Baltimore City is home to one of the largest jails in the country. It also houses the highest percentage of the cities’ population compared to that of other jails – about 4,000 people on the average day. (Walsh) From I-83, it’s easy to see the small square windows, the heavy brick walls, and the razor wire of the Baltimore City Correctional Center (BCCC), but how many drivers actually consider the men and women locked inside? I’m on that stretch of road nearly every day, and I can’t help but think about who might be looking out as I pass by.
What do most people think about when they think of a criminal in jail? I know I’m likely to picture serious offenders, like those who have committed assault, rape, or murder. The reality is, most of the people incarcerated at BCCC are being charged with non-violent offenses, such as drug crimes, property offenses, and probation violations. More than half have been locked up before, or will be jailed again. (Walsh) The U.S. Department of Justice reveals that those who serve short sentences for marginal crimes are 50% more likely to reoffend than those who receive an alternative sentence. (Langan, and Levin 1)
Based on this information, I firmly believe that overcrowded prisons are not the answer to preventing or reducing crime. I’m interested in examining what these alternative rehabilitation options are, and how non-violent offenders respond to them. I intend to use both quantitative research to evaluate correctional programs in other states and counties to discover what methods have the highest rates of success. I also want to consider quantitative information, such as personal testimonies from correctional workers and inmates, to learn what they believe the best route to rehabilitation is, and what barriers get in the way of assimilating back into society.
Works Cited:
Langan, Patrick A., and David J Levin. United States. Department of Justice. Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 1994. Washington, DC: , 2002. Web.
Walsh, Nastassia. "Baltimore Behind Bars: How to Reduce the Jail Population, Save Money, and Improve Public Safety." Justice Policy Institute. Washington, D.C. June 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. <http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/10-06_REP_BaltBehindBars_MD-PS-AC-RD.pdf>.
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It is crazy to think that most people in jail are not in there for more serious crimes such as murder or rape. I think our justice system needs to work harder to find alternative rehabilitation options. I look forward to reading more on what you find that could be the answer to this problem. Also, your last statement about how to re-assimilate into society is another good aspect to your research; what makes it hard to come back to the real world and how it leads to re-offending.
ReplyDeleteI think if more people realize this unfortunate reality we could start to figure out how to make this situation better. Having so many people in jail for no good reason is completely ridiculous and hopefully it will change one day. I think this paper is going to be very interesting and will definitely have a lot of very good information.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the qualitative research will seriously help you with your paper! We can certainly see how you have already implemented some figures into your proposal. It reminds me of the statistics that Professor Devos discussed with us in hip-hop class. I am sure you can get some good sources from that course.
ReplyDeleteThe US has such a high incarceration rate and still so much crime. If things were done to combat the motivations of crime then numbers would be far lower. Life in jail is sometimes better than life on the street. In the case of Baltimore City; a city with a lot of crime; something needs to be done to intervene and reduce the rate people keep going into the system. The lesser crime violators could be in better places besides jail while rehabilitating their behavior and contributing to society. We can rule without fear, but we need a firm hand. I'm interested for more.
ReplyDeleteI actually saw something online today about a wealthy white man that had attempted to steal and get away with thousands of dollars, got taken to court, and got only months in jail while a black, homeless man who stole 100 dollars, went back to where he stole it, and confessed to his crime got 15 YEARS in jail. The jail system is very skewed, but maybe people keep going back and are stuck in this cycle because people are being wrongly accused for reasons other than past crimes...
ReplyDeleteThese are some crazy, awesome, realistic findings! I like the idea of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Everyone thinks the solution to all the problems is putting people in jail, My sister is getting her PhD in Psychology and she has told me that it's not the answer at all. Maybe you could also consider psychologically what being in jail does to a person and why it's not as useful as people think? This may be a stray from what you are considering, but it could also be interesting! I think you are off to a great start with the work you have done thus far. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteIt is really amazing to see how many criminals are in prison because of non-violent crimes. I always find it interesting when people say that drug crimes should not be jailable, I wonder if in the same sense white-collar crimes should be jailable.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea repeat offending was such a big issue in the United States. Your comments and knowledge in class and on this blog carry great impact. After this research paper ends I do not think you should stop. I truly believe you could do something influential with this issue.
ReplyDeleteGood topic, the choice of Baltimore of region makes it specific.
ReplyDeleteI suggest a couple sociologists you can look up to get some theories to help your paper. Robert K Merton' "Strain Theory" is commonly cited theory of deviance in a functional perspective.
Since your other research indicates that the prison system is anything but functional right now, you can probably use it as an example of antiquated perspective