Identifying Corrections - Why is it Important?

The California State’s Corrections System is one of the biggest agencies in law enforcement that encompasses everything from prisons to parole. With its 33 prisons at over 100 percent capacity, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has a lot of weight on its shoulders; and when they decided to incorporate “Rehabilitation” to Corrections, it brought more pressure and work to the department.

People may not care for the Corrections system because they don’t feel inmates are worth their time, but it is good to know what is happening within our prisons. Some may have family members in prisons and anything that happens directly affects them. Taxpayers are affected because they’re the ones paying for maintaining the prisons, the rehabilitation programs, keeping the inmates “safe,” and many other things. It is also a huge impact on the state budget. The state is at a very bad economic standing, which means prison spending must be cut, leading to the reduction of programs and services available to inmates. The department is now required to release thousands of inmates back into our communities.

One of the topics of concern is that of costs. The department has a huge budget, but it never seems to be enough. According to the CDCR, housing an inmate costs almost fifty-thousand dollars (CDCR Facts & Figures). The cost of health care is very controversial because many feel that it is unfair to use taxpayers’ money to provide health care services when they themselves cannot enjoy this privilege. Why should we care if inmates are healthy and safe? Well, this is a responsibility of the CDCR. Likewise, inmate programs cost a lot of money. Education, rehabilitation services, and other programs are provided to help the inmate stay out of trouble when they are released or to keep them busy while doing their time. Controlling parolees using GPS devices is something California has been able to do successfully, but at a very high price. Everything in corrections has its purpose, as its motto states, “Public Safety, Public Service.”

In conclusion, being aware of what surrounds us is important. There are many great things that have been accomplished by the department, one being the successful monitoring of sex offenders at the state fair, which can be both a good and a bad thing. Why would sex offenders even be allowed to go to the fair? Well they were there, and “Operation Eagle Eye” was a success.