Short Term Fixes to Long Term Problems: An Analysis of California's Realignment Plan for Prison Overcrowding

• In Event: Punishment Build-ups and Retreats

Abstract

Rates of state and federal incarceration have been on a steady climb in the United States since the mid 1970’s. While the high rate of Americans with criminal records has impacted the economy, mass incarceration has led to issues of prison overcrowding. Subsequently, the health and safety of both prison employees and inmates have decreased. To address the state of California’s overcrowding, the Supreme Court (Brown v. Plata, 2011) ordered that inmate populations be reduced to 137.5% of capacity. Using a content analysis, this study focuses on the measures taken by California to reduce its prisoner population to alleviate cited Eight Amendment violations. We examine news articles, statistics of incarcerated populations, and Governor Brown’s Realignment Plan (AB 109) in order to analyze the measures taken by California and the effects on overcrowding. Findings suggest that realignment has done little to alleviate the problem, instead increasing strain to local governments as inmates are transferred from state prisons to county jails. As the Supreme Court deadline draws nearer, we suggest what are the next steps for effectively addressing prison overcrowding.

Authors

• Marisela Reynoso, San Jose State University

• Bryce Garreth Westlake, San Jose State University