What Are the Causes of Prison Overcrowding in California?
jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(‘#jsArticleStep1 span.image a:first’).attr(‘href’,’http://i.ehow.com/images/a07/2c/ck/causes-prison-overcrowding-california_-1.1-800X800.jpg’); }); Sentencing, recidivism and a lack of focus about rehabilitation have led to overcrowding in California prisons. In California, three strikes means you’re in–prison–for a minimum of 25 years. Since the 1994 passage of the “Three Strikes Law,” California’s prison population has swelled. In 2010, the Huffington Post reported that California’s 167,000 inmate population is the largest in the nation. The New York Times reported in 2009 that the prisons were “so overcrowded” the conditions violated inmates’ protection against “cruel and unusual punishment.” Lawmakers and journalists have identified three causes of the increase: sentencing laws, recidivism and a program that emphasizes punishment over rehabilitation. Sentencing Laws According to Anthony Gregory of the Contra Costa Times, California has “t
Sentencing, recidivism and a lack of focus about rehabilitation have led to overcrowding in California prisons. Darrin Klimek/Digital Vision/Getty Images In California, three strikes means you’re in–prison–for a minimum of 25 years. Since the 1994 passage of the “Three Strikes Law,” California’s prison population has swelled. In 2010, the Huffington Post reported that California’s 167,000 inmate population is the largest in the nation. The New York Times reported in 2009 that the prisons were “so overcrowded” the conditions violated inmates’ protection against “cruel and unusual punishment.” Lawmakers and journalists have identified three causes of the increase: sentencing laws, recidivism and a program that emphasizes punishment over rehabilitation. Sentencing Laws According to Anthony Gregory of the Contra Costa Times, California has “too many laws” requiring a prison sentence. Gregory stated in 2006, “More criminals were locked away for drug violations than all violent crimes comb
