SIBT - Macquarie University

SIBT - Macquarie University ACBE100 Assignment 2: Business Report ? Business Report Draft due in week 7; formal submission due in week 8 ? Weighting: 30% ? Word limit: 1,200 words Task: Organise information on your research topic collected in your critical summary, and other sources to write a report for a specialist academic audience. This report will effectively integrate figures and graphs to illustrate important information and statistics. Business reports are used as a management tool designed to support decision-making processes by addressing the needs of a particular problem or situation. Your business report should: - gather information on an issue, - outline the factors contributing to the issue and the outcomes resulting from the issue, - examine currently available and potential solutions to respond to the issue, and - demonstrate analytical reasoning skills for identifying and “weighing-up” solutions and outcomes. Reports typically review multiple perspectives on an issue and do not align to one single “correct” answer, but rather present several possible solutions. You must reference a minimum of 6 academic sources (in-text citations as well as in the reference list). A business report has four key stages to accomplish these aims: 1. Executive Summary: states the purpose or aim of the report. Provides background details relevant to the situation and summarises the problems and current recommended solutions. 2. Issue Discussion (contributing factors): Identifies the problem and states 2-3 contributing factors which have caused the issue. 3. Issue Outcomes (consequences/effects): States 2-3 points of consequence, each providing a brief summary of one of the subsequent effects of the issue Note: Data diagrams and data commentaries will be integrated into the Issue Discussion or Issue Outcomes stages to support the information being presented. 4. Recommendations: states 2-3 action-oriented, concise, realistic and feasible recommendations to respond to the issue being researched. You should also include the following: a cover sheet, a table of contents, and a list of references (minimum 6 sources). Remember to attach a blue SIBT cover sheet, a Turn It In report , an annotated draft and an SPD sheet to your final version of the Report. SIBT - Macquarie University Prison Overcrowding (model) A report prepared for ACBE100 Academic Communication in Business and Economics Lecturer: Mary Smith Prepared by: Tom Jones Student ID: XYZABC1010 Group 20 Date of Submission: 20 March, 2014 Word Count: 1200 words SIBT - Macquarie University Table of Contents Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..p? 1. Issue Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..p.? 1.1 Increased number of offenders sent to prison……………………………………………………………………….p? 1.2 Convicted inmates serving greater portion of their sentences……………………………………………….p? 1.3 Aggressive “tough on crime” legislative approach…………………………………………………………………p? 1.4 Poor planning and a lack of accurate population projections and offender needs analyses….p? 2. Issue Outcomes……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….p? 2.1 Prisoner misconduct……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..p? 2.2 Psychological consequences………………………………………………………………………………………………….p? 2.3 Inmate violence………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…p? 3. Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..p? 3.1 Overall jail population reduction………………………………………………………………………………………….p? 3.2 Increased space availability………………………………………………………………………………………………….p? References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………p? SIBT - Macquarie University This report investigates the growing criminal justice problem of prison overcrowding. In the United States alone, the number of prisoners has more than sextupled in the past forty years (i.e. 6 ½ times the number held in 1974), causing the average prison to average 31% over capacity (Diroll, 2011, p. 2). The overwhelming demands on prisons have become an increasing concern for politicians and law enforcement alike. As the inmate population is a growing problem in the United States, many law enforcement agencies and academic experts are analysing the situation and working to combat it. This report examines the key causes of prison overcrowding, the results of this issue and possible solutions to respond to this growing dilemma. Prison overcrowding is multi-faceted and can be linked to several factors which contribute to overall increases in the number of offenders, the severity of their sentences, and their rates of recidivism (Maruna & King, 2004). Namely, the push for “hard on crime” politics in conjunction with increasing rates of offenses largely related to drug use and distribution is recognised as a key factor to the current prison overcrowding problem (Armstrong, 2001, p. 3-6). The main causes of prison overcrowding are: 1. Increased number of offenders sent to prison. Since the early 1980s, law enforcement officials and politicians launched the “War on Drugs”, implementing harsher penalties for certain types of offenses (Armstrong, 2001, pp. 3-6). Furthermore, the nature of these offenses linked to drug addiction has led to higher rates of offenders returning to prison for violating or unsuccessfully completing probationary supervision. SIBT - Macquarie University 2. Convicted inmates serving greater portion of their sentences. In conjunction with the “War on Drugs” came a shift from indeterminate to determinate sentencing which caused the average minimum sentences to increase. Furthermore, the awards of “good time” or “early release” were gradually phased out of the system as “Truth in sentencing” guidelines came into effect. These guidelines established “time served” standards for parole eligibility and required 100 per cent of the court-imposed sentence to be served either in prison or on parole. 3. Aggressive “tough on crime” legislative approach The War on Drugs was supported by a legislative “tough on crime” system (Gaes, 1994, pp. 16-20). These laws provided for a narrowing of judicial discretion encouraging the criminal justice system to take a more conservative and less controversial approach to punishment. Under this approach, alternative, diversionary, and intermediate sanctions became less appealing and become viewed as “soft on crime”. This resulted in the de-funding of community correction programs, especially those focused on addiction treatment. 