Prison Systems

Prison Systems

Sean O’Brien
Eng 101 10:15 class
4/12/08
Article Summary
Jail numbers have been a big problem, but now it’s getting out of control. Many jails are begging to become over crowded, and its starting to become a public safety issue. Counties are spending more and more money on prisoners trying to make the jails larger, but the numbers of inmates keep growing so the jails can’t keep up. Now they are trying to find a way to alter the system to reduce inmate population with out endangering the public. Jails have traditionally housed inmates awaiting sentences to state prisons; now more and more sentenced offenders are serving sentences at the county level. To fix this problem a county in Kansas called Johnson County is trying to start a new organization called the Johnson County Criminal Justice Advisory Council. The council plans on looking into the root causes of criminal conduct at all ages, and developing procedures and programs to reduce inmates getting into new trouble after they are released from custody. The council will have a maximum of 20 members who will include or represent the office of the sheriff, district attorney, chief judge of the district court, chief public defender, district court administrator, and county manager, the council of mayors, school superintendents’ group, and the League of Women Voters. This does not mean that people won’t be going to jail anymore, the council is going to try to find ways to cut the jail population. Most jail offenders are low- or medium-risk inmates, less than 10 percent of them require maximum security facilities. So hopefully the council will find a safe way to cut jail population, and still keep everyone safe.

Similar Essays