Hannah Dodd

English 1201
Professor Stalbird
24 January 2016
The alternatives and preventatives of incarceration
I was watching a documentary that covered the problems with our government. One of
the main points was that the United States held twenty five percent of the worlds inmates, but
doesnt have anywhere near a quarter of the worlds population. The documentary went over why
this phenomenon occurred. There werent any laws in place to help people who were in
desperate need. In example, people who are starving steal food. Stealing is a crime despite
starving to death. The jail system also does nothing to help dangerous criminals positively
change their ways. Inmates are treated as less than human and dont get the help and support they
need. I thought that there must be a better way than imprisonment for crimes whether they are
out of hatred or need.
I feel that the current system doesnt work. There are many laws and regulations that
should be made to help people before they commit crimes for whatever reason. People who have
committed crimes with malice or ill intent towards others should receive the help they need to
understand why what they did was wrong and how to change their behavior. Inmates should be
given opportunities to become effective members of society and have access to education.

I think that there have been attempts and are programs in place to help inmates change their
behavior and to acclimate them to a normal lifestyle. The success rate isnt very high, nor are the
programs specialized towards the individual.
I believe that preventing crime is more effective than stopping crime. There are effective
ways to prevent people from committing crimes or help those that have, but they havent been
implemented.
I know that the United States has 25% of the worlds prisoners. Most of the people who
are released from the US jail system end up returning to jail within several months of their
release. After taking psychology, I know that jail is an ineffective way of punishing someone. To
prevent a negative behavior from reoccurring it must be made understood why that behavior is
wrong and to help implement a healthy behavior in its place.
I need to find out specifically what programs are offered to inmates and their
effectiveness, what laws are in place to prevent crime, how inmates are treated in prisons, and
pre-existing alternatives to prison. Information on how other countries have fewer inmates and
how they are treated would also be helpful.