Prison Overcrowding: Causes, Consequences & Solutions

Introduction: Overcrowding as the Central Problem

The American criminal justice system can be divided into three components: law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. Each has its own unique problems and challenges to face in accomplishing the combined goal of ensuring safety and justice throughout society. One problem that all three components share, however, is overcrowding. With nearly 300 million people in the United States, the actual number of people who enter the criminal justice system is staggering. The police are overworked and underpaid, the courts run around the clock, and prisons are so overpopulated that courts are forced to order the early release of thousands of prisoners each year. While overcrowding affects all three aspects of the justice system, this essay focuses on the problem of overcrowding within the prison system specifically.

The United States has one of the largest prison populations in the world, with currently more than 2 million people incarcerated across its prisons. With so many people confined, the system is stretched beyond capacity — and overcrowding then leads to other, more serious problems. The reasons for overcrowding, including the insistence on prison time for minor offenders and the disproportionate incarceration rates of minorities, originate largely from outside the system. Ultimately, while it is overcrowding that gives rise to problems inside prisons, it is within broader society that the problem can be fixed.

Gangs and Security Threat Groups in Prisons

Gangs, formally known as Security Threat Groups (STGs), are a major problem in prisons today, with some institutions reporting that 35–40% of their total population are gang members (Newhouse, 2009, p. 31+). Gangs are usually divided along racial lines, which introduces racial tensions into the prison environment. They are also responsible for illegal drug trafficking and the violence that stems from that trade (Arthur, 2009, p. 8). Because overcrowding is a major issue at most U.S. prisons, many inmates join gangs simply for protection from more predatory elements within the facility.

One way to address this problem is to identify, track, and isolate gang members from rival gang members (Newhouse, 2009, p. 31+). This approach has been found effective; however, it requires sufficient space and personnel — in other words, less overcrowding and more funding. Without adequate resources, even well-designed gang management strategies cannot be properly implemented.

Substance Abuse Inside the Prison System

Substance abuse is another serious problem within the prison population. Some statistics indicate that up to 50% of currently incarcerated individuals in U.S. prisons are addicted to drugs or alcohol (Lyons, 2010, p. 26+). While violence often stems from trafficking in such substances, the deeper problem is that substance abusers in prison will remain substance abusers upon release. This perpetuates criminal activity and increases recidivism — the rate at which former prisoners reoffend and are returned to prison.

A two-pronged approach may be the most effective way to tackle this problem. First, officials should identify substance abusers when they enter prison and connect them with treatment as soon as possible (Lyons, 2010, p. 26+). This requires greater resources allocated to substance abuse treatment programs. Second, prison administrators must address the problem that persists inside prisons: officers need not only to disrupt illicit drug trading, but also to identify active substance abusers and connect them with treatment and support groups that can help them resist further use.

The root of these problems, however, lies in overcrowding. There are simply too many people in prison, and too many of them are repeat offenders. Of the more than 2 million prisoners in American prisons, more than half have recidivated. Overcrowding places excessive responsibility on prison staff, who cannot perform their duties effectively under such conditions. Gang activity, substance abuse, and prisoner-on-prisoner violence all escalate as population increases, yet resources allocated to prisons rarely keep pace. Health facilities are understaffed and under-supplied, leaving prisoners without adequate care. In short, overcrowding is the cause of most problems within the prison system.

Conclusion: Systemic Solutions to Prison Overcrowding

If there is one problem endemic to all parts of the criminal justice system, it must be the problem of too many people in a system that is overloaded. Insufficient resources throughout the criminal justice system lead to unsolved crimes, delayed cases, premature prisoner releases, and a host of other failures. Within the prison system specifically, overcrowding is a particularly pressing issue, as it is the root of many other serious problems, including gangs and substance abuse. Beyond these, overcrowding often leads to the early release of prisoners, placing additional risk on society.

This problem is not insurmountable, however, and there are real solutions. First, society must address substance abuse at the community level: fewer substance abusers means fewer substance-abuse-related crimes. Society must then deal more effectively with those who do commit crimes due to addiction — prioritizing treatment over incarceration. This is among the most effective ways to reduce prison overcrowding. American society must also come to terms with the racial injustices that still permeate the criminal justice system. By acknowledging racial influences in sentencing and working systematically to eliminate them, the prison system can become more racially proportionate and less crowded overall.

Finally, American society must change its fundamental view of prisons and the prison system. Prisons cannot simply serve as a repository for society's problems. The root causes of those problems — racial and economic inequality, substance addiction, inadequate education and opportunity — must be tackled directly. Prison overcrowding is only a symptom of much larger societal failures. Unless society addresses these underlying issues, the problems within the criminal justice system will only grow worse.

References

Alexander, Michelle. (2011). The new Jim Crow: how mass incarceration turns people of color into permanent second-class citizens. The American Prospect, 22(1), p. 19+. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.

Arthur, Beth. (2009). Managing gangs and STGs: proactive approaches for safety and success. Corrections Today, 71(1), p. 8. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.

Currie, Elliott. (1998). Crime and Punishment in America. New York: Metropolitan Books.

Hashimoto, Erica J. (2011). Class matters. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 101(1), p. 31+. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.

Lyons, Donna. (2010). Crime and treatment: overcrowded prisons and addicted inmates are a tough challenge for lawmakers. State Legislatures, 36(3), p. 26+. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.

Newhouse, Ken. (2009). Defining, identifying and tracking security threat groups. Corrections Today, 71(1), p. 32+. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.

Wacquant, Lois. (2010). Class, race & hyperincarceration in revanchist America. Daedalus, 139(3), p. 74+. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.