1% Of Americans Are In Prison

I came across an article in The Correctional News that reported on a law enforcement expo, but it touched on some surprising findings on current US prison data. According to a recent Pew Center study, for the first time in history slightly more than 1% of United States citizens--one in 99.1 persons is held in jail or prison.

Currently the US leads the rest of the world in the number of inmates per capita, with "750 inmates per 100,000 residents." In 2007 the total prison population jumped by more than 25,000 inmates to almost 1.6 million.

At the American Jail Association's 27th Annual Training Conference and Jail Expo, over 2,000 attendees and 230 exhibitors gathered in sunny trenches of Sacramento, CA to address the latest issues facing our growing, overcrowded prison system. Robert Lamkey, director of the Sedgwick County Division of Public Safety discussed issues of overcrowding, re-entry, and recidivism (the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after experiencing negative consequences from it). Citing the Pew study, he told attendees at a conference that the increasing inmate population is "saddling cash-strapped states with soaring costs they can ill afford and failing to have a clear impact on recidivism or overall crime."

According to the Correctional News, "Since 1987 collective spending on state corrections systems has increased from less than $11 billion to more than $49 billion in fiscal year 2007." Approximately 67 percent of state inmates are returning felons who commit another crime within three years of release.

With a growing convict culture and billions of dollars being invested into such programs--just about anyone can put two and two together and conclude something is seriously wrong with America's criminal justice system.

The recent expo wasn't a call-to-arms for a revolution, but it addressed issues that could provide agents of change. Members of the architecture firm Ricci Greene Associates discussed the benefits--for owners, staff, inmates, visitors, and the local community--of pursuing a progressive design approach in the construction of a new jail or facility addition. They believe elements of interior lighting and exterior design can have a subtle impact. A slightly less clinical environment with more emphasis on comfort and artistry can evoke some much needed imagination and humanity.

The firm also touched on environmental considerations such as off-setting carbon footprints. According to their website, "Responsible stewardship of limited natural resources is a key part of our design approach. Focus on life-cycle analysis of costs, human factors, and the “big picture” of how our buildings affect their communities and the planet drive this commitment to sustainability."

Correctional authorities from Lexington, Kentucky and Fort Lauderdale, Florida also held a conference on getting to know the inmates better, or more specifically managing special populations like gangs. Closer identification, classification, and unique housing for managing gang members can prevent radicalization of inmate populations.

America's Criminal Justice system is far from perfect, but there might be hope if such expos can continue to

bring thousands together with the interest of improving it.


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