4. Poor planning and a lack of accurate population projections and offender needs analyses These dramatic legislative shifts were not proportionately matched in funding and strategic planning. The General Assembly and Department of Corrections (DOC) is unable to accurately or adequately plan for new facilities without accurate projections of the total offender population. Furthermore, current projection methods contribute to the cycle of overcrowding prohibiting the DOC to build its way out of this overcrowding crisis (Gaes, 1994, p. 23). While the causes of prison overcrowding are varied, the subsequent outcomes of overcrowding are largely related to prisoner misconduct, resulting in both psychological and physical harm to the larger prisoner population. The following research summarises the key consequences of prison overcrowding: 1. Prisoner misconduct In their examination of the impact of prison overcrowding on prisoner conduct, Camp, Gaes, Langan and Saylor (2003) conclude that jail overcrowding may not be a direct cause of prisoner misconduct (p. 13). However, the study shows that prison management style is related to misconduct, and it is possible that overcrowding has a direct effect on prison management, as it creates a far more stressful environment on the corrections officers and wardens. Furthermore, overcrowding often leads to “double-celling” prisoners, reducing the amount of space allotted to each prisoner (Cunniff, 2002, p.3). While laws are in place to address this as potentially cruel and unusual punishment, many argue that the cramped accommodations further lead to prisoner misconduct. 2. Psychological consequences Another study conducted in 2011 found that high prison population has a direct, negative effect on the psychological state of inmates (Diroll, 2011, p. 16). Overcrowding has been known to cause far more stressful situations and has prompted prison officials to react inappropriately on occasion due to being forced to accommodate ill-advised numbers of prisoners. 3. Inmate Violence Yuma’s (2010) long-term study on prison population density (PPD) in Japan found that it has a direct correlation with prison violence rates (PVR). This study conclusively states that “the effect of PPD was significant and positive on PVR, even after controlling for the effects of the proportions of males, age younger than 30 years, less than one-year incarceration, and prisoner/staff ratio” (Garland, 2001, p. 37). This data demonstrates the direct correlation of population density on increased inmate violence and precludes other variables. SIBT - Macquarie University To remediate prison overcrowding, a multi-dimensional approach aimed at curbing jail population growth and increasing space availability is required (Bureau of Justice Assistance, p. 4). The former is supported by a community corrections model that provides for graduated sanctions and systematic rehabilitation with a strong focus on reducing overall crime and recidivism rates (McGuire, 1995). The latter is supported by a prisoner expansion model in which funding is more justly allocated to accommodate punitive sanctions through the construction of new prisons and additional prison beds. These distinct but complementary approaches are detailed below: 1. Overall jail population reduction In an effort to reduce the overall rate of offense and recidivism, it is necessary to examine the effectiveness of probationary rehabilitative services (Raynor & Robinson, 2009, p.18). “Tough on crime” politics and “War on Drugs” legislation have arguably caused the greatest influx of prison population. Therefore, an approach focused on reducing the overall jail population is necessary to re-evaluate prison sentences for some crimes (e.g. drug-related offenses) and seek alternatives to harsher sentences (e.g. treatment, probationary rehabilitative services). 2. Increased space availability Despite the best efforts to rehabilitate offenders and reduce recidivism, the overall prison population is projected to remain at levels exceeding capacity. Therefore, it is important for legislatures and law enforcement officials to cooperate and systematically plan for increased space availability (Cuniff, 2002). The most effective approach to increasing space is to fund the construction of new penitentiaries and the expansion of existing structures. However, alternative incarceration options such as residential treatment centres for non-violent offenders will also alleviate the strain on overcrowded prisons (Armstrong 2001, pp.36-38). SIBT - Macquarie University References Armstrong, JJ 2001, Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee, State of Connecticut, Department of Correction, pp. 1-98. Camp, SD, Gaes, GG, Langan, NP & Saylor, WG 2003, The Influence of Prisons on Inmate Misconduct: A Multilevle Investigation, Office of Research and Evaluation, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Washington, DC, pp. 1-47. Cunniff, MA 2002 Jail Crowding: Understanding Jail Population Dynamics, National Association of Criminal Justice Planners, NIC Accession No. 017209, pp. 1-60. Diroll, DJ 2011, Prison Crowding: The Long View, with Suggestions, 2011 Monitoring Report, Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission, pp. 1-20. Gaes, GG 1994, Prison Crowding Research Reexamined, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 1-86. Garland, D 2001, The Culture of Control, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Maruna, S & King, A 2004, ‘Public opinion and community penalties’ in A Bottoms, S Rex and G Robinson (eds.) Alternatives to Prison. Willan, Cullompton, pp. 7-20. McGuire, J (ed.) 1995 What Works: Reducing Reoffending, Wiley, Chichester. Raynor, P & Robinson, G 2009, ‘Why help offenders? Arguments for rehabilitation as a penal strategy’, European Journal of Probation, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 3-20. Yuma, Y 2010, The Effect of Prison Crowding on Prisoners’ violence in Japan: Testing with Cointegration Regressions and Error Correction Models, Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Shimokume, pp. 6-73.