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The Increasing Prison Population - Online Term Paper

The Increasing Prison Population

The care and feeding of one million American prisoners is a big business.
Privately managed prison beds are increasing about 35 percent a year, and
the demographics of inmates are changing rapidly. More prisoners are women
or elderly, and have drug problems, AIDS, or other chronic health
conditions. The number of prisoners seems certain to increase--but even if
it doesn't, the cost of running prisons will.

Prisons are often referred to as "the big house," but "full house" may be a
better term. In 1994, 1 million people lived in America's federal and state
prisons. Another 3.7 million were on probation or parole, and half a
million were confined to locally run jails. The grand total: more ...

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is one of the country's hottest industries. Some companies
manage entire prisons, while others specialize in particular operations
such as health or food services. And manufacturers prosper when they
provide the many additional necessary items, from uniforms and bedding to
surveillance and monitoring equipment.

If current trends continue, the prison population will increase rapidly in
the next decade. Even without growth, the current prison population would
still be much more expensive to maintain in the future.

Offenders who are in prison for drug-related crimes are more likely to have
serious health problems. The prison population is also aging. These trends
will increase prisons' health-care costs, but they are dwarfed by the
continuing consequences of tough sentencing laws. Until drug abuse stops or
drug laws change, the prison population bomb will keep ticking away.

The number of inmates in state and federal prisons more than tripled, from
319,600 in 1980 to ...

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The Increasing Prison Population. (2004, August 23). Retrieved January 13, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Increasing-Prison-Population/13167

"The Increasing Prison Population." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 23 Aug. 2004. Web. 13 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Increasing-Prison-Population/13167>

"The Increasing Prison Population." Essayworld.com. August 23, 2004. Accessed January 13, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Increasing-Prison-Population/13167.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 8/23/2004 04:02:25 PM
Category: Social Issues
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 355
Pages: 2

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