By Daniel Nardini
Fact, the State of Mississippi has the second highest rate of incarceration in the nation only behind that of Louisiana. Fact, almost three-quarters of those incarcerated within the Mississippi prison system are non-violent suspects who were busted primarily on illicit drug charges. And fact, these non-violent prisoners are as likely to serve as much time, or even more time, than violent prisoners jailed on serious charges. One thing that is not usually mentioned are the number of undocumented Mexican prisoners in the Mississippi prison system.
In May of 2012, a riot took place in the privately run Adams County Correctional Facility in Natchez. One guard was killed and 20 people, including prisoners, were injured. The prisoners had long complained about the poor food, the poor facilities, and the harsh treatment by the guards. However, this is endemic of the entire Mississippi prison system—all of this is due to overcrowding and the state cutting back on funding for not only providing for prisoners but also helping those non-violent prisoners addicted to illicit drugs get help.
Following in the footsteps of California, Mississippi has recently passed legislation to help those non-violent prisoners addicted to drugs seek treatment, and those not yet imprisoned be put into rehabilitation centers rather than into prison. This is a necessary step for prison reform. There are already too many prisoners, the state’s resources are already stretched to the limit, and simply throwing people into jail does not help them deal with their drug problem. Hence, it has become more imperative to help non-violent prisoners so that they can function in mainstream society.
While this type of prison reform may or may not be successful, simply throwing people into jail has in fact increased crime. Those non-violent prisoners who had been thrown into jail for long periods of time usually end up back in jail because of their drug problem or because they become violent offenders. Part of prison reform is to try and help those who need help for their drug addiction before they become a permanent part of the prison system. Also, prison reform is necessary to try and make the facilities more humane for those undocumented imprisoned for crimes. This type of reform is occurring so far in a few states. It is nevertheless a growing aspect since too many states are now finding it difficult if not impossible to increase their budgets for expanding their prison systems.
Reforming Mississippi’s Notorious Prison System
By Daniel Nardini
Fact, the State of Mississippi has the second highest rate of incarceration in the nation only behind that of Louisiana. Fact, almost three-quarters of those incarcerated within the Mississippi prison system are non-violent suspects who were busted primarily on illicit drug charges. And fact, these non-violent prisoners are as likely to serve as much time, or even more time, than violent prisoners jailed on serious charges. One thing that is not usually mentioned are the number of undocumented Mexican prisoners in the Mississippi prison system.
In May of 2012, a riot took place in the privately run Adams County Correctional Facility in Natchez. One guard was killed and 20 people, including prisoners, were injured. The prisoners had long complained about the poor food, the poor facilities, and the harsh treatment by the guards. However, this is endemic of the entire Mississippi prison system—all of this is due to overcrowding and the state cutting back on funding for not only providing for prisoners but also helping those non-violent prisoners addicted to illicit drugs get help.
Following in the footsteps of California, Mississippi has recently passed legislation to help those non-violent prisoners addicted to drugs seek treatment, and those not yet imprisoned be put into rehabilitation centers rather than into prison. This is a necessary step for prison reform. There are already too many prisoners, the state’s resources are already stretched to the limit, and simply throwing people into jail does not help them deal with their drug problem. Hence, it has become more imperative to help non-violent prisoners so that they can function in mainstream society.
While this type of prison reform may or may not be successful, simply throwing people into jail has in fact increased crime. Those non-violent prisoners who had been thrown into jail for long periods of time usually end up back in jail because of their drug problem or because they become violent offenders. Part of prison reform is to try and help those who need help for their drug addiction before they become a permanent part of the prison system. Also, prison reform is necessary to try and make the facilities more humane for those undocumented imprisoned for crimes. This type of reform is occurring so far in a few states. It is nevertheless a growing aspect since too many states are now finding it difficult if not impossible to increase their budgets for expanding their prison systems.