The U. Overcrowded prisons can be toxic for both prisoners and guards, according to a recent GAO report that found overcrowded conditions contribute to increased inmate misconduct, more competition for prison services such as educational or vocational training programs and a lack of meaningful work opportunities for prisoners during their incarcerations.
Disease can also be a concern: tuberculosis rates can be times higher in prisons than in the civilian population, and mental health and substance abuse issues are often more prevalent. Note: The last paragraph of this post has been updated to clarify that the prison population figures cited include federal and state prisoners.
The International Centre for Prison Studies estimated the local prison population at , in In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data.
Please support our research with a financial contribution. It organizes the public into nine distinct groups, based on an analysis of their attitudes and values. Even in a polarized era, the survey reveals deep divisions in both partisan coalitions.
Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics. Additionally, prison environments tend to exacerbate existing health problems and often give rise to new ones. This happens as a result of poor material conditions, a lack of healthcare, the availability of illicit drugs, social and psychological stresses, violence and mistreatment. The report concludes by calling for a reduction in prisoner numbers overall, as an essential first step to improving conditions and increasing access to healthcare and treatment.
A key part of this is reducing the numbers of people with mental health conditions who enter custody. For the reduced prison populations that remain, there must be proper access to healthcare, screening and treatment; health and wellbeing should be promoted and harm reduction measures put in place to minimise risks to the health of prisoners, staff and the wider public.
Overcrowding is a consequence of criminal justice policy not of rising crime rates, and undermines the ability of prison systems to meet basic human needs, such as healthcare, food, and accommodation. It also compromises the provision and effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes, educational and vocational training, and recreational activities. The excessive use of pre-trial detention, and the use of prison for minor, petty offences, are critical drivers of prison population rates.
Overcrowding, as well as related problems such as lack of privacy, can also cause or exacerbate mental health problems, and increase rates of violence, self-harm and suicide. We have developed a point Plan to Reduce Prison Overcrowding to provide guidance to policy-makers on how to address prison overcrowding and mitigate its harmful consequences.
This includes, for example:. This website uses cookies to help us understand the way visitors use our website.
0コメント