Violent, Overcrowded Prisons Negatively Affects Society Term Paper

Violent, Overcrowded Prisons Negatively Affects Society - Term Paper Example Prisons should concentrate on rehabilitation because many inmates will eventually be released. Punishment, aside from a need for societal vengeance, is meant as a deterrent for those who have committed a crime as well as for those who have not. Since people who commit crimes do so believing they probably won’t get caught, this type of reasoning is based upon a false premise. Those who have committed crimes such as identity theft, prostitution, gambling and drug use are thrown into an excessively cruel circumstance where violence and sexual assault run rampant which acts an opposite effect of rehabilitation. These people, as well as society, would be better served if they were assigned community service of varying degrees in an effort to repay the victim or the community for their transgressions. One method hurts, the other helps – seems like a simple and effective solution but one that is rarely considered. The U.S. incarcerates more of its population than any other ind ustrialized country. Currently, more than two million prisoners are jailed in local, state or federal facilities. Not only the number of prisoners is increasing, the ratio of prisoner to population is widening as well. About a decade ago, for every 100,000 citizens, 703 were in prison. That number exceeds 715 today. When categorized according to ethnicity, a wide disparity of justice is apparent. â€Å"At midyear 2003 there were 4,834 black male prisoners per 100,000 black males in the United States in prison or jail, compared to 1,778 Hispanic male inmates per 100,000 Hispanic males and 681 white male inmates per 100,000 white males† (â€Å"Prison Statistics† 2006) Those incarcerated for on drug charges constitute more than 60 percent of inmates in Federal prisons and 15 percent of the growth in total prison populations. Violent offenders including those charged with murder, rape, assault and robbery constitute the remaining approximate 40 percent. 1) (â€Å"Prison S tatistics† 2006) Anyone who has seen a prison movie likely has witnessed the stereotypical ‘shower scene’ where gang members viciously attack a lone inmate. They put a knife tightly against the victim’s throat and threaten to kill him if he puts up a fight. The lone inmate is then repeatedly raped by the gang and afterwards is too frightened to notify prison officials fearing retribution. This Hollywood recreation is not unlike the actual events taking place inside prison walls. Being brutally raped in prison is not simply a physical violation; it is an emotionally scarring event. According to the Human Rights Watch, this and other forms of gang-related violence occur regularly in prisons across the country. â€Å"Gang assaults are not uncommon, and victims may be left beaten, bloody and, in the most extreme cases, dead† (â€Å"No Escape,† 2006) However, violent and blatant rapes are but one type of sexual abuse many prisoners must endure. The most prevalent form of rape does not occur by means of violence nor have many of the victims been overtly threatened. Nevertheless, they engage in sex acts unwillingly because they do not believe they have a choice. Prison is an intimidating place. Prisoners, especially those new to the system can be easily coerced into doing things such as allowing themselves to be raped or committing violent acts against others out of fear. This type of prison rape is easier to conceal than violent attacks and much easier for prison staff and the