United States ranks as a global leader in the use of imprisonment. The United States is the world’s leader in prisons, with at least 2,000,000 people currently in jail. This represents an increase of 500% over four decades. Females are held in prison 14 times as often as males, with the majority being young. For example, those between the ages of 20 and 30 have the highest rates of imprisonment. A majority of U.S. inmates are not educated. 73% of U.S. prisoners are not graduates from high school. However, the average state prisoner is able to complete a 10th grade education. People from low-income groups such as blacks or Latinos are also more likely to be incarcerated. 2010 saw a decrease in imprisonment in 34 states and an increase in 16 other. These states include West Virginia, Iowa and Illinois. In recent years, the United States’ criminal justice systems has come under increasing criticism. Obama stated that reforming America’s criminal justice system would be his number one priority upon his election (Galston 2015). Numerous bills affecting America’s criminal justice system are being discussed and filed by the Senate as well as the House. Public support is growing for criminal justice reform in America, as evidenced by the widespread attention given to it during 2016’s vice-presidential, presidential, and vice presidential debates. Unfortunately, politicians and the public are not receiving timely and accurate information on this sensitive issue. The United States has implemented many regulations and initiatives, but they haven’t helped to lower the country’s prison population. The introduction of technology that assists law enforcement officers to use data to reduce and target crime is one of the many improvements to America’s criminal justice system. The crime rate has dropped dramatically since the advent of modern technologies. There has been an alarming drop in the crime rate across the country over recent years. In the United States, violent crime rates declined 35% between 1980-2012. Blumstein and Wallman 24, Between 1980 and 2008, both white and black murder rates decreased (Cooper & Smith 2011). The association between crime and imprisonment has been disproven. Although certain data suggest a decrease in crime rates, there has been an increase in inmates both in federal and state prisons by 34% over the last 30 years. The percentage of released convicts has always been lower than that of criminals who are being added. The United States had approximately 2,220,000 inmates in 2013. These numbers should alarm policymakers.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
