California prisons are undeniably overcrowded. For the past decade, they have operated at 200% their designed capacity.
Currently, 9.8 billion of California’s budget is allocated towards correction and rehabilitation. Since 1980, educational spending has decreased by 13%, whereas prison program spending has increased by 436%. Despite this outrageous increase of funds, the prison conditions have been less than acceptable. The crux of the overcrowding problem can be traced to the shocking 70% recidivism rate.
There are numerous reasons as to why recidivism is so high in California. These range from the establishment of the Three Strikes Law, to the absence of correctional services. The most effective means in which to drastically reduce recidivism, and therefore the overall prison population, is through the creation of various rehabilitation, educational, and transitional programs.
Text by: Audrey Shawley
Jam the Revolving Door 