INTRODUCTION

Mass incarceration refers to the increase of individuals who are caught and put into prison. Most people do not realize the effects of incarceration in society or they choose to ignore it. Either way, this nonchalance towards incarceration does not diminish the fact that America needs to give more attention and resources to it. How can America prevent mass incarceration? In order to solve a problem, one needs to learn from past mistakes in order to solve future ones. Lowering mass incarceration in America means focusing on reforming the current criminal justice system and implementing programs that provide a way for convicted criminals to better prepare themselves for society. Mass incarceration has nearly tripled since the 1990s and it is becoming a growing problem within the United States.

I believe that incarceration has become a debatable topic for policymakers because most of the prisons within America are beginning to overcrowd due to this problem. It is believed that much of this rise in incarceration is due to recidivism, which can be defined as when an individual reoffends. Through this project, I hope to bring light to the rising recidivism rates in the United States and how rehabilitative programs help reduce these rates.