Corrections Trend Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corrections Trend Evaluation - Essay Example In analyzing the future philosophies of corrections it is important to distinguish between the federal and state level. States have legislative power and have been able to take much broader actions in reducing their prison populations. States generally will apply one of three philosophies; relocating inmates and the use of halfway housing or community detention, allowing inmate’s credit as time served for good behavior or participation in certain programs, and modifying criminal statutes and sentencing (United States Government Accountability Office,2012, p 32). Many federal sentences are mandatory minimum sentences with no parole as the Bureau of Prisons does not have the authority to modify the inmate’s sentence. They are also without authority to move federal inmates to community corrections or transfer them to local prisons or supervised release more so than what is federally allowed. Possible future actions that are being considered by the Bureau of Prisons at the federal level are several options that policy makers have begun to consider to address the crowding in the federal system. One option is to minimize and reduce the projected size of the inmate population by reforming current sentencing laws and allowing alternatives to incarceration while also providing the Bureau of Prisons greater flexibility in sentencing. A second option is to increase the capacity of the federal system, in essence keeping up with the demand and the projected growth of the demand by the construction of new prisons, increasing staffing levels, and contracting for increased private capacity. A third option is a combination of the first two and would likely be the most successful philosophy to utilize in order to negate and reduce many of the side effects of the current and projected overcrowding. It is estimated that 60% of federal inmates are non-violent offenders. The suggestion of some is that many of these are white collar crimes and instead of