Discuss the below:
Incarceration
I believe that we should use incarceration for many offenses excluding simple marijuana possession because it is a way to correct behavior that is not accepted in society. However, the cost per inmate is extremely high and the amount of money could be used in different areas like education. "(Santora, 2013)The Vera Institute of Justice released a study in 2012 that found the aggregate cost of prisons in 2010 in the 40 states that participated was $39 billion. The annual average taxpayer cost in these states was $31,286 per inmate." $31,286 could be used in many of ways to improve the communities that are in need of assistance. I also think that the incarceration rate is reasonable "(Tsai and Scommegna, 2012) Since 2002, the United States has had the highest incarceration rate in the world. Although prison populations are increasing in some parts of the world, the natural rate of incarceration for countries comparable to the United States tends to stay around 100 prisoners per 100,000 population. The U.S. rate is 500 prisoners per 100,000 residents, or about 1.6 million prisoners in 2010, according to the latest available data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)." Lastly, I think the prison population is rapidly increasing because of the areas of poverty that are in need assistance are being neglected and if it had the proper funding the crime rate would drop as well as the incarceration rate
Incarceration
The booming number of people in prison is an epidemic. There are prisons being built daily and laws are staying the same. Of course there are a number of offenses that should require mandatory prison sentencing, but there are a host of others that don't. For awhile now, I have been hearing and agreeing with the idea that non-violent offenders are getting time and filling up the prisons. Whether it be for a short time or long term. Offenses such as marijuana possession leads the way in this epidemic. How long will you continue to lock up people for possessing small amounts of grass? What sense does it make for people to be locked up over something that is legal in some states? That in itself is ludicrous. The United State has the highest per capita rate of incarcerated individuals on the planet. The increased cost of food, medical costs, and utility has placed a considerable strain on tax payers. Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation reveal more people were arrested fro marijuana possession than all violent crimes combined in 2011. This is the reason or the main reason prison population is burgeoning (Ibtimes, 2013).