Question by NAT: far fetched ideas for – improving the prison system – any of it worth reading?
IMPROVING THE PRISON SYSTEM
An overview of concepts for improving the prison system!

PRISON – place where criminals are confined: a secure place where somebody is confined as punishment for a crime or while waiting to stand trial

A slogan for a prison system of the future – “time in here is spent getting ready for a new future life of success, freedom, independence and satisfaction on the outside as a free American citizen!”

ASSORTMENT OF INFORMATION ABOUT PRISON –
THERE ARE 7 MILLION AMERICANS ADULTS IN THE AMERICAN PRISON SYSTEM!
That’s 7,000,000 people incarcerated in the American prison system!
“Prison environments are replete with aggressive behaviors, and people learn from watching others acting aggressively to get what they want,” Dvoskin
“The current design of prison systems don’t work,” said criminal justice expert Joel Dvoskin, PhD, of the University of Arizona. “Overly punitive approaches used on violent, angry criminals only provide a breeding ground for more anger and more violence.”
Applying behavior modification and social learning principles can work in corrections, he said. “For example, systematic reinforcement of pro-social behaviors is a powerful and effective way to change behavior, but it has never been used as a cornerstone of corrections,” he said.
Also, punishment can be effective in changing behavior, but it only works in the short term and immediately after the unwanted behavior happens, he said. While there is a place for punishment, it should be used in psychologically informed and effective ways. However, punishment should not be one-size-fits-all, Dvoskin said.
Decreasing prison populations needs to be more of a priority, Dvoskin said. “This can be done by paying more attention to those with the highest risk of violent behavior rather than focusing on lesser crimes, such as minor drug offenses.”
Rising prison population an undeclared national crisis
criminology and psychology has provided an in-depth explanation for the link between self-control and why people get into crime.
Deterrence is often a stated goal of criminal sentencing guidelines, but there is debate about whether the threat of punishment actually discourages people from committing crimes.
In light of the recent California prison riot that ravaged a prison and injured 175 inmates, when a fight broke out between Hispanic and Black gangs, at what point does prison reform become a priority in this country?
While government action is needed for true reform of the criminal justice system, psychologists have been and will continue to do the work that keeps incarceration rates from rising. For this reason, when the opportunity for deep-seated reform finally arrives, psychology’s voice will be critical to that process.
If a prison cap is set, it could lead to the early release of tons of thousands of prisoners in California, because there are thousands too many in the system now. A lawyer for the plaintiffs suggested that if 8,000 prisoners were set for early release, within a short period of time, 6,000 new prisoners could take their place because of the State’s inadequate medical system and non-existent rehabilitation.
It is even worse throughout the rest of California’s 32 other prisons, which make up the second-largest system in the nation after the federal Bureau of Prisons. Despite a vow from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to cut the prison population, it has surged in recent months to more than 173,000, the worst overcrowding in the country, costing taxpayers more than $ 8 billion a year. More of those inmates return to prison because the state has the nation’s highest recidivism rate.
Mental illness also plagues prisons. A 1997 Justice Dept. study found that about 16% of the prison population suffers from mental illness. And although all jails and prisons are required by law to have personnel trained to treat such problems, adequate care for the mentally ill seems to be almost non-existent. Many critics also accuse prison psychiatrists of failing to recognize mental illness, especially in minorities. Statistics seem to confirm such accusations, as 23% of white state prisoners are deemed mentally ill as compared to 14% of blacks. Regardless of racial disparity, however, it seems that most mentally ill prisoners fail to receive the professional treatment they require.
America’s prison system is failing. Inhumane labor practices, pathetic health care, and discriminatory disenfranchisement are taking their toll on our prisons and, perhaps more importantly, our society as a whole. Our ‘war on crime’ is slowly becoming a corporate takeover of the lower classes of American society, and we’re all sharing the costs. America has once again emerged as a world leader, but this time, it’s for our outrageous human rights violations under the pretense of “law and order.” As many critics have pointed out, a new

Best answer:

Answer by “Moments of a Demigod”
It makes sense and you did throw out some good ideas. Most of the people in the prison system are in need of therapy for mental illnesses and anger issues. These people do need to be taught self control and how to be productive citizens, but they have bigger problems that need to be dealt with. They need to quit grouping people in for drug charges with murders and they need to prevention programs to keep people out of prison in the first place. Unfortunately if you go to prison you shouldn’t have the same rights as everyone else. It is an incentive not to be sent there to begin with.

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