Friday, September 13, 2013

An Overview of the American Penal System

Before we understand the families affected by the system, we should understand just how large this system is.

As we progress and read about one woman who waited a decade for the love of her life, we can understand just how many prisoners, like her partner, waited to be free to rekindle love lives, rejoin families, and restart lives on the outside. As we read about the towns and the people who prosper from working around prisons, we can understand why the economies of these towns are so safe and reliable. And when we learn the stories of those who create programs dedicated to helping the incarcerated transition, we can understand the difficult burden they are placed under.

This will give us a better understanding of how many people are facing the same circumstances that we find one face for.

The best report is from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, within the Department of Justice. Below, I have summarized some of the key findings, but the report in its entirety can be found here.




Through these numbers we understand just how vast the prison system is and how it can touch so many people and through so many different ways. 

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