Describe the costs of mass incarceration to society, not only in economic terms, but also in social costs.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The movement toward mass incarceration has come with equally massive costs. The Vera Institute estimated that America's prison costs quadrupled from 2000 to 2010. Vera researchers found that total government expenditures for corrections were even higher than those reflected in prison budgets. The fiscal costs are but one side of the story. Society as a whole pays the social price of mass incarceration. Society's successes or failures in stopping criminal behavior ultimately dictate the state of health of the social environment and the economy. What goes on in prisons and jails often spills out into the world. It has become increasingly clear that incarceration places a substantial financial and emotional burden on the families whose loved ones are incarcerated. The trauma engendered by incarceration may be manifested in antisocial behavior, mental illness, homelessness, unemployment, and extreme poverty. Many public and charitable agencies attempt to partially alleviate these problems. The costs of corrections may be far greater than the numbers reflected in their budgets.