Crime and Punishment

Crime Concerns

Crime has been a long-standing concern in the U.S with high rates at the beginning of the 20th ce compared to parts of Western Europe

Crime rates have varied over time.

U.S crime rates generally rose after World War II, and peaked between the 1970s and early 1990s. Since the early 1990s, crime has declined in the U.S and current crime rates are approximately the same as those of the 1960s

Crime Rates

Overall crime rate is displayed in two categories: violent crime and property crime

Rate is measured by the number of offenses being reported per 100,000 people

Crime in the U.S tends to be concentrated in certain areas

Violent Crime v Property Crime Violent crime

HomicideForcible rapeRobbery Assault

Property crime Burglary Larceny/theftMotor vehicle theft Arson

Geography of Crime

Location has had a very significant impact on crime in the U.S

While some jurisdictions are nearly free of serious crime others are plagued by some of the highest serious crime rates

Crime in the U.S by State- 2012

10 Most Dangerous U.S Cities

1. Detroit, MI 2. St. Louis, MO 3. Oakland, CA 4. Memphis, TN 5. Birmingham, AL 6. Atlanta, GA 7. Baltimore, MD 8. Stockton, CA 9.Cleveland, OH 10. Buffalo, NY

According to Forbes

Detroit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoyEu3MQqSk

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57418495/the-cost-of-a-nation-of-incarceration/

Prison Population U.S. prison population is more than 2.4 million- more

than quadrupled since 1980

That means more than one out of every 100 American adults is behind bars

About 14% of the prison population is in federal prison

The average inmate in minimum-security federal prison costs $21,000 each year/ maximum-security is $33,000 each year

Drug Offenders in Prison Largest driver in increase in federal prison

population since 1998 is longer sentences for drug offenders

Most serious charge against 51% of those inmates is a drug offense. Only 4% are in for robbery and only 1% are in for homicide

Most serious charge against 20% of state-prison inmates is a drug offense- much lower than the 51% in federal prisons, though it's still larger than any other single category of offense in state prisons

Demographics Men make up 90 percent of the prison and local jail population,

and they have an imprisonment rate 14 times higher than the rate for women.

Incarceration rates are highest for those in their 20s and early 30s.

Prisoners also tend to be less educated: The average state prisoner has a 10th grade education, and about 70 percent have not completed high school.

Blacks, particularly young black males, make up a disproportionate share of the U.S. prison population. In 2008, young black men (ages 18-34) were at least six times more likely to be incarcerated than young white men

Types of Facilities Felony offenses usually serve their time in federal or

state prisons

Misdemeanor offenses may receive short term sentence to be served in a local city/county jail or to alternative forms of sanctions such as community corrections (halfway house) or house arrest

Different U.S. prisons operate at different levels of security, ranging from minimum-security prisons to super-maximum security prison facilities that house the most dangerous criminals

Types of Facilities In most states cities operate small jail facilities, "lock-ups",

used for short-term incarceration

Can be held for up to 72 business hours or up to five days until the prisoner comes before a judge for the first time or receives a citation or summons before being released or transferred to a larger jail

One of the largest jails in the United States is Cook County Jail in Cook County (located in Chicago) This facility has eleven different divisions, including one medical

unit and two units for female prisoners, with each of the eleven divisions operating at a different security level, ranging from dormitory-style open housing to super-secure lock-down.

Compared to Other Countries Since 2002, the US has had highest incarceration rate in the

world

Natural rate of incarceration for countries comparable to the US tends to stay around 100 prisoners per 100,000 population

The U.S. rate is 500 prisoners per 100,000 residents, or about 1.6 million prisoners in 2010

U.S. also leads the world in number of prisons in operation at 4,575, more than four times the number of second- place Russia at 1,029. U.S. states spent $52 billion to construct and operate those prisons in 2011

Recidivism Project

With the notion of recidivism in mind, you and your group will be expanding on the problems and solutions associated with prisoner discharge addressed in the article.

All groups will brainstorm "universal" problems and solutions for prisons in the United States to develop a best possible solution to be implemented nationwide.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/20/nyregion/city-creates-post-jail-plan-for-inmates.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/us/24scotus.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Causes of Overcrowding Three strike laws

Statutes created by state governments that require state courts to impose a life sentence on persons who have been convicted of two or more serious crimes

Litigation delaysDefendants that are unable to post bail stay in jail

until trial date New sentencing guidelines

harsher sentences, war on drugs

Causes of Overcrowding Movement from indeterminate to determinate

sentencingDeterminate sentencing: a sentence for a fixed or

minimum period that is specified by statuteIndeterminate sentencing: a sentence with no

definite period of time; length determined based on inmate’s conduct

DemographicsAt-risk populations

Economic recession Rising crime rates and a growing population

Problems that Overcrowding Causes

Possible misconduct between prisoners and prisoners v officers/ wardens Violence

Negative effect on the psychological state of inmates- causes stressful situations

The 8th Amendment

Protects against excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment

Main argument:Prison overcrowding is/is not a violation of the

Eighth Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment

Plata v Brown Federal class action civil rights lawsuit alleging that the

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's (CDCR) medical services are inadequate and violate the Eighth Amendment, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

2011: US Supreme Court ruled that a court-mandated population limit was necessary to remedy a violation of prisoners’ Eighth Amendment constitutional rights.

Ordered California to reduce its prison population to 137.5% of design capacity within two years.

What is Going on Today September: three-judge panel ordered state

officials and inmates' lawyers to meet on the latest legislative plan to cut about 10,000 inmates from the prisons

Governor’s realignment already shifted thousands of inmates to county jails, following the Supreme Court ruling

Panel has given the state at least until the end of January to report back

What is Going on Today Governor and Legislature agreed recently to try

using mental health and drug treatment programs to limit the number of inmates being sent to the state's prisons for new crimes- asking the judges to give the state three more years to meet the latest goals

If judges do not agree to that solution, state officials say they would spend more than $300 million to ship inmates to private prisons and prisons in other states

Allegations of Plata v Brown

Inadequate medical screening of incoming prisoners Delays in or failure to provide access to medical care,

including specialist care Untimely responses to medical emergencies Failure to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of

competent medical staff Disorganized and incomplete medical records Lack of protocols to deal with chronic illnesses,

including diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis, and HIV Failure of the administrative grievance system to

provide timely or adequate responses to complaints concerning medical care.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2057002765/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0fywxLy3kQ

http://www.kpbs.org/news/envision/prisons/

2 Questions to Answer 1. The video says we have a “broken criminal justice

system” that causes criminals to come out worse then when they went in. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

2. Pick a side of the argument below and write why you agree with the side you chose and disagree with the other side. Prisoners should be let go if prisons are badly

overcrowded and prisoners’ health conditions are poor.Even though conditions are bad, the court should not

order criminals to be released