Should The Prison Building A Reduced Maximum Nonviolent...

Most taxpayers and residents of communities aren’t aware of how beneficial it can be to lock up a reduced amount nonviolent criminals. The argument of incarcerating less nonviolent offenders originated in the 1970s, with increasing public concern about the threat of crime and many becoming skeptical about how effective rehabilitation is, Americans started focusing on some other goals of the prison system, such as retribution and public safety. They argue crime measures, such as mandatory minimum sentences and truth in sentencing laws, are keeping minor offenders in prison for too long and at great expense to the taxpayers. Advocates of harsh sentencing laws counter that they are necessary as a solution to lenient judges. David Masci, a CQ†¦show more content†¦The government should incarcerate less nonviolent criminals by using rehabilitation programs that already exist that would still be effective in saving money, keeping the community safe, and treating prisoners hu manely. According to the International Center for Prison Studies at King’s College London, the United States has an imprisonment rate of 743 out of 100,000 people and Clark explains that the prisons are heavily overburdened, â€Å"The federal prison system is 37 percent over-capacity, while budget-strapped states are housing prisoners in tents, hallways and gymnasiums -- or releasing them early† (Clark). The Center for Economic and Policy Research, or CEPR, did a report in 2010 stating, U.S. incarceration rates from 1880 to 1970 out of 100,000 people were only about 100 to 200 prisoners. Between 1970 and 1980, Peter Katel, a CQ Researcher contributing writer who has also written for Time and Newsweek, states, â€Å"The California prison situation represents an extreme version of†¦ a national crisis created by the nation s incarceration boom. The nation s 2.2-million prison and jail population represents a 700 percent increase over 1970. With 727 prisoners per 100,000 Ame ricans, the U.S. incarceration rate is way ahead of the rest of the world† (Katel). However after 1980, the inmate population grew much quicker than the overall population and because it is still growing so quick, prisoners must