Prison Overcrowding Affects Everyone

by Emily Suse

Provided by Alabama Public Radio

Current political turmoil in the US often overshadows the growing problem of overcrowding in American prisons. The Penal Reform International organization states “[p]rison overcrowding is one of the key contributing factors to poor prison conditions around the world. It is also arguably the biggest single problem facing prison systems and its consequences can at worst be life-threatening at best prevent prisons from fulfilling their proper function”. Studies have shown that overcrowding causes mental and physical distress to inmates. This is caused by a lack of recreational activities, limitations on education, restricted access to medical care, and a lack of privacy. In overcrowded prisons, violence and disease often grip every aspect of an inmate's life. These factors create a vulnerable environment in which people must fight for their lives, while facing a punishment for a crime.

Unfortunately, mandatory minimum sentencing laws in the United States have contributed to the problem of overcrowding. These laws represent a variety of offences, such as drug crimes, certain gun crimes, and economic offenses. These mandatory laws require a convicted person to serve a certain amount of years in prison, no matter the circumstances. For example, if a person is convicted for selling a couple of ounces of methamphetamine, they will be incarcerated for at least ten years. Judges are bound by these laws and cannot make exceptions. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws create a situation in which too many people are put in prison, for far too many years.

This unfortunate reality puts an intense economic burden on the American taxpayer.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, “[p]rison costs $31,000 a year per prisoner…probation is 10 times less expensive”. The American people are responsible for feeding, housing, and securing prisoners throughout the country. As a country with almost $22 trillion of debt, it is unfortunate that prison overcrowding further exacerbates the financial hardship of many taxpayers.

These high costs of incarceration could be significantly reduced by cutting the number of people in prison. This could be done partly through a change in mandatory minimum sentencing laws. Many other problems surrounding the justice system could be solved by altering nonviolent offenders duration of incarceration. This would include reevaluating the sentences that have already been commenced, as well as decreasing the length of time nonviolent criminals spend behind bars. It is entirely possible to implement sensible criminal justice reform.