How Do Local Politics Affect Jail Administration?

There is compelling evidence that providing education opportunities to prisoners helps reduce their likelihood of recidivism upon release. However, it would not be politically expedient for structural reforms aimed at encouraging prisoners to work towards earning freedom through merit.

That's what my experience tells me. I spent 24 years in prison before being released last year. My time in jail made me realize that the way we build, operate and maintain our prisons is ultimately why so many people end up incarcerated for far too long, with little hope of ever being released. The root problem is politics. Our system is biased in favor of punishment and against rehabilitation. Prison is a business, and legislators are more interested in pushing for tougher penalties and keeping prisoners behind bars as long as possible than they are in society helping to reform them. Too often, the goal of corrections seems to be to ware inmates down until they eventually break – rather than help them find solutions to their problems and become contributing members of society once again. Ironically, this approach actually makes it more likely that convicts will reoffend when they're released into a chaotic and crime-ridden world. It also costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year because it results in high rates of

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the role that politics plays in justice department decisions will vary depending on the individual case. However, it is generally believed that politics often plays a role in decisions made by the justice department regarding the operation of the federal prison system. This is because the administration of the prison system is a highly politicized affair, and decisions about its policies and operations are typically driven by concerns over public opinion and election results. As such, politicians tend to prefer systems that result in high levels of incarceration – both as a political statement and as an means of reducing costs associated with incarceration (e.g. through increased revenues obtained from prisoner work programs). Accordingly, justice department officials are likely to be more lenient in their dealings with criminal suspects and drug criminals if they believe these groups will support their political agendas in future elections.

Political considerations are a necessary but sometimes problematic part of criminal justice. Criminal justice decision makers are selected through election or appointment. In some states, voters elect judges, while in other states, governors appoint them. In either case, the selection process is political. Some people argue that the criminal justice system is too political because it can lead to biased decision making. For example, if a politician wants to punish someone who committed a crime, they may choose to select a judge who is willing to impose heavy penalties. Alternatively, if a politician wants to leniently deal with someone who has committed a crime, they may choose to select a judge who is more sympathetic towards leniency. This type of bias can result in unfair and unjust decisions being made. Another problem with the political nature of the criminal justice system is that it can be slow and difficult to change. For example, it can take years for changes to be implemented in the judiciary, which can impacts the speed and

Political prisoners often have a lot of political analysis and vocabulary at their disposal, which they can use to see the structure of power they confront, and relate it to the outside world and their former struggles for democracy.