Prison overcrowding in the United States

Prison overcrowding in the United States is a condition that occurs when the number of inmates in a correctional facility exceeds its designed capacity. Over the last 40 years, the number of persons held in prisons and jails in the United States per capita has more than quadrupled, with the total proportion of incarcerated people now surpassing 2.3 million. This issue, although existing for many years, gained its prominence during the United States' War on Drugs, which placed significant responsibility on the individual stated for mitigating the prison overcrowding issues with limited financial resources. This was further complicated by the passage of draconian sentencing and parole schemes in the mid-1970s by the state and federal legislators that were designed to keep the increasing proportion of people in prison for decades. Moreover, federal prison populations may increase if states adhere to federal policies, such as mandatory minimum sentences. On the other hand, the Justice Department provides billions of dollars a year for state and local law enforcement to ensure they follow the policies set forth by the federal government concerning U.S. prisons. Prison overcrowding has affected some states more than others, but overall, the risks of overcrowding are substantial and there are solutions to this problem.