Reforming American Criminal Justice:
Prisons, Inmates, and Re-Entry Success
Why does America house 25% of the world’s prisoners, spend over $100 billion a year on prisons, and still deliver the world’s worst outcomes – 70% recidivism rate and extreme collateral damage on individuals, families and communities, including correctional personnel? Maybe it has something to do with a “punishment mindset.” Let’s speak truth about “the facts” that both define and disparage the American criminal justice system.
A Troubled Criminal Justice System
The United States operates the world’s largest, costliest, and most dysfunctional criminal justice system. Representing nearly 5 percent of the world’s population, the U.S. houses 25% of the world’s prisoners. It’s also home to 33% of the world’s female prisoners. Over 77 million citizens have an arrest record, and millions circulate in and out of correctional facilities each year. Arresting and locking up millions of people, the U.S. has developed a sordid reputation as an “Arrested Society” and “Incarcerated Nation.”
Criminal justice and incarceration in the U.S. are big businesses — especially for lawyers, private prison operators, the bail bond industry, privatized probation services, telephone companies, prison suppliers, prison industries, and “weekend cops” who have a vested interest maintaining the status quo. Not surprising, it’s very difficult to change a system that is also politically entrenched through lobbying and campaign contribution activities.
20 More Costly and Sobering Facts
- 707 out of 100,000 U.S. adults are locked up – highest percentage in the world
- 2.3 million are caged in U.S. federal and state prisons
- 11-12 million circulate in and out of jails, detention centers, and prisons each year
- America’s correctional complex (7,400 institutions) includes:
- 1,719 state prisons (1.3+ million inmates)
- 102 federal prisons (200,000+ inmates)
- 2,259 juvenile correctional facilities (55,000 juveniles)
- 3,283 local jails (800,000+ inmates)
- 9 Indian Country jails
- several military brigs and confinement facilities
- Federal and state prisons, which normally house 500 to 5,000 inmates, are home to a disproportionate number of immigrants, violent criminals, the mentally ill, and some really bad people
- Annual release rates vary by correctional complex, but 95% of prisoners are eventually released:
- 700,000 ex-offenders released from state and federal prisons
- 9 million released from fast revolving jails/detention centers
- 5 million+ are on parole or probation
- 33% of annual prison admissions are parole violators
- Largest and most notorious prisons include:
- ADX (Administrative Maximum Facility or SuperMax) in Florence, CO – “The Alcatraz of the Rockies” (440 prisoners)
- Louisiana State Penitentiary (“Angola” or “The Alcatraz of the South”) – largest prison in the U.S. – 6,800 inmates and 1,800 correctional personnel; 74% are “lifers
- San Quentin State Prison – 3,302 inmates with 704 on death row
- Attica Correctional Facility – 2,150 inmates
- Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary – 2,000 inmates
- Folsom State Prison – 1,913 inmates
- U.S. Penitentiary Marion – 1,000 inmates
- Largest jails (literally cities within cities)
- Los Angeles Jail – 19,836 (serves over 50,000 meals a day!)
- Rikers Island (NY) Jail – 10,949 inmates/10,500 staff
- Cook County (Chicago) Jail – 9,514
- Harris County (Houston) Jail – 8,511
- Philadelphia Jail – 8,318
- $250 billion spent annually to operate America’s criminal justice system
- $80 billion spent annually on incarceration
- Collateral damage/costs to individuals, families, and communities are simply incalculable – think trillions of dollars!
- New York City spends $208,000 per year to jail someone – elsewhere it’s usually under $100,000 per detainee (Guantanamo Base — $4.5 million spent per year per prisoner!)
- The U.S. spends over $100 billion caging prisoners, 70% of whom are drug offenders
- Ex-offenders entering the Free World have several strikes against them:
- 75% have substance abuse problems
- 70% are high school dropouts
- 50% are functionally illiterate
- 21% have a work-related disability
- 18% have Hepatitis C
- 15% have a mental illness (however, some experts estimate 70% of incarcerated women and 55-60% of incarcerated men have a mental illness
- 12% report a vision or hearing problem
- 7% have a tuberculosis infection
- 4% show signs of PTSD
- 3% are HIV-positive or have AIDS
- 3% participate in work-release programs
- Nearly 70% of released prisoners become repeat offenders (many due to minor parole violations)
- Over 70% of U.S. prisoners are serving time for nonviolent offenses – expect more violent offenders due to changes in court system/sentencing practices (drug courts, mental health courts, etc.)
- 34% of the nearly 500,000 correctional officers have PTSD (mainly untreated) –125% higher than combat veterans; they also have the highest suicide rate of any profession – twice as high as police.
- Private prisons (155) – manage 8% of all inmates (133,000). Mainly operating at the state level, the three major players are CoreCivic (66), GEO Group (65), and Management and Training Group (24). The verdict is still out on these controversial “privatized prisons.”
- Veterans – constitute about 8% of prison population – 180,000 inmates. Nearly 1 million circulate in and out of jails and prisons each year. Several states now have special treatment and re-entry programs designed for assisting veteran populations.
- 2.7 million children in the U.S. have at least one incarcerated parent.
