Court Case

The incarceration epidemic is not a big city or inner city problem, nor is it a problem of a particular race or culture. Incarceration occurs in all ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, gender, and geographic boundaries. However, there are many different local procedures and practices that contribute to the problem of the rapid jail percentage.

In fact, Capps Citizens Alliance on Prisons & Public Spending(2007) states that Michigan spends $1.9 billion on corrections; as the state faces deficits totaling more than $3 billion. In contrast, Hughes (2008) phrased “about 20 cents of every dollar in the state’s $9.8 billion general fund budget is spent on the Department of Corrections”. Wow! Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. Despite are state insufficiency, matters are only getting worse. In these difficult economic times, Michigan cannot afford to bear social or financial costs associated with the growing rate of the prison population. With this being said, something needs to be done to reduce jail costs, population, and the incarceration turnover rate.

In addition, to these obstacles, (Steadman, McCarty, & Morrissey,1989) concludes that; Nearly half of the jails in the United States are over 30 years old . Such an endeavor would be impossible to improve; the correction facilities will continue to remain out of date in county and state level prisons. I personally, think that in order to change the law you must first follow the law! Clearly, we must take a bite out of crime!

Everyone has heard the saying that “the only things we can count on are death and taxes”. But a third ingredient could be added to this list, which is crime. Crime has plagued society at an alarming rate; it goes far back in history, and occurs at any given moment. The America that we know today will not be the same country where our children and grandchildren will live. In fact, the national arrest rate