The American Corrections System

American Corrections System
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American Corrections System
Local politics affect jail administration through fiscal policies and political conservatism. Political pressures from local politicians often result in less than sound fiscal measures. For instance, although pretrial release programs are less resource-intensive and help avoid prison overcrowding, the public is opposed to the same due to fear of crime, thereby leading to overcrowding. Jail confinement is widely implemented even for misdemeanant offenders and probation violators despite the lack of funds to expand jail capacity and house all inmates. Political influence should not be as extensive because it makes jail a revenue-draining institution more than a crime control service. Jails have been turned into a potent electoral issue, and it has become challenging to limit the influence of politically sensitive offices such as police chief on local facilities. Employees in correctional facilities make up a significant proportion of political patronage for elected officials to gain political mileage, especially during political campaigns when political appointees stop administering the jail and start soliciting funds and votes for their superiors (Clear et al., 2016). Local politics often hinder good correctional practices and rarely address the pertinent issues affecting jail administration.
Some of the unique needs of jail detainees have included mental health problems, substance dependency, medical needs, and legal needs. A majority of offenders have a history of mental problems, and the number of inmates considered to be mentally ill is growing. Unfortunately, most jails lack the resources to provide health services to mentally ill offenders even when the stress of confinement exacerbates their condition. It is not uncommon for these offenders to be abused by other inmates, misunderstood by correctional officers, and left untreated by professional personnel. Similarly, many offenders with a history of substance abuse are also left to deal with the effects of withdrawal, resulting in high suicide cases. Only a small proportion of prisoners are treated for their withdrawal symptoms since most symptoms are generally viewed as inconveniences that do not require treatment. Detainees also have many unaddressed medical needs, from minor injuries to major injuries incurred during their crime and its aftermath. Half the jails do not perform routine medical checkups, and even those requiring prisoners to pay for some of the care they receive. Moreover, pretrial detainees lack access to legal assistance. Studies indicate that people locked up in jail cannot prepare their defense because their attorneys are overworked and only partially pursue their cases (Clear et al., 2016). Detainees often spend long periods without seeing their attorney, thereby deeming their chances of receiving justice. These needs pose significant financial challenges for jail administrators: meeting the mental health problems, substance dependency, medical needs, and legal needs requires significant resources, which most jail administrations lack.
The advantage of preventative detention is that it e...