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CHAPTER 18
Incarceration Trends
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
2. Explain what can be done to deal with the prison population crisis.
4. Discuss whether incarceration pays.
LESSON PLAN
Correlated to PowerPoints
I. Introduction
Learning Objective 1: Discuss the explanations for the dramatic increase in the
incarceration rate.
A. America’s incarceration rate is extremely high compared to other countries: 480
people per 100,000 residents.
B. The incarceration rate in the United States has more than quadrupled since 1980,
despite a declining crime rate.
1. Increased arrests and more likely incarceration
3. Prison construction
5. State and local politics
C. The increase in the prison population has led to calls for a moratorium on further
construction and for the development of intermediate punishments to remove from
prisons those who “don’t belong” there.
D. Supporters of current policies argue that the prison population is high because the
level of violent crime in the United States is also high. Some researchers have even
argued that the costs to society of incarcerating some types of criminals is less than the
cost of their remaining on the streets.
What If Scenario
What if policymakers began having leniency toward more individuals so that they could reduce
the prison population, allow tax payers to save more money, and attempt to allow incarcerated
individuals more freedom from incarceration? How would you “sell” this idea?
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Media Tool
Visit http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/glance/incrt.cfm
o Bureau of Justice Statistics incarceration trends
o Discuss this in class. What are the incarceration trends over the last 50 years? How about
over the last ten years? Are there discernable patterns? If so, are they favorable or
unfavorable for society? Discuss why.
II. Explaining Prison Population Trends
Learning Objective 2: Explain what can be done to deal with the prison population crisis.
A. Demographic Changes: See Figure 18.1.
1. African Americans and Hispanics make up a larger percentage of incarcerated
individuals than ever.
3. Since 1980, the percentage of people serving time for violent offenses has
declined; the number of people incarcerated for drug violations has increased.
B. The size and growth of the prison population is not evenly distributed across the
country (See Figure 18.2).
1. The five states with the highest incarceration rates are in the South.
a. This region has the highest African American population, the group
2. The skyrocketing prison population has created a crisis of overcrowding.
3. Five reasons often cited for the increase are as follows:
C. Increased Arrests and More Likely Incarceration
1. Some analysts have argued that the billions spent by federal, state, and local
2. A large portion of the prison population is made up of individuals returning for
new crimes or parole violations.
D. Tougher Sentencing
1. New mandatory laws, determinate sentencing, truth-in-sentencing laws, and a
drop in release rates have contributed to the rising prison population.
What If Scenario
What if you could appear before lawmakers to provide your professional opinion on some of the
get-tough sentencing laws and practices? What would you say?
E. Prison Construction
1. This has created additional space in the nation’s prisons; public attitudes are
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tolerated. Many states attempted to build their way out of this problem. These
states found that as soon as it was built, it was full.
F. The War on Drugs
1. It is a success on one front by packing the nation’s prisons. Today, 15.7 percent
Class Discussion/Activity
Have students discuss and debate how the “war on drugs” has affected the correctional system.
Allow them to determine changes that can be made, such as legalizing marijuana, that would
affect the prison population.
G. State and Local Politics
1. Local political factors influence correctional policies; state’s responses to crime
2. The location of prisons makes a significant economic and political impact in
some states.
3. The U.S. Bureau of the Census counts incarcerated individuals as “residents” of
the community where the facility is located. State and federal aid, such as
Medicaid and social service block grants, is distributed on the basis of population.
H. Public Policy Trends: researchers recognize that the size of prison population is not
driven by the amount of crime; it is driven by public policy.
2. Politicians are aware that the public is concerned about crime, have little
sympathy for convicted individuals, and support increased punishments.
3. In this political environment, correctional policies have emerged in Congress
4. Given the fiscal crises of many communities, public officials have begun
looking for ways to decrease the size of prison populations without jeopardizing
public safety.
Class Discussion/Activity
Have students conduct research on your states sentencing options and how they affect the
correctional system.
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Media Tool
Visit http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2007/03/politics_and_th.html
o Sentencing and Policy
o Discuss this in class. How has race impacted politics since the 2000 election? Have
students discuss how the political climate may have been different had the individuals
discussed been able to vote. Do they think that it would have made a difference? If so,
how? If not, why not?
See Assignments 3 and 5
III. Dealing with Overcrowded Prisons
Learning Objective 3: Analyze the impact of prison crowding.
A. Currently, 18 state prison systems operate at or above capacity.
2. Crowded prisons may violate constitutional standards, increase violence,
decrease access to programs and services, and create major administrative
problems.
B. The Null Strategy: proponents of this approach to overcrowding say that nothing
should be done, that prisons should be allowed to become increasingly congested.
C. The Construction Strategy: this usually comes to mind when legislators or correctional
officials confront prison crowding by expanding the size and number of facilities.
Class Discussion/Activity
Break the students into 3 groups—null strategy, construction strategy, and intermediate sanction.
Allow them to defend this strategy used to reduce prison overcrowding.
IV. The Impact of Prison Crowding
A. Prison crowding directly affects the ability of correctional officials to do their work
because it decreases the proportion of residents in rehabilitative programs, increases the
potential for violence, and greatly strains staff morale.
B. As a direct consequence of the higher incarceration rate, courts have cited a number of
states for maintaining prisons so populous that they violate the Eighth Amendment
protection against cruel and unusual punishments.
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Class Discussion/Activity
Break the students into four groups. Ask each group to create a strategic plan which will reduce
the number of individuals incarcerated thereby reducing prison overcrowding. Discuss the pros
and cons to each strategy.
What If Scenario
What if you had to decide which individuals to let out of prison in order to make room for more?
How would you make that decision?
Media Tool
Visit https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2017-07-26/understaffed-and-
overcrowded-state-prisons-crippled-by-budget-constraints-bad-leadership
o Prison Overcrowding
o Discuss this article in class. Why have prisons become so overcrowded? What are the
potential ramifications of this overcrowding? What are the best remedies to reverse this
growing problem?
See Assignment 2
IV. Does Incarceration Pay?
Learning Objective 4: Discuss whether incarceration pays.
A. There is no definitive answer.
1. Opponents of current penal policies note that the United States now ranks first
2. Supporters of incarceration believe current policies have succeeded in lowering
the crime rate.
What If Scenario
What if you could decide if incarceration “pays?” What stance would you take on this? Discuss
the reasons why it either does or does not “pay.”
See Assignments 1 and 4
LECTURE NOTES
American Corrections has continually emphasized the explosion in America’s prison population
since 1973. It is imperative that students are aware of just how distinct that is in comparison to
global trends. This chapter explores incarceration trends and of most importance relays various
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explanations that aim to account for the profound growth of American corrections. This chapter
explores the consequences of this growth and reviews some strategies aimed at curbing the
continuing expansion. When teaching this material, it may be useful to contrast America with
other western democracies.
One of the most important parts of this chapter is the review of the prevailing explanations given
to account for the dramatic increase in the nation’s incarceration rate. There are multiple
explanations, and it may help students if you review each explanation independently and then
This chapter underscores the consequences of a big and growing prison population. In particular,
the authors focus on prison overcrowding and review different strategies for dealing with this
serious problem. Ask students if they can think of any other strategies. The chapter also
describes the impact of overcrowding.
KEY TERMS
Null strategy
The strategy of doing nothing to relieve crowding in prisons, under the assumption that the
problem is temporary and will disappear in time.
Construction strategy
A strategy of building new facilities to meet the demand for prison space.
Chapter 18: Incarceration Trends
ASSIGNMENTS
1. National Public Radio’s All Things Considered has a three-part story “Two Torn Families
Show Flip Side of Three Strikes Law.” Part 1 is available at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114219922. Part of it talks about a
2. Listen to National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation story “Dealing with California’s
Overcrowded Prisons.” It discusses how the U.S. Supreme Court ordered California to
reduce its prison population, claiming that overcrowded conditions violated some of the
constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. What was the basis of
the court’s conclusion, and what actions will the state of California have to take in the
near future? Story available: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/26/136685989/dealing-with-
4. Divide the class into two groups, and have them debate whether incarceration is cost
5. Divide the class into two groups; discuss and debate issues with policy makers having a
ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Although the answers provided below will vary from student to student, the responses should
include at a minimum a discussion of the following key points.
1. Which of the many hypotheses advanced to explain the rise in the incarceration rate seems
most plausible to you? What other reasons might be added?
2. Which of the strategies for dealing with crowded prisons seems most viable to you? What
other strategy might be considered?
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in part.
• Responses will be highly individual.
• Strategies include (1) the null strategy, (2) the construction strategy, (3) intermediate
sanctions, and (4) prison population reduction.
3. Imagine that you are incarcerated in a prison that is over capacity. What are some of the
factors that will influence the way you serve your time?
4. How would you respond to the argument that the American prison is becoming a place where
the urban poor receive better housing, health care, education, and job training than they do on
the outside?
5. The incarceration rate has become a political issue. How would you summarize the two sides?