s 33 state prisons currently accommodate at least 140,000 inmates. California’s 33 state prisons are so crowded that it has put at serious risks the lives of inmates, prison staffs, and employees. Even with several mental and drug treatment rehabilitation facilities available, California state prisons still have t... ...Prison Overcrowding: California." ALEC: American Legislative Exchange Council. American Legislative Exchange Council. Retrieved October 13, 2013 from Organization of CDCR Executive Staff website: http://www.alec.org/initiatives/prisonovercrowding "Realignment AB 109 in California." Realignment (AB 109) in California. Retrieved October 13, 2013 from Shouse Law website: http://www.shouselaw.com/realignment.html Zhang, Sheldon. "Preventing Parolee Crime Program." Program: Preventing Parolee Crime Program (PPCP). National Institute of Justice, 15 June 2007. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. http://www.crimesolutions.gov/ProgramDetails.aspx?ID=72 "The Cornerstone of California’s Solution to Reduce Overcrowding, Costs, and Recidivism."California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Retrieved October 13, 2013 from CDCR website: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/realignment/