Delia Gutierrez

Professor Ogden
English 901
2.1 Reading Lesson One
8 December 2015
Prison Overcrowding Essay Outline
Topic: Prison overcrowding
General Purpose: To inform the US citizens
Specific Purpose: To inform US citizens of the effects of prison overcrowding and what it can
cause in the near future.
Thesis: The large amounts of people being thrown behind bars is causing severe prison
overcrowding. Overcrowding is causing problems in our economy and within the prisons itself.
I.

II.

Introduction
A. According to the bureau of prison, the United States is the world's largest leader
in incarceration with over 2.2 billion people behind bars, including prisons and
county jails.
B. This number has increased rapidly by 500% in the past 30 years, according to a
study called sentence project and if we don't put a stop to it now this rate will
continue to increase expeditiously.
C. The large amounts of people being thrown behind bars is causing severe prison
overcrowding. Overcrowding is causing problems in our economy and within the
prisons itself.
D. The government spends over $60 billion a year to keep prisoners incarcerated
causing America to become a 24 hour daycare instead of a growing and
prosperous nation.
1. My brother was in a severe overcrowded prison.
2. I have done a lot of research using research guides such as EBSCO Host, CQ
Researcher and sites such as the Bureau of Prison.
E. Preview of Main Points:
1. First, I will describe how the government is spending more money on keeping
people in jail rather than keeping students in school.
2. Second, I will examine the crime that is being done in prison because of
prison overcrowding.
3. Third, I will discuss the psychological effects of prison overcrowding.
The large amounts of people being thrown behind bars is causing severe prison
overcrowding. Overcrowding is causing problems in our economy and within the
prisons itself.
A. Today $80 billion dollars are being spent on keeping prisoners in jail; that is a
ridiculous amount of money going to waste.

1. It is a waste because people will continue to commit crimes so there will

constantly be more people going to prison.
A. Each prisoner comes with a very large price tag
B. According to CBS News, each U.S. resident is paying about $260 per
year on corrections, up from $77 per person in 1980, thanks to the
country's annual $80 billion price tag for incarceration.
2. The money that is being wasted on prisoners can be spent on more useful
things such as productive educational plans and funds for charities
A. We need to make a change and that change starts by addressing the
problem in schools
B. By providing a better education for students will most likely keep them
out of trouble and give them a motivation to continue to do well in school.
In the long run this will pay off because the more students are doing well
in school and get good careers the less they are causing less trouble and
ending up in jail or prison.
Transition: The less people are being sent to prison the less amount of money the government is
spending; its a win, win for everyone.
A. Prison overcrowding is causing scary issues within the inmates themselves and the
correctional officers. Putting both the prisoners and the correctional officers lives are in
danger.
1. The excessive amount of inmates is making it harder for the officers to keep chaos
under control.
A. The average ratio of inmates to correctional officers is 100:1
B. It takes officers longer to find out about things
2. Many crimes occur in prison but most of the time they are either not counted for or
just ignored
A. In a 2012 survey, a full 4 percent of the nations prisoners and 3.2 percent of jail
inmates reported being sexually victimized in the previous 12 months, more
than half of which said the alleged incident involved a prison guard or other staff
member.
B. This number will continue to increase if we dont put a stop to prison
overcrowding now.
Transition: Confining prisoners to such small cells eventually leads to some inmates having
psychological problems.
A. Prison overcrowding has been known to cause more stressful situations for inmates and
many of the times they are scared of what is going to happen to them.
1. Being in prison allows inmates a lot of time to reflect and think about their life.
A. Just like in A Place to Stand the author Jimmy Baca goes to jail and mentions
going insane. He said, I was so depressed I couldnt stand it anymore. I wanted
to get out. I curled up naked on the cot and quit eating. I forgot about life, forgot
about myself, and just let time pass (Baca 126).

B. Baca was lucky enough to be able to recover from his depression but they are
many other inmates that would have committed suicide by now
2. There are many inmates not only suffering from depression but also from anxiety
and other serious mental health issues that are caused by prison overcrowding.
A. Quietly but steadily, jails and prisons are replacing public mental hospitals as
the primary purveyors of public psychiatric services for individuals with serious
mental illnesses in the United States, the trend is evident everywhere
B. In the San Diego County jail, where 14% of the 4572 male and 25% of the
687 female inmates are on psychiatric medications
III.
Conclusion
A. Review of Main Points
1. Today $80 billion dollars are being spent on keeping prisoners in jail; that is a
ridiculous amount of money going to waste.
2. Prison overcrowding is causing scary issues within the inmates themselves and
the correctional officers. Putting both the prisoners and the correctional officers
lives are in danger.
3. Prison overcrowding has been known to cause more stressful situations for
inmates and many of the times they are scared of what is going to happen to them.
B.Thesis: The large amounts of people being thrown
behind bars is causing severe prison overcrowding.
Overcrowding is causing problems in our economy and
within the prisons itself.
C.Conclusion: They see inmates as sardines. How many
sardines can a sardine (prison/jail) hold? Well I can assure you that the governments
answer wouldnt have a limit. The government will continue to pack prisons until they
cant hold anymore and even then they will find ways to squeeze a couple more in. The
government would rather send anyone to jail or prison than to have to deal with
solving their problem. The United States is no longer considered that free of a country
and from now on you better think twice about everything you do because one wrong
move and you could end up in prison for the rest of your life along with the other
millions that are suffering.