California Prison System Essay - 910 Words

M7A1 Case Study 3: California Prison System AB 109 and AB 117 were introduced to ease the pressure of the federal and state budget through saving costs on the penitentiary system. In this regard, the reduction of the prison population and the transfer of a part of the prison population to county jails was one of the main provisions of AB 109 but AB 117 actually discharges provisions of AB 109. Such a paradoxical situation is the result of scarce financial resources to fund the penitentiary system at both the federal and local level. In order to reduce the pressure on the penitentiary system at the federal level, the decision to transfer the prison population to county jails or to release the†¦show more content†¦However, such a decision is apparently ineffective, taking into consideration the fact that such a decision just shifts the burden of funding the penitentiary system from the federal budget to the local budget level. In other words, the policy makers just shift the problem from the federal to the local level b ut they fail to resolve the problem. This is why AB 109 was followed by AB 117 that actually discharged provisions of AB 109. The current policies focus at the consistent social change since the traditional punitive orientation of the criminal justice system turns out to be ineffective. As the crime rates keep growing, the public demands the introduction of more severe punishment for offenders, while prisons are overcrowded. Moreover, the growing crime rates among juveniles increase the public pressure on the criminal justice system as the public demands the introduction of severe punishment and imprisonment of juvenile offenders. However, the penitentiary system cannot imprison as much population as the public demands at the moment, while the imprisonment turns out to be ineffective in terms of the prevention of crimes and recidivism. In such a situation, the public is unprepared to the essential social change, when the imprisonment should be replaced by other, less strict and repressive forms of punishment. Policy makers should haveShow MoreRelatedCalifornia Prison System986 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cali fornia prison system was created in response to the increased amount of criminal activity that sparked during the Gold Rush years. Prior to the Gold Rush, California had prided itself on being a land of health, beauty, and opportunity (Bookspan, xviii). However, immigration and population growth surged, especially amongst foreign convicts and â€Å"aliens†, resulting in increased crime. At first, it was decided that punishment for small crimes would be a beating by whip while punishment for seriousRead MoreThe California s Prison System990 Words   |  4 PagesCalifornia’s prison system is facing a number of infrastructure changes as a result of a judicial decision that came down from the United States Supreme Court, Governor of California et al v. Plata et al. California’s prison system was deemed inadequate and dangerous due to severe overcrowding which led to â€Å"needless suffering and death† (Rogan, 2012, 262). The court ruled that the State must r educe the number of inmates in California’s thirty-three state prisons. This ruling came about after twoRead MoreProblematic California Prison System Essay849 Words   |  4 PagesCalifornia has one of the most dysfunctional and problematic prison system in US. Over the last 30 years, California prison increased eightfolds (201). California Department of Correctional and Rehabilitation (CDCR) does little to reform prisoners and serve as human warehouse rather than a correction institution. Californias prison system fails the people it imprisons and society it tries to protect. In many cases, Californias prison system exacerbates the pre-existing problems and aids in theRead MoreThe California Prison System Is Severely Overcrowded2120 Words   |  9 PagesBecause the California prison system is severely overcrowded, it is unable to deliver adequate resources and services to its inmates. In 2011, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the system—operating at 145% of its designed capacity—violates the 8th Amendment and mandated that the state significantly reduce its prison population by 2016 (Divito). 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This law was put in action was because of overcrowding in state prison and it was affecting a variety of crucial programs thatRead MoreCalifornia Prison System: Signific ant Budgetary Change and the Results of Those Changes2178 Words   |  9 PagesCalifornia Prison System: Significant Budgetary Change and The Results of Those Changes Objective The objective of this work is to examine the policy and political processes that led to the decision to make a significant budgetary change and what the result of those changes are. In addition this work will identify economic, social and cultural influences on that change and identify the interaction among the federal, state, and municipal levels with regard to the program. This work will examineRead MoreSecurity Threat Groups/Gangs in Prisons Essay1480 Words   |  6 PagesHead: SECURITY THREAT GROUPS/GANGS IN PRISONS Security Threat Groups/Gangs in Prisons Nicole Sage Kaplan University CJ130-03 Nancy Thode January 18, 2011 Security Threat Groups/Gangs in Prisons In our prison systems today, many different gangs pose a threat to our correctional staff and other inmates. In the United States, gangs exist in forty of the fifty states. These gangs bring violence, drug trafficking and racial unrest to our correctional system. The Aryan Brotherhood was formedRead MoreGolden Gulag Summary921 Words   |  4 Pages The Golden Gulag is based on the state of California prisons growth and correctional facilities. The author Ruth Gilmore wrote on how the state of California population has grown due to increase of prisons. It had brought social movement doing that time due to increase of prisons and increase of prisoners, a change in the monetary economics because of the increase in. The author wrote in the Marxist tone on what had happen the state of California that causes an increase in the population. AccordingRead MorePrivatization of Prisons1329 Words   |  6 PagesPrivatization of Prisons Introduction I am writing this memo in response to a request to analyze the benefits and disadvantages of privatized prison systems. With the present economic environment, it is important to explore all options that could reduce the state’s deficit. This research project will explore the cost benefits to the privatization of California’s prison system, in comparison to other cost saving options. It will use statistics from other states that use private prison systems, as wellRead MorePrison Corrections1450 Words   |  6 Pages(Cowey, 2012). This statement is true from the highest position of authority to the lowest position. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) houses juveniles and adults that have been convicted to state prison and provides programs and services during their incarceration to help them successfully re-enter society. Some of the services that are provided in the prison system are: substance abuse treatment, mental health care, vocat ional training, education and transitional aftercare