United States Prison System

Introduction

The core objective of this research paper is to understand the current conditions of prison life in the United Sates and to structure strategies to reduce the level of recidivism upon an inmate's release from prison. The proposed research includes an analysis of the purposes for prisons in the justice system including living condition of the inmates.

Furthermore, it will provide an A review of programs which are determined to decrease recidivism in modern prisons, and to discuss rehabilitative programs for the betterment of the inmates. In addition, it will also analyze the programs which re-introduce prisoners in society, and discuss the current approaches to protect the public upon a prisoner's release.

Purpose for prisons in the US justice system

According to US Judicial system the purpose of prison is to socially reform and rehabilitate an individual who commits crimes, and to give them an opportunity to learn from ones mistake and to become a law abiding citizen of the society. In the United States, there are various schools of thoughts which carry their own interpretation of the prison system, and continuously strive to make their definition become the key ingredient of the policy of US prison system (Ellen, 2009).

According to one school of thought, its core purpose of prison is to protect the American citizens from those criminals whose objective is to harm society and create social disturbance. Some consider it an effective place for rehabilitating out of place citizens who require a particular mindset and a skill set to become upstanding members in the society. Still there are people who believe that American prisons offer an alternative for criminals to get what they really deserved in the form of severe punishment (comprised of social isolation and alienation), and to pay for the crimes they have committed in the society (Ellen, 2009).

At the moments, there are varying degrees of incarcerations within American correctional system, in the form of parole and jail time. The basic function of this institution is to protect the ordinary citizens from the criminal elements present within society. The prison is supposed to be an educational facility for convicted, and its main function is to make the criminals realize that there were on the wrong paths, and to foster an environment which provide them an opportunity to learn from their pervious experiences and to indulge in constructive social work which can transform their life's for the better and make their country more safer and a better place to live Ellen, 2009).

Current conditions in US prisons

According to recent estimates, there are roughly two million inmates imprisoned in American jails and prison houses. They are as many as in the last decade of the 90's and way more in per capita terms tan any other OECD nation. The number of former and current prisoners are increasing and constituting a large part of the united state's population (Ellen, 2009).

As stated by human rights watch group, the living conditions in American prisons are not only gloomy but also ...