Chapter 11: Criminal Justice and Prison System

What is the Pennsylvania system?

An early model of prison that focused on solitary confinement, silence, and work in cells.

What is the New York System?

Used the system of silence that was popular in the Pennsylvania system but adopted congregate labor systems.

What are good-time credits?

Allow inmates to earn time off of their sentence for good behavior.

What percent of inmates in local jails have been convicted of a crime?

35% convicted.

What percent of inmates in local jails are waiting for their cases to proceed through the criminal justice system?

65% waiting for their cases.

What are some significant challenges that jails face?

Fluctuating populations, many inmates with disabilities or chronic conditions, and inmate deaths in custody, especially suicides.

What percent of all inmates are in state prison for violent offenses?

54.5%.

What percent of all inmates are in state prison for property crimes?

18%.

What percent of all inmates are in state prison for drug crimes?

15.2%.

What percent of all inmates are in state prison for public order offenses?

11.6%.

How much have prison operating costs increased over the past three decades?

384%.

How much does California spend a year to incarcerate each inmate?

$47,000.

How much of the total incarceration cost in California goes to security costs?

$19,000.

How much does California spend on inmate healthcare per year?

$12,000.

How much does California spend on rehabilitation per inmate per year?

$1,612.

What percent of inmates are gang involved?

12% to 16%.

What is the significance of Cooper v. Pate?

The court ruled that they violated Cooper's first amendment rights and established that state prison inmates could sue the state in federal court if their constitutional rights have been violated.

How does incarceration exacerbate mental health issues?

Through increased stress and trauma, resources focused on crisis intervention, and inmates feeling degraded and abused by staff.

What are some recommendations for reforming the experience of mentally ill prisoners?

Increase options to stabilize individuals before involvement in the criminal justice system, implement diversion-style programs, develop better screening tools, and allocate adequate financial resources for care.

What percent of all offenders in military prisons for all branches were incarcerated for sex crimes?

61.7%.

What are the four categories of prison security?

Minimum, Medium, Maximum, Supermax.

What is racial disproportionality?

When inmates of color are overrepresented in the prison population compared to their representation in society.

Compared to young White men, how much more likely are young Black men to be incarcerated?

Black men are 10 times more likely.

Compared to White women, how much more likely are Black women to be incarcerated?

Black women are between 1.6 and 4.1 times more likely.

What are some significant consequences of prison overcrowding?

Struggles to provide adequate space, decreased number of inmate jobs, reduced rehabilitative programs, and increased tension between inmates.