Learning Objectives
In this final section on punishment, we review some of the contemporary special issues that are occurring in our American jails and prisons. Our decisions to incarcerate on a large scale as a solution to many issues does have significant impacts. These impacts not only affect the individuals in the justice system, but also community members as a whole. Some of these issues include overcrowding, gangs, aging prisoners, and substance abuse. This section will provide a report on some of the more pervasive issues facing corrections today. By the end of this section, students should be able to:
- Understand what are some current issues within the world of corrections
- Recognize the different concepts of how we view these issues
- Understand how punishment has increased and what are the outcomes of large scale incarceration
