Homework Clinic
Social Science Clinic => Law and Politics => Topic started by: swpotter12 on Sep 30, 2019
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What factors impact the cost of incarceration and what are some cost savings best practices?
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Incarceration costs vary considerably based on factors including the location of the prison, the number of inmates in a prison, and the cost of living in an area (which impacts pay rates). The relative health of a prison population impacts incarceration costs, as health care represents the highest prisoner-related expense associated with running a prison. As such, an aging prison population in poor health is likely to face greater medical costs than a prison population comprised of relatively young and healthy inmates. In addition to these factors, the security level of a prison has a tremendous impact on the costs associated with running a particular facility; the higher a prison's security level, the higher the associated costs. To find effective cost savings, corrections policy should make greater investment in those areas shown to be the most beneficial compared to their costs. Current research indicates that those programs would include prison industry, long-term drug treatment, and education programs as being the three most beneficial programs compared to their costs.