The American Penal System The United States Essay

The American Penal System Crime has been an ever-present figure in America even before America officially became a country. Where there is crime, there must be a way to suppress it. That is where prisons come into play. When a person commits a crime, he or she might stay in a prison while awaiting trial and might also stay in a prison as a punishment if that trial does not end in his or her favor. According to The Sentencing Project, as of 2015, the United States’ rate of incarceration was the highest in the world, standing at 698 people per 100,000 people. That means that nearly 2.3 million people in 2015 were behind bars. Because of this, the United States penal system needs to be extremely substantial, growing and changing to compensate for America’s growing and changing society. The American penal system has changed vastly over time, developing laws, practices, and major reforms to make it more efficient and effective; however, some question whether it is actually w orking. America’s penal system has been influenced by many countries and people, and it has been changing to compensate for our growing nation since Colonial times. Imprisonment was uncommon in the early 1700s; only political and religious offenders and debtors were punished in that way. Two types of institutions during this period were utilized: jails or prisons and workhouses. The jails and prisons of that time were also used to hold the accused who were awaiting trial. Most criminals were punished usingShow MoreRelatedAmeric Land Of The Incarcerated1296 Words   |  6 Pagesthe poem The Star Spangled Banner after witnessing the attack on Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy in the War of 1812. The poem was sang to the tune of a well-known British song and eventually, Key’s once amateur patriotic poem became the United States national anthem in which the lyrics strongly symbolize our country’s perseverance and freedom. The Star Spangled Banner can be hear d at a variety gatherings such as official military functions and sporting events where celebrity singers oftenRead MoreLegislation and Incarceration in United States956 Words   |  4 Pages#A2068178) The incarceration rate in the United States has steadily risen since 1973, and Franklin Zimring has examined the relationship between penal legislation and the incarceration rate. He has discovered three distinct periods which demonstrate three differences in the way legislation effects penal practices. During the first period in which there was a major rise in incarceration rates, 1973-1985, Zimring asserted that there was no relationship between penal legislation and the increase in incarcerationRead MoreKafka s The Penal Colony1231 Words   |  5 PagesKafka’s â€Å"In the Penal Colony† tells the story of a European traveller who has been invited to observe an unnamed penal colony’s system of justice and punishment. Throughout the foreign traveller’s visit, a character referred to as â€Å"the Officer† zealously defends the colony’s justice system by explaining—from his point of view—how one is convicted and punished. A c onvicted individual—referred to as â€Å"the Condemned†Ã¢â‚¬â€is to face punishment; unfortunately for him, only one form of penalty exists in thisRead MoreCompartive Legal Systems Canada vs Usa1691 Words   |  7 PagesCanadas Dominance over United States Penal System Name: Shenthuran Vijayananthan Teacher: Mrs. Merenda Due Date: Wed. Oct. 26, 2005 Topic: #1 Ââ€" Comparative Legal Systems (Canada vs. USA) Thesis: Canadas criminal justice system, specifically laws dealing with punishment, is far superior to that of the United States Canada and the United States of America are two neighboring countries who besides the border share numerous other key aspects. Though similar in beliefs and culture the two countriesRead MoreThe Overcrowding Of The Correctional Facilities1730 Words   |  7 Pagesthe United States Supreme Court ruled that massive overcrowding of California prisons violates its prisoner’s eighth amendment right protecting them from cruel and unusual punishment (Boylan, 2015, p. 558). At the time California’s correctional institutions were at double their capacity, housing over 155, 500 prisoners in only 33 institutions (Specter, 2010, p. 194). The overcrowding of correctional facilities is one of the biggest problems facing corrections policy makers in the United States. TheRead MoreThe Rehabilitation System Is On Converting Criminals On Productive Members Of Society1384 Words   |  6 PagesThe rehabilitation system focuses on converting criminals to productive members of society. Whi le there is a certain level of punishment in being forced to go through such a system, the goal is conversion, not revenge. This leads to a more moral society where those being released are less dangerous and less likely to return to prison. A rehabilitation system’s goal is to reintegrate every inmate back into society. A life sentence is a death sentence, and a death sentence helps no one. One NorwegianRead MoreDownsizing Of The American Penal System1474 Words   |  6 Pages1970s the United States was experiencing a state of stability when it comes to the American Penal System. Murayama (1970) speaks on the American penal system, her main focus when taking a look at the system was the issue of mass incarceration. Murayama (1970, pp 629) states that since 1970 the number of people that are incarcerated has quadrupled. As a result of this corrections experts that were both inside and outside government began to emphasize two major goals for the American penal system. FirstRead MoreThe Incarceration Of The Correctional System910 Words   |  4 PagesThe correctional system in America is an umbrella term referring to a range of mandates that entails the management, supervision, and rehabilitation of convicted offenders. These mandates are often carried out through incarceration, probation, or parole, while prisons are the most popular correctional agency in America. P risons in America were among some of the first public buildings established in the New World. Early prisons were not considered â€Å"houses of punishment,† but were rather referred toRead MoreThe Judicial Corporal System Of Islamic Criminal Justice System Essay1299 Words   |  6 PagesIncarceration, especially in the United States, is widely known to be a massive taxpayer burden— to the tune of over $52 billion per year (CITE p414). In 2012, the annual cost per inmate in the United States was approximately $21,000 for low risk inmates, and up to $34,000 for high risk offenders (CITE p386). Additionally, incarceration places a significant financial burden on the offenders themselves, because they would lose their current jobs, and any job prospects they would have in the futureRead MorePunitive Model Of Incarceration During The United States1321 Words   |  6 Pages Examining the Punitive Model of Incarceration in the United States and the Changes that Brought It About Collin S. Lahr Ball State University Abstract This paper explores several different sources that cover some aspect of how the United States Penal System went from the Rehabilitative Model to a punitive system. Bryan Stevenson and Betsy Matthews have written about how drug enforcement and the â€Å"War on Drugs† are responsible. Yeoman Lowbrow’s analysis of the crime rate and statistics will