In order to fully craft an appropriate response to the detrimental effects of mass incarceration in the United States, it’s important to understand the issue in its totality. A major problem in the criminal justice system is the high likelihood of convicted individuals to reoffend. The tendency of a convicted criminals to reoffend is called recidivism. A study completed by the U.S. Department of Justice in which a follow-up examination was convened for criminals who were convicted in 2005, showed that 83% of prisoners released across all 30 states were arrested at least once during the 9 years following their initial release. Mass incarceration has plagued this nation, and with a five in six chance that former inmates will reoffend, this only contributes to the systemic issues presented in the American criminal justice system.

The lack of proper resources to inmates and negative prison culture within the walls is to blame for the substantial recidivism rates in the United States. With the dramatic rise of mass incarceration, prisons are being filled to max capacity. An overcrowded system results in limited resources, bad conditions for the prisoners, and horrible environments that weakens the focus on inmates becoming law abiding citizens. It’s crucial to recognize that the culture within prison walls may have an impact on an inmate’s potential to reoffend. Some inmates make gang affiliations outside of prison and maintain these connections while locked up. Other inmates may turn to gang membership as a source of protection. While gang affiliation doesn’t concern all inmates, it’s important to note that any commitment to a particular gang organization will likely strengthen while incarcerated and as a result, have a major impact on criminal behavior post release. American culture is not very forgiving of the formerly incarcerated, as it’s difficult for previous offenders to find work and assimilate back into normal life. More likely than not, the pressure of fitting back into society is trying for these individuals so they revert back to a life of crime because that is all they know. Arguably, the circumstance in prison do not actually help rehabilitate inmates, rather it teaches them to be better criminals. Throughout connections made in prison offenders may learn new forms of criminal activity and even worse, how to get away with these crimes. Issues of substance abuse and mental illness also contribute to an inmate’s likeliness of reoffending. Due to a reliance on a substance or a mental illness that is out of their control, former prisoners find themselves reoffending due to situations involving these circumstances.

The painful irony in all of this, is the massive recidivism rates directly contradict the purpose of the prison system. As stated in The United States Justice Department Federal Bureau of Prisons, “The mission of the BOP is to protect society by confining offenders in the controlled environments of prisons and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and that provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens.”

Based on the fact the more than 80% of prisoners who are released will likely be back in a jail cell in a matter of 9 years, it’s hard to believe that the Department of Federal Bureau of Prisons is dedicated to providing work and self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens. The U.S. criminal justice system is primarily focused on putting individuals in jail and lack attention in decreasing the likelihood for previous inmates to reoffend. Regardless of the reasons as to why previous offenders choose to reoffend, it is evident that high recidivism rates in the American criminal justice system must be address. Statistics clearly show that the current methods of deterrence and rehabilitation are inept, and a new approach to this issue must be implemented.