Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-2-2021
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Public Policy Leadership
First Advisor
Cliff Johnson
Second Advisor
William Berry
Third Advisor
Charles E. Smith, Jr.
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to examine the political, social, and economic factors which have led to inhumane conditions in Mississippi’s correctional facilities. Several methods were employed, including a comparison of the historical and current methods of funding, staffing, and rehabilitating prisoners based on literature reviews. State-sponsored reports from various departments and the legislature were analyzed to provide insight into budgetary restrictions and political will to allocate funds. Statistical surveys and data were reviewed to determine how overcrowding and understaffing negatively affect administrative capacity and prisoners’ mental and physical well-being. Ultimately, it may be concluded that Mississippi has high inmate populations which are disproportionