The documentary Fault Lines: Dying Inside: Elderly in Prison brings to light the problems the United States faces as its prison population rapidly ages. In fact, the aged population of prisons is growing exponentially. According to Mirka, whereas elderly inmates made up only 5.7% of the prison population in 1992,...

For very practical reasons, and with very serious real-world ramifications, the biggest issue currently facing the American corrections system is prison overcrowding. Despite only making up 5-percent of the world’s population, the United States accounts for approximately 25-percent of its entire prison population, making it the nation with the highest...

Confinement has historically been the primary method of containing and managing those who are considered as different, marginal or dangerous. In the context of criminality, this conventional approach has found its institutionalization in the modern criminal justice system and corrective treatment of criminals. In this respect, the current response to...

When it comes to determining the purpose of corrections, many different people have many different ideas on what should dominate. Some argue that the most important sentencing goal of corrections is deterrence, as they argue that the right kind of system will provide both general and specific deterrence in the...

Unfortunately, prisons and jails are a necessary part of society. While a utopian society where everyone follows all applicable laws may seem ideal, it is not likely. Humans are prone to flaws, including illegal and immoral behavior. Prisons were designed to deal with individuals who commit illegal behavior. However, the...