The correctional services offered by the Criminal Justice System of a country are of great importance in the effective running of the society. This is because it is through these avenues that those members or the society who do not abide by the laws and codes of conduct established can be punished and effectively rehabilitated. Even so, the United States has a phenomenal number of inmates serving in her correctional facilities. In her article, “7.3 million in the US prison system”, Randall, Kate’s discusses the prison population changes in have been exhibited in the US. This paper will present a summary of the dramatic changes that the US prison population has had over the last 25-30 years as highlighted by Randall.
While the role played by the criminal justice system is imperative for the well being of the society, the number of incarcerated individuals in the US is alarming. Randall begins by stating that the US has 7.3 million people in its prison system therefore making it the country with the highest number of inmates in the world. The article reveals that the last quarter-century has witnessed a phenomenal growth in the number of incarcerated adults with the growth been placed at 274%. The author goes on to note that while men continue to make up the bigger percentage of inmates in correctional facilities, the rate of women prisoners is growing at a high rate. Women have now become the fastest growing group of incarcerated persons in US.
The article also notes that there is a disproportionate representation of the African American community in the US prison system. According to Randall, black men are imprisoned at almost 4 times the rate of white men and constitute approximately 35% of the total prison population. As of2007, 9.2% of black adults were under some form of “correctional control”. Bearing in mind that African American’s make up less than 15% of the US population, there is a gross overrepresentation of this group in state penitentiaries.
As a result of the increase in number of people incarcerated, state spending on prisons has increased alarmingly. As it stands, state spending budget increases have surpasses nearly all other federal services. This has caused some states to make cuts on spending for schools, healthy care and social services so as to deal with prison deficits. Rendell argues that states should spend less on correctional services and more on tackling poverty and social inequality since there is an evident connection between poverty and the rise in number of inmates. The author explicitly states that there is a relationship between poverty and high rates of imprisonment. She notes that Detroit which is the poorest large city in America is also the place with the highest number of people under prison control.
Correctional facilities are a necessary aspect for the administrative component of a country to function efficiently. This paper has analyzed an article by Kate Randall so as to document the trend of prison populations in the US. From this, it has been articulated that prison population in the US has increased exponentially and there is a rise in the number of women prisoners. The paper has also noted that there is an overrepresentation of blacks in the prison system. Poverty and social inequality have been noted to be the major causes of the increase in inmates. Social issues must therefore be addressed so as to find a lasting solution to the prison problem.
Work Cited
Randall, Kate. 7.3 million in the US prison system. 2009. Web.