Resources for Making a Difference
But there’s good news to report that gives renewed hope for a brighter criminal justice future. Incremental moves toward criminal justice reform — establishment of specialized courts (drug, mental health, veterans, juvenile), treatment and recovery programs, decriminalization and sentencing reform, bail bond reform, educational and vocational training, early release, community policing, and re-entry assistance — are making differences in the lives of millions of people caught up in the troubled criminal justice system.
As a center for criminal justice, correctional, and ex-offender re-entry resources, Impact Publications specializes in producing and distributing useful resources, from books and pocket guides to instruments, games, and videos. These resources are the focus of our latest Career and Re-Entry Success Catalog. Please browse through that catalog and the expanded Jobs, Careers & Re-Entry Success Catalog as well as this sampling of resources designed for making a difference in the lives of ex-offenders:
- The Freedom Seven! Ex-Offender Re-Entry Pocket Guides and Journal (#9555)
- The Ex-Offender’s Re-Entry Success Guide (#6838)
- The Ex-Offender’s New Job Finding and Survival Guide (#9218)
- No One Will Hire Me! (#5258)
- Best Resumes and Letters for Ex-Offenders (#4273)
- Road to Reentry Success Video Series (#9280)
- New Directions for Ex-Offenders: A Mixed Media Re-Entry Kit (#9723)
- Ex-Offender Re-Entry Guides (#6847)
- Re-Imagining Life on the Outside Kit (#9536)
- Red Flags Begone! The Quick Repair Kit for People With Not-So-Hot Backgrounds (#9529)
- Positive Parenting Skills Kit for Fathers Behind Bars (#9535)
- Positive Parenting Skills Kit for Mothers Behind Bars (#9536)
- Ex-Offender Re-Entry Success Video Bundle: 14 Programs (#9605)
- Recharge: Beyond the Bars Re-Entry Game (#3181)
- Offender Reintegration Scale (#6190)
Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic post. Really thank you! Really Cool. Lynelle Dar Casper
Good day! I just want to give you a huge thumbs up for the excellent info you have here on this post. I am returning to your blog for more soon. Jane Constantin Kinelski
Hello. This article was extremely remarkable, particularly because I was searching for thoughts on this topic last week. Christian Peadar Dolhenty
Some really nice and useful info on this site, as well I think the design has got wonderful features. Wilmette Harold Subak
Your way of telling all in this paragraph is truly nice, every one be able to simply be aware of it, Thanks a lot. Fredia Bay Mika
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Nonetheless, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
Wonderful site. A lot of helpful info here. I’m
sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious.
And naturally, thanks on your sweat!
I just could not go away your web site before suggesting that I extremely loved the usual info an individual supply to your guests? Tamarah Doug Evangelina
I love your website, and I especially love this articles.
Everyone loves it when folks get together and share ideas. Great site, continue the good work! Lucina Gill Godfrey
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular article! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes. Many thanks for sharing! Oralle Nelson Campbell
I admire the valuable facts you provide inside your content. I will bookmark your weblog and also have my youngsters check up right here frequently. I am fairly positive theyll learn lots of new stuff here than anybody else!
Really? It really is excellent to witness anyone ultimate begin addressing this stuff, however I?m still not really certain how much I agree with you on it all. I subscribed to your rss feed though and will certainly keep following your writing and possibly down the road I may chime in once again in much more detail good work. Cheers for blogging though!
I like this article yet do not concur with all your points. Cannot argue with the general tone though. Well written as well!
Took me time for you to check out all the notes, but I truly enjoyed the article. It proved to be in truth helpful to me and I’m sure to all of the commenters right here! It’s usually great when you can not just be informed, but additionally engaged! I’m certain you had enjoyable writing this write-up.
Greate pieces. Keep posting such kind of information on your site.
Im really impressed by it.
Hey there, You have performed a fantastic job.
I will certainly digg it and in my view recommend to my friends.
I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this website.
The article is really excellent. Every time I read it, I get information again.
The best article I’ve read in a long timee.
Nice bro thank you.
I admire your blog , it has of lot of information. You just got a perennial visitor of this blog.
Nice bro thank you.
Wow, great article.Really thank you! Keep writing.
The article is really excellent. Every time I read it, I get information again.
The best article I’ve read in a long time…
Cheers for the fantastic information enclosed here in your blog, here is a little question for your blog website readers. Who actually stated the following quote? . . . .Determine never to be idleIt is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.
Iam actually glad to read this blog posts which contains tons of
useful facts, thanks for providing tһese kinds of data.
Iam actually glad to read this blog posts which contains tons of
useful facts, thanks for providing tһese kinds of data.
Rakı Fiyatları
Viski Fiyatları
Chivas Fiyatları
Viski Fiyatları
Nice bro thank you.
Nice bro thank you.
Nice bro thank you.
Nice bro thank you.
Nice bro thank you.
keep up the great work , I read few posts on this website and I believe that your weblog is real interesting and holds bands of excellent information.
Nice bro thank you.
Nice bro thank you.
Nice bro thank you.
I liked your post very much, I will continue to follow you…
I liked your post very much, I will continue to follow you..
Tthank you very nice…
your posts are very nice i like it..
Thank you, I learn new things thanks to your content sharing.