Prison Reform & Alternatives By: David Michaux, Jessup Lowe, and Sally Smith

Issues with American Prisons Overcrowding Excessive amount of prisoners in jails for non-violent crimes Inadequate prison healthcare Prisoners unlikely to receive rehabilitation services Expenses of keeping inmates in prison for minor offenses

America’s High Prison Population Growing issue all around America Leads to prisoner misconduct Leads to officer/warden misconduct Increases inmate violence On average, each inmate costs tax payers about $31,000 a year. More prisoners equals more money out of your pocket.

Rehabilitation Pros and Cons Prisoners now are less likely to receive rehabilitation than they once were Services such as psychological and educational programs can help the prisoner contribute to society once they are released These types of reform can also decrease their chances of landing back in prison Many elected officials are afraid of looking soft on crime so they ignore this problem

Privatization Prisons that are run by individuals for a profit and can lead to funding of new prison projects Very controversial issue Some say private prisons have been accused of corruption and corrosive incentives involving race Also, others claim private prisons for profit attempt to maximize their own profit, which leads to a lack of medical care, food and clothing to security as well as inmates. This can be a danger to the public

Reform or Punish People who are in prison for minor drug offenses should be given the opportunity to learn and educate themselves within the prison or released on probation since they are not a danger to society. By reforming inmates as opposed to punishing them we can help the economy by using tax payers’ money for more productive services and better society. It is more beneficial to the country to have prisoners leaving jail educated and reformed than it is to have them locked up for long periods of time.