Corrections Facility What Contemporary Problems Exist Within

Corrections Facility What contemporary problems exist within the U.S. corrections system? Explain. The first issue that exits with the U.S. corrections system is that of priorities. The system is inherently reactive as oppose to proactive in regards to preventing future offenses. I believe the U.S. corrections system can do much more in regards to education, follow up, and subsequent matriculation into general society. More emphasis should first be placed on properly educating those in the corrections system.

It is very common for individuals to repeat crimes due in part to lack of skills to enter the workforce. This is now becoming especially true as individuals are now competing for fewer jobs within the overall U.S. economy. Last month, only 69,000 jobs were added to the economy. The jobs added last month don't even keep pace with the U.S. population growth.

If individuals with no prior criminal activity are finding it difficult to find jobs, how then can we, with any semblance of honesty, expect a criminal to do so effectively? Much more emphasis therefore must be placed on training individuals on the skills of the future in order to better compete for jobs and subsequently, become better members of society. As it stands today, much more emphasis is being placed on punishment and retention of criminals rather than the education and prevention of recurring criminal activity.

This dual mandate poses extreme problems for those who favor the former and not the latter. For one, emphasis on punishment causes pervasive tax and individual costs concerns on society. It costs more money to keep an individual in jail than it is to train them to become honest members of society. This tax burdens add to an already strained U.S. economy. This problem, I believe, will persist as long as the emphasis is on punishing criminals without a first attempting to rehabilitee them.

What drug laws have most significantly impacted the corrections system? The most significant laws in regards to drugs pertain mainly to high volume drugs. These drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and others have very high use rates and cause many individuals to get incarcerated. According to the bureau of justice statistics, drugs are related to crime in multiple ways. Most directly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse.

Cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and amphetamines are examples of drugs classified that have a large amount of abuse (Seabrooks, 2012). Drugs are also related to crime through the effects they have on the user's behavior and by generating violence and other illegal activity in connection with drug trafficking. This is the primary reason drugs should not be legalized as the violence may be reduced but the behaviors corresponding to drug use will increase (Summary, 2012). Below is a chart depicting drug use and crime in visual form.

By legalizing drugs would also have an effect on the health of potential criminals? By legalizing drugs, society is fostering its acceptance. This acceptance of drugs will have severe implications on the health of offenders. Some substances aren't meant for human consumption, yet their ability to alter consciousness has made them into attractive sources of intoxication for those looking for a high. Inhalants such as glue or aerosols have been abused to this end, with disastrous consequences.

Most abused drugs have some affect on the cardiovascular system, according to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (Seabrooks, 2012). Drugs can increase heart rate and cause heart attacks. Cocaine is known to cause heart arrhythmias and deaths from cardiac arrest. Tobacco is a legal drug that is known to cause the blood vessels to constrict, leading to high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries (Walter, 1979. Drugs that are injected intravenously can damage the blood vessels, causing veins to collapse.

Dirty needles and contaminated drugs can introduce bacteria into the bloodstream that damage the heart valves. Certain drugs have demonstrated the ability to cause brain damage in users. What issues exist with regard to staff members and the stressful environments of correctional facilities? Explain. A major issue in regards to the environment is the constant threat of safety within the work.