California Prison System - 986 Words

The California prison system was created in response to the increased amount of criminal activity that sparked during the Gold Rush years. Prior to the Gold Rush, California had prided itself on being a land of health, beauty, and opportunity (Bookspan, xviii). However, immigration and population growth surged, especially amongst foreign convicts and â€Å"aliens†, resulting in increased crime. At first, it was decided that punishment for small crimes would be a beating by whip while punishment for serious crimes, like robbery or murder, would be hanging (Kidport).After becoming a state in 1850, the California governor John McDougal reacted to this method of punishment by beginning what is known as the California Prison System. The first prison within California was San Quentin, which began to receive inmates in 1854, next was Folsom State Prison in 1880, then California Correctional Institution in 1933, California Institution for Men in 1941, and California Institute for Wome n in 1952 as well as multiple California state prisons that have opened since then in cities such as San Diego, Sacramento, Chowchilla, Avenal, Corcoran, Susanville, Vacaville, Crescent City, and many more (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation). The early California prison systems were very much influenced by the Auburn prison system, from the Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York. This system imposed solitary confinement to silence prisoners and promote meditations, but stillShow MoreRelatedThe California s Prison System990 Words   |  4 PagesCalifornia’s prison system is facing a number of infrastructure changes as a result of a judicial decision that came down from the United States Supreme Court, Governor of California et al v. Plata et al. California’s prison system was deemed inadequate and dangerous due to severe overcrowding which led to â€Å"needless suffering and death† (Rogan, 2012, 262). The court ruled that the Stat e must reduce the number of inmates in California’s thirty-three state prisons. This ruling came about after twoRead MoreCalifornia Prison System Essay910 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ M7A1 Case Study 3: California Prison System AB 109 and AB 117 were introduced to ease the pressure of the federal and state budget through saving costs on the penitentiary system. In this regard, the reduction of the prison population and the transfer of a part of the prison population to county jails was one of the main provisions of AB 109 but AB 117 actually discharges provisions of AB 109. Such a paradoxical situation is the result of scarce financialRead MoreProblematic California Prison System Essay849 Words   |  4 PagesCalifornia has one of the most dysfunctional and problematic prison system in US. Over the last 30 years, California prison increased eightfolds (201). California Department of Correctional and Rehabilitation (CDCR) does little to reform prisoners and serve as human warehouse rather than a correction institution. Californias prison system fails the people it imprisons and society it tries to protect. In many cases, Californias prison system exacerbates the pre-existing problems and aids in theRead M oreThe California Prison System Is Severely Overcrowded2120 Words   |  9 PagesBecause the California prison system is severely overcrowded, it is unable to deliver adequate resources and services to its inmates. In 2011, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the system—operating at 145% of its designed capacity—violates the 8th Amendment and mandated that the state significantly reduce its prison population by 2016 (Divito). Many of the state’s GOP legislators called for expansion of the state’s correctional facilities, claiming that criminals would be a threat to communitiesRead MorePrison Overcrowding And California s Correctional System1651 Words   |  7 PagesPrison overcrowding has caused many complications to California’s Correctional System. To resolve this issue, â€Å"[o]n April 5, 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law AB 109, the ‘2011 Realignment Legislation Addressing Public Safety’†¦, which †¦ shifted responsibility from the state to the counties for tens of thousands of offenders,† (Abarbanel et al., 2013, 1). This law was put in action was because of overcrowding in state prison and it was affecting a variety of crucial programs thatRead MoreCalifornia Prison System: Significant Budgetary Change and the Results of Those Changes2178 Words   |  9 PagesCalifornia Prison System: Significant Budgetary Change and The Results of Those Changes Objective The objective of this work is to examine the policy and political processes that led to the decision to make a significant budgetary change and what the result of those changes are. In addition this work will identify economic, social and cultural influences on that change and identify the interaction among the federal, state, and municipal levels with regard to the program. This work will examineRead MoreSecurity Threat Groups/Gangs in Prisons Essay1480 Words   |  6 PagesHead: SECURITY THREAT GROUPS/GANGS IN PRISONS Security Threat Groups/Gangs in Prisons Nicole Sage Kaplan University CJ130-03 Nancy Thode January 18, 2011 Security Threat Groups/Gangs in Prisons In our prison systems today, many different gangs pose a threat to our correctional staff and other inmates. In the United States, gangs exist in forty of the fifty states. These gangs bring violence, drug trafficking and racial unrest to our correctional system. The Aryan Brotherhood was formedRead MorePrivatization of Prisons1329 Words   |  6 PagesPrivatization of Prisons Introduction I am writing this memo in response to a request to analyze the benefits and disadvantages of privatized prison systems. With the present economic environment, it is important to explore all options that could reduce the state’s deficit. This research project will explore the cost benefits to the privatization of California’s prison system, in comparison to other cost saving options. It will use statistics from other states that use private prison systems, as wellRead MoreFinancial Contingency Planning1732 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Financial Contingency Planning: Sources of Funding AJS/522 May 12 2014 Adam Eaton Financial Contingency Planning: Sources of Funding California has the largest prison population in the United States and some countries around the world. For over 40 years, the incarceration levels have risen. The prison rates have risen 700 percent since 1970, today it is estimated that one in 100 adults are incarcerated. Who pays the bill for this large increase, tax payers have and will continueRead MoreThe Problem Of Prison Overcrowding1572 Words   |  7 Pagessociety to stir up continue to expand every day. Some of these issues include the educational system, healthcare laws, unemployment and economic situations, not to mention the ongoing water drought crisis†¦all of which are major dilemmas in California. One major dilemma, however, is often ignored. Over the past 30 odd years, California’s prison population has grown by 750 percent (â€Å"California’s Perpetuating Prison Crisis†). As this percentage perpetuates to make substantial gains, inmates are suffering