In recent decades, the imposition of mandatory sentences to curb the surge in crimes has placed a tremendous strain on the U.S. correctional system by steadily increasing the number of prisoners. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 6.6 million people were currently incarcerated in the correctional system at the end of 2001. Moreover, one out of every 32 adults were either serving a sentence or on parole. Even with the slow growth of the prison population at 1.1 percent, the correctional system still has to contend with a large number of prisoners. What is even more disconcerting is the recidivism rate of former inmates. In another study conducted by the U.S. Justice Department, 67 percent of former inmates released from prison in 1994 were re-arrested for committing another crime within three years of their release. In fact, 44 percent returned to prison just one year after their release.
The persistent growth in the prison population and the high recidivism rate testify to the failure of the U.S. correctional system in rehabilitating prisoners successfully and ensuring public safety in the long term. In the remainder of this paper, this writer will argue that the contemporary correctional system in America is designed to fail by addressing the following three areas: a) laws; b) prison experience; and c) after-prison care.
First of all, America's laws on victimless crimes have resulted in an unnecessary expenditure of resources for law enforcement and incarceration. Unlike other types of crimes that lead to the injury of at least one unwilling party, victimless crimes such as prostitution, gambling, pornography and substance abuse involve participants who have all consented to the activity. By cracking down on these activities in the name of public morality and public safety, the government has not only violated the rights of the individual, but also contributed to a significant rise in the prison populatio...