Overview of Incarceration in the U.S.

Introduction to U.S. Incarceration System

  • The U.S. justice system exercises control over nearly 7 million individuals, a system that encompasses incarceration, probation, and parole.
    • Probation: 3.6 million individuals
    • Incarceration in correctional facilities: 2.3 million individuals
    • Parole: 840,000 individuals

U.S. Incarceration Rates

  • The United States has one of the highest rates of incarceration, imprisoning a larger percentage of its citizens for longer durations than any other industrialized democracy.

International Rates of Imprisonment

  • Selected countries and their imprisonment rates per 100,000 people (source: Bureau of Justice Statistics):
    • United States: 698
    • Rwanda: 492
    • Russia: 446
    • Brazil: 301
    • Australia: 151
    • Spain: 139
    • China: 119
    • Canada: 106
    • France: 100
    • Austria: 96
    • Germany: 78
    • Denmark: 60
    • Sweden: 30
    • India: 169

Trends in U.S. Corrections

  • The U.S. state and federal prison population has shown significant growth from 1925 to 2014.
    • The population reached 1,508,636 by 2014.
    • Graphical representation shows a trend from 200,000 in 1925 to over 1.5 million in recent years.

Lifetime Likelihood of Imprisonment

  • The likelihood of imprisonment for U.S. residents born in 2001 breaks down as follows:
    • All Men: 1 in 9
    • White Men: 1 in 17
    • Black Men: 1 in 3
    • Latino Men: 1 in 6

State Expenditures on Corrections

  • The financial investment in state corrections has increased significantly from 1985 to 2013:
    • 1985: $6.7 billion
    • 1990: $16.9 billion
    • 1995: $26.1 billion
    • 2000: $51.4 billion
    • 2005: $51.9 billion
    • 2010: $42.3 billion
    • 2013: $36.4 billion

Questions Regarding Incarceration Effectiveness

  • Key inquiries surrounding the topic include:
    • Does incarceration work?
    • What are the conditions of incarceration?
    • What are different models of incarceration?
    • Should we continue the trend of incarceration?

Financial Aspects of Incarceration

  • The cost of incarceration is notably high:
    • Approximately $23,000 per prisoner annually.
    • Costs rise to $60,000 for elderly prisoners.
    • Every dollar spent on corrections reduces funding for public education, parks, and healthcare.
    • A “crime control” model depicts that Congress tends to favor increasing budgets for corrections, detrimentally impacting other public services.

Effectiveness of Incarceration

  • Does it reduce crime?:

    • Findings suggest it effectively reduces violent crime.
    • Ineffective in reducing financially-motivated offenses (e.g., drug selling, car theft, fencing stolen property).

  • Does it rehabilitate?:

    • Current evidence indicates a lack of effectiveness in rehabilitative efforts.
    • Studies, including a matched design by the RAND Corporation, illustrate that individuals given prison time are more likely to recidivate compared to those on supervised probation.

Recidivism Rates

  • Among 272,000 prisoners released, the rearrest rates within three years are highlighted as follows:
    • Stealing cars: 79%
    • Possessing or selling stolen property: 77%
    • Larceny: 75%
    • Burglary: 74%
    • Robbery: 70%
    • Illegal weapons: 70%
    • Illegal drugs: 67%
    • Fraud: 66%
    • Arson: 58%
    • Drunk driving: 52%
    • Rape: 46%
    • Murder: 41%

Note: Individuals were not necessarily rearrested for the same crime for which they were originally imprisoned.

The Purpose of Punishment

  • Current trends indicate longer criminal sentences and harsher prison conditions due to public demand for punitive measures over rehabilitative approaches.

Innovative Sentencing Practices

  • Acknowledge new sentencing methods such as “Shaming Penalty” adopted for cases like tax evasion, where offenders might have to give large sums to charity and serve time in community service (e.g., serving food at shelters).

Unique Sentencing Examples

  • Notable cases featuring unusual sentencing include:
    • An Ohio woman sentenced to spend a night in the woods for abandoning kittens as per Judge Michael A. Cicconetti.
    • Drunk drivers paraded in women’s clothing as a form of public shame for their actions.

Conditions Inside Prisons

  • Some believe that harsh prison conditions will deter recidivism, exemplified by Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s practices in Arizona:
    • Inmates wear pink women’s underwear and live in a tent city under extreme conditions.
    • Meal costs reduced to 40 cents per day per inmate.

Solitary Confinement

  • Solitary confinement is defined as isolating a prisoner in a cell for 22-23 hours a day within a space of 6 to 8 square feet where they eat, sleep, and defecate.
  • As of 2005, there were 81,000 individuals in solitary confinement, marking an increase from prior decades.

Pathways to Solitary Confinement

  • Types of placements leading to solitary confinement include:
    • Supermax: All inmates are placed in solitary conditions.
    • Disciplinary Segregation: For inmates violating prison rules.
    • Involuntary Protective Custody: For vulnerable individuals like youth or LGBTQ persons.

Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement

  • Craig Haney discusses potential psychological effects such as:
    • Isolation Panic
    • Depression
    • Loss of contact with reality
    • Suicidal thoughts and self-injurious behavior due to lack of stimulation

Trends in Private Prisons

  • The percentage of prisoners housed in private prisons has fluctuated, reaching levels as high as 24.3%.

For-Profit Prison Services

  • Explores various monetized services in private prisons, including healthcare, food services, and communications.

Race and Incarceration in Private Prisons

  • Discusses the disproportionate representation of inmates of color in private prison systems.

Financial Outcomes for Released Prisoners

  • Many individuals leaving prison are burdened with debt, a concerning trend in the U.S.

Differentiated Punishments for Sex Offenders

  • Sex offenders face unique sentences:
    • Must register with the state.
    • The community must be notified of their presence.
    • Involuntary commitment to mental health facilities (MHF) post-incarceration.
    • Subject to extraordinary sanctions, including mandatory treatment and surgical or chemical castration.

Comparative International Practices

  • Questions regarding how other countries manage their prison systems compared to the U.S., with examples of prisons featuring more humane conditions.

Death Penalty Discussion

  • Upcoming discussions regarding the implications of the death penalty as it relates to the justice system.