The U.S. correctional system has come under critical public scrutiny which has corrections administrators scrambling to find ways to run effective correctional facilities. The reality of corrections administration today is that it is changing. Major issues of this changing environment include ongoing budget concerns, privatization, technology, overcrowding, program issues, personnel management, security issues, and legal issues. This paper examines these current issues facing correctional administrators today.
Budget issues in today’s tight economy are a constant source of pressure on correctional agencies who must find new ways to accomplish their mission. Budget pressures have forced some states to delay opening new facilities because
That is simply not the case. Because many of today’s prisoners are more likely to have already passed through the system, they are more knowledgeable of institutional operations and areas of weakness. This means that administrators always need to be one step ahead. Prison overcrowding continues to be one of the most trying problems faced by the US corrections system today and there is little hope that this problem will go away. The conditions in US prisons are expected to worsen in the coming years as a result of overcrowding. As the US prison population grows and political pressures continue to encourage longer and harsher sentences, this issue will continue to impact the job of corrections administrators. Overcrowding affects the daily prison environment because there is less of everything to go around which means that resources have to stretch even further. This can cause frustration among inmates when resources are limited or denied. Inadequate resources can also cause conflict and competition among inmates, which in turn can lead to aggression and violence. (www.patrickcrusade.org)
Substance abuse is the leading cause of increasing prison populations, specifically female prison populations. Mental health issues are also a major contributor to increases in incarceration (ASCA). While prison populations continue to rise, funding for