In the 21st century, prisons in the United States continue to become more crowded and the crime rate is invariably increasing as less resources are established to assist with rehabilitating criminals and providing means, which can assist them in being released early and for a change, providing worthwhile contributions in society. It can be deemed that the majority of prisoners, despite deserving imprisonment, are not providing any contributions in society and are left o fill a gap in society throughout a prolonged period.

This essay will accordingly argue that governors should use their authority to release some inmates conditionally based on a number of different requirements. This essay will support this main argument or thesis by firstly focusing on the conditions of release for certain prisoners and why their release would benefit society. It will then secondly focus on the circumstances of releasing prisoners after a certain period in jail.

Throughout the United States and in particular, California, prisons continue to become more and more overcrowded as less money is invested on law enforcement and more on other areas of society. For example, San Quentin prison in California is overcrowded by approximately 150% and despite only having 2,000 available bunks, contains up to 3500 prisoners. Prisons are primarily designed for the purposes of rehabilitation and punishment. By releasing some prisoners who have been on good behavior or have spent extensive periods in jail with little activity and signs that indicate some level of stability, prison rates can decline and the rehabilitation process that the prison system relies on can be proven to be successful rather than ineffective and wasteful. Furthermore, prisoners can be provided with a second chance and can in fact increase employment rates in large cities as they are provided with opportunities to work, and to protect others. It has also been proven throughout numerous studies that the majority of prisoners want to reform and provide a positive contribution, particularly those who maintain some normal mental state. Trust also needs to be placed in the role of the prison system in society and there is no better way than to commence a program that gradually releases prisoners who are deserving of the right to freedom. This proposition certainly does not give the right for any prisoner to be released, but extensively encourages governors to consider release to prisoners who have earned this right and convinced authorities that they can live a normal and effective life in society.

There are also a number of circumstances as a result of releasing some inmates early and giving them a chance to provide a worthwhile contribution. Positive circumstances focus on the selected prisoner being released with positive attributes and as a reformed individual. This further benefits society as they can now generate more capital and growth with a higher rate of employed citizens. Other positive circumstances include a greater level of resources in state prisons and a greater ability for states to target criminal activity rather than the activity that is contained within prisons and related to over crowding. There are however, a number of negative circumstances such as repeat crimes and criminals not being released as reformed individuals. There may be cases that occur where a prisoner is released and have been wrongly misdiagnosed or are incapable of living normal lives. The concept of institutionalization must also be considered as prisoners who have spent the majority of their lives in jail may have developed certain dependencies that deem them incapable of living an independent life.

In conclusion, it has been argued that releasing inmates early is a beneficial decision, however it needs to be closely monitored and a number of behavioral, mental and physical tests need to be conducted on prisoners who are being considered for early release. In releasing prisoners early, the governor of any state is placing a tremendous amount of trust in the prison system and rehabilitation of prisoners overall.