Crime and Its Present Influence

Since the 1970’s, criminal activity has changed for the worse. Since the infection of cocaine and guns the US has been in more trouble with crime than it has been in the past. Within the boom of violent crimes from the 60’s, the number of inmates increased, causing smaller jails to become over-crowded and in need of increased housing secondary to poor conditions and poor supervision within the jails. Things needed to change and throughout that time money stayed at arm’s length though the federal government’s stakes in needed monies was dwindling; due to the increased need and debt the country was already in.

Many prisons have become privatized and have attempted to restore a person to the fullest capacity when leaving jail. The actual prisoner would attend a transitional programming time period win which he or she would become vested into a program and or a number of programs which deal with the everyday problems of life. Many of these transitional programs though have been cut by Present Bush when he was in office. Hopefully some of these programs will be restored as time wanes on with Obama in office now. We truly needed a democrat in office to serve the country and that would listen to the cries of the poor and needy.

Though an inmate needs to want the change within him or herself to become educated and respond to society’s need for deterrence of criminal activity; still there are times when the programs do not work. This is because of the lack of staffing and equipment within the programs. Though it all sounds good on the web site in regard to all the programs available to the inmate population; still some of these programs do not exist and many inmates fall through the cracks. They either go back to the criminal activity or commit suicide within the prison walls themselves. The mental health aspect that needs to be treated goes over the way side and I believe it is the strongest need among the inmate population today.