The United States has more people incarcerated than any other country in the world. Individuals facing serious charges alongside petty offenders are often than not incarcerated. Preventive and corrective measures that can be applied to deal with non-violent offenders have not been utilized. Convictions are being used as a remedy for dealing with social issues such as truancy among minors, possession and drug use, loitering, and disturbance. The incarceration of petty offenders has and continues to cripple the United States as the budget for corrections continues to spike every year. The creation of awareness on the dangers and severe consequences of breaking the law, drug and substance abuse, promotion of talent, employment opportunities, and intense supervision are among measures that could be undertaken to ensure that there are no repeat offenders in the prison system. A common denominator among repeat offenders is drug use, mental illness, and poverty. Therefore, implementing policies that seek to eradicate poverty and reduce drug use will significantly help to ensure that no felons are re-entering the prison system. This paper, therefore, will explore the cases of four individuals in the Kentucky prison system and discuss strategies that could be implemented to guarantee they do not re-enter the prison system. Also, this paper will highlight factors that influence the convicts’ undesirable behavior. Convictions are not the only solution to solving lawlessness in society; preventive and corrective measures should be applied to deal with non-violent offenders to ensure they do not re-enter the prison system.
The United States has more people behind bars as compared to any other country across the globe, and as of 2016, 2.3 million people were locked up (Klann, 2019). This figure implies that out of 1,000 people living in the United States, 655 are behind bars. Convictions are being used as deterrence and a solution for dealing with social problems. Individuals with petty offenses who can be rehabilitated through community programs, social work, and home arrests are sent to jail. This situation has not only resulted in congestion, but it weighs down on the taxpayer. According to the Federal Register (2018), the average cost of incarceration for Federal inmates was $36,299.25 ($99.45 per day) and $32,309.80 ($88.52 per day) for an inmate in a Residential Re-entry Center. A brief by the United States Department of Education (2016) revealed that the states and local corrections expenditures were on an escalating trend between 1980 to 2013 as it augmented from $17 to $ 71 billion. These numbers imply that the number of inmates has significantly increased over the 33 years. Unfortunately, minors are also arrested and sent to jail for minor crimes as truancy, like in the case of Christel.
Christel is a fifteen-year-old girl who has had many wrong running’s with the law. Christel lives with her mother and siblings in a two-bedroom apartment in a low-income neighborhood in Kentucky. Her father is in jail and most of her uncles. Christel has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADHD- mental conditions that have played a critical role in her behavior. Christel is disruptive and refuses to attend school. She was placed in house arrest for skipping school and three days later sent to prison for failing to attend her classes. Christel’s disruptive behavior and trouble respecting authority can be attributed to the lack of a male figure as her father is on a vicious cycle of in and out of prison. Like Christel, Keith has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The majority of prison inmates suffer from mental disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder. It is safe to conclude that mental illness influences an individual’s judgment and behavior. Consequently, the person ends up behaving unacceptably hence, incarceration.
Several studies majority of which were conducted in high-income countries, found that the better percentage of convicts suffer from mental illnesses as opposed to people in the general public (Gureje & Abdulmalik, 2019). From this finding, it is safe to presume that convicts with mental illness had little or no control over their actions and behavior. Christel and Keith both suffer from mental disorders. As much as their behavior might come off as intended and being challenging to deal with, mental illness also plays a significant role in influencing their choices. Keith has been in and out of prison five times for burglary, impersonating police officers, and fraud. “I have spent more time in prison than I have in society,” says Keith (Edge, 2014). Luckily for Keith, he has been released six months earlier owing to a policy that sought to reduce the cost of incarcerating non-violent offenders in the state of Kentucky. However, he raises his concerns that he might not be able to stay out of prison for long because businesses are not willing to hire ex-convicts, and he might not be able to afford his medication.
Demitria is a fourteen-year-old living in a juvenile shelter appointed by the court after she assaulted her aunt. Demitria was living with her aunt after her mother was killed, an incident that left her traumatized. Like Christel and Keith, Demitria comes from the low-income neighborhood of Beecher Terrace (Edge, 2014). Although Demitria has not been diagnosed with any mental disorder, losing her mother at an early age caused her to be depressed, justifying why she is acting out. Charles McDuffie, an inmate at the Kentucky prison, is also being released into a drug rehabilitation center. Charles is also from Beecher Terrace, and he is also affected by poverty and drug use. Like the three other convicts, McDuffie is a non-violent offender.
Incarceration should not be used as a remedy for dealing with social problems; instead, it should be a last resort for dealing with petty offenders. The incarceration of people with mental illness not only increases congestion, but it is a burden on the taxpayer. Such offenders should be extended psychiatric help and engaged in social and community programs to help them deal with their conditions. A common denominator for Keith, Christel, Demitria, and Charles is poverty as they all come from the low-income area of Beecher Terrace, poverty, and mental disorder. Therefore, dealing with these issues will reduce to a large extent, the number of people being sent to jail.
Several preventive and corrective measures can be taken to ensure that people who commit petty offenses do not end up behind bars. These strategies will also assist in rehabilitating those already in jail to guarantee that they come out of prison as better members of society. Firstly, the creation of awareness on the dangers of drug abuse and breaking the law should be employed. Keith and Charles are in prison for, among other offenses, drug use. Drugs impair an individual’s cognitive ability by interfering with their judgment. The creation of awareness programs such as educational forums and online campaigns should be undertaken to educate and warn the public. They should be taught on the association between drug use and lawlessness. If the public is informed, people will refrain from overindulgence and misuse of drugs. Keith and Charles stand better chances of not re-entering the prison system if they are rehabilitated and taught on the severe consequences of drug use.
Additionally, the creation of awareness on issues surrounding mental health is essential. Individuals should be taught on red flags to look out for that suggests mental illness such as mood swings and lack of interest in activities that they previously enjoyed doing. This information will help them identify causes for alarm earlier on; thus, seeking help in time. This measure is vital as it will reduce the number of arrests leading to convictions.
Secondly, talent promotion and skill acquisition among inmates should be encouraged. Inmates should be taught skills like carpentry, music, tailoring, computer packages, and so forth. Equipping prisoners with such capabilities will guarantee that they have something productive to do after their release. This situation will also ensure that their time is well spent as opposed to engaging in illegal activities. Most importantly, offenders should be taught social coping mechanisms for a smooth re-adjustment from prison setting to society. Re-integrating back into the community can be puzzling, and an offender might be tempted to go back to their illegal behaviors as it is familiar and they fit in. Therefore, it is imperative to teach the convicts while they are still in prison on how to cope when they are released from jail. The general public should also be taught how to deal with ex-convicts.
Lastly, the creation of employment will, to no small extent, guarantee that these convicts do not re-enter the Kentucky prison system. Keith said, “Businesses are not willing to ex-convicts” (Edge, 2014). This situation leaves the offender destitute, and it is only a matter of time before they slip back to their old ways. Ex-convicts should be given equal employment opportunities and a chance to rebuild their lives by making an honest living. Nevertheless, since the convicts like Keith were jailed due to offenses like fraud, intense supervision should be carried out. The surveillance is not punishment, but it should be viewed as progress monitoring aimed to ensure that the person is on the right track.
In conclusion, the United States has the highest number of convicts more than any other country in the world. As of 2016, 2.3 million people were incarcerated, including petty offenders and minors. Sadly, incarceration is being used as a means of solving social problems that could have been solved using other methods like intense supervision and the creation of awareness. Notably, individuals who have a mental illness, surrounded by poverty and drug abuse, are more likely to be convicted of crimes resulting from their situation. The majority of Beecher Terrace residents, a low-income neighborhood has been to jail or have a relative who is currently serving time. Minors as young as fourteen are being rounded up and sent to prison for minor offenses as truancy. Convictions should not be used as deterrence to crime when other potential avenues have not been explored; it should be the last resort for petty offenses. This is necessary as it will not reduce congestion in state and local prisons, but it will also reduce the amount of money spent on incarceration.