Principal Objectives of Corrections

CJA/234
January 1, 2013

The Principal Objectives of Punishment with the U.S. Corrections System The Department of Corrections has continuously changed their goals and objectives throughout the history of corrections. The continuous changes to policies have many contributing factors beginning with the Attorney General, Governors, and appointed directors of the incarceration establishments. With changing laws, new problems arising and changing political stand points based on campaign agendas prisons themselves have been forced to adapt. When asked what the objectives of punishment are here in the U.S., my first thought would be that the goal of punishment would be to enforce society’s laws and …show more content…

Sentencing’s Effects Tougher sentencing can lead to overcrowding in prisons which brings on many serious problems. Since the 1980s the federal prison populations in the U.S. has increased over 700 percent between 1980 and 2009 (Sentencing Project, 2013). Some of this increase can be accounted for due to increase in population, but other factors include tougher sentencing and longer penalties without possibility of parole. During the 1900s with indeterminate sentencing the prison population had a better chance of being controlled to some extent, but than a demand for tougher penalties and the drug war has brought back concerns of overcrowding.
Over Crowding Overcrowding in prisons can bring on higher demands for more capital to build new prisons and the costs for housing the United State’s inmates. In the past two decades the money that the states have spent on prisons has raised six times the rate of spending on higher education (Sentencing Project, 2013). Overcrowding can also bring a more hostile environment not only for the inmates, but for the officers who guard them. Overcrowding makes it harder for families to visit; it makes it more difficult for inmates to take advantage of whatever rehabilitation programs are available. It also brings about the misclassification of inmates by prioritizing space available rather than security level and programs most suitable. These problems exist despite the fact that the offender