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Problem of Jail Crowding in the US

as become a source of considerable contention between sheriffs and state officials: The latter refuse to accept prisoners because there is no space, and the former are unable to hold state-sentenced inmates because of jail crowding. Sheriffs' responses to this

conflict have ranged from chaining state-sentenced inmates to the fence of the prison facility to suing the state (Lacayo 28-31).

There is a close relationship between the jail and prison populations. While the jails contribute inmates to the prisons-up to 99 percent of the state prison population has spent time in a local jail prior to admission to the state system--prison-bound inmates represent less than a quarter of most local jails' populations. Thus it is not difficult to see that prison crowding and jail crowding are both part of the same problem and together create new problems. Understanding the causes of jail crowding helps one understand the causes of prison crowding.

To understand the causes of crowding and to develop remedial policies, a local jurisdiction must take such obvious and seemingly unnecessary steps as establishing the jail's capacity and identifying the forces that affect the average daily population. Once these forces have been identified, each one must be examined in terms of its influence on the jail population. Three factors are used to measure a facility's capacity. First, the occupancy of the facility must be determined by calculating the number of inmates per confinement unit, such as a cell or a dormitory. Second, freedom of movement must be determined. This means the number of hours prisoners are confined to quarters. Third, the density of the population is important. This means one must judge the square footage of living space available. Other considerations must be taken into account. For example, it is also necessary to know a facility's operation

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Problem of Jail Crowding in the US. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 07:49, March 19, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1681943.html