The situation with jail overcrowding presents a growing issue that requires a swift solution. The United States has one of the highest ratios of prisoners to free people, as its prisons contain approximately 2.1 million people (Barsky, 2019). There is the need to admit that the current state of prisons is unacceptable and discuss what methods of its resolution are efficient. This essay will attempt to create a draft of a plan for the reduction of the imprisoned population.
While preventing people from getting into jail is vital, it is necessary to discuss the position of currently imprisoned people. The population within the prison walls must be considered as the primary stakeholders in this task. Therefore, the plan must focus on their rehabilitation to ensure that these people will not be left to fend for themselves after release. The first step of the plan is to ensure public support in this endeavor, which can be achieved by giving them easier access to the inside of prison walls for support and education. The second step is to encourage both prisoners and educators to cooperate on a common goal of giving the former more opportunities in life after release. This strategy is already tried by the program “Let Us In” and has shown a degree of success (Barsky, 2019). The third step requires the introduction of new options for release for prisoners who have undergone the proposed courses and have proven to be able to reintegrate into society.
In conclusion, there are efficient ways for reducing the number of imprisoned people in the country, such as revealing the living conditions inside prisons to encourage voting for change and reforming rehabilitation options. Local governments can also affect the issue by making bails and alternative options for service one’s sentence more available. An established plan for action would serve as an excellent starting point, although it requires cooperation between federal and state governments.
Reference
Barsky, N. (2019). How to fix our prisons? Let the public inside. The Marshall Project.