Intro to Criminal Justice
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- Category: Science
- Date Submitted: 02/25/2010 03:19 PM
- Pages: 8
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GROWTH OF JAILS
“Jails have been called the ’shame of the criminal justice system.’ Many are old, poorly funded, scantily staffed by underpaid and poorly trained employees.”
A 1983 national census revealed that jails were operating at 85% of their rated capacity. See Table below.
| | 1983 | 1988 | 1993 | 2000 | 2004 |
|# of Jails | 3,338 | 3,316 | 3,304 | 3,365 | 3,360 |
|# of Jail Inmates | 223,551 | 343,569 | 459,804 | 621,149 | 713,990 |
|Capacity of Jails | 261,556 | 339,949 | 475,224 | 677,787 | 755,603 |
|% of Cap Ocupied | 85% | 101% | 97% | 92% | 94% |
JAIL FACTS
Although jail overcrowding is not the issue, it was a decade ago; it is still a problem.
Other factors conspire to keep jail populations high. They include the following:
• Inability of jail inmates to make bond due to institutionalized bail bond practices and lack of funding sources for indigent defendants.
• Unnecessary delays between arrest and final case disposition.
• The limited ability of the criminal justice system to handle cases expeditiously due to a lack of needed resources (judges, assistant prosecuting attorneys, and so on.) And inappropriate...
“Jails have been called the ’shame of the criminal justice system.’ Many are old, poorly funded, scantily staffed by underpaid and poorly trained employees.”
A 1983 national census revealed that jails were operating at 85% of their rated capacity. See Table below.
| | 1983 | 1988 | 1993 | 2000 | 2004 |
|# of Jails | 3,338 | 3,316 | 3,304 | 3,365 | 3,360 |
|# of Jail Inmates | 223,551 | 343,569 | 459,804 | 621,149 | 713,990 |
|Capacity of Jails | 261,556 | 339,949 | 475,224 | 677,787 | 755,603 |
|% of Cap Ocupied | 85% | 101% | 97% | 92% | 94% |
JAIL FACTS
Although jail overcrowding is not the issue, it was a decade ago; it is still a problem.
Other factors conspire to keep jail populations high. They include the following:
• Inability of jail inmates to make bond due to institutionalized bail bond practices and lack of funding sources for indigent defendants.
• Unnecessary delays between arrest and final case disposition.
• The limited ability of the criminal justice system to handle cases expeditiously due to a lack of needed resources (judges, assistant prosecuting attorneys, and so on.) And inappropriate...