Topic > The prison system - 1071

Canada reached its highest population rate in 2013, with 15,000 prisoners; that's a dramatic increase of 75% over the past decade. Incarceration rates are rapidly increasing while crime rates are decreasing. After release, ex-prisoners have difficulty adapting to society and its social norms. Criminologist Roger Graef states that "for the vast majority of prisoners, the loss of local ties to family, work and home condemns them once again to return to crime". Prisoners often cause lethargy, depression, chronic apathy and hopelessness, ultimately making them rigid and unable to reintegrate into the public. Depression, claustrophobia, hallucinations, problems with impulse control, and/or an impaired ability to think, concentrate, or remember are experienced by inmates who are isolated for an extended period of time; research has indicated that prisons can cause amenorrhea, aggressive behavior, vision and hearing problems, weakened immune systems, and early menopause. With the lack of systemic programs, constant violence and social isolation, the prison system fails to prepare prisoners for reintegration into society. Prisons do not provide the adequate structural functionalism to rehabilitate long-term ex-prisoners into society. Studies have shown that prison education programs reduce recidivism while sharpening the importance of life. However, most extracurricular classes in prison have been eradicated, additional work preparation practices have been reduced, and access to sports equipment and educational resources such as books is progressively limited. Over the past five years, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has increased the federal budget by 40 per cent to $2.6 billion, the majority through paperwork.” the guardian. January 20, 2009. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/jan/19/prison-education-longer-sentences.“Lack of Rehabilitation.” adpsr. 2013. http://www.adpsr.org/home/lack_of_rehabilitation.Mackrael, Kim. “Prison work programs fail inmates and the public, records show.” The globe and the mail. January 7, 2013. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/prison-work-programs-fail-inmates-and-the-public-documents-show/article6992471/.Matthews, Dylan. “Making prison worse does not reduce crime. It increases it." The Washington Post. August 24, 2012. http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/24/ma king-prison-worse-doesnt-reduce-crime-it-increases-it/.Rhodes, Lorna A “Pathological effects of super-maximum prison”. American Journal of Public Health. October 2005. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449421/# __sec3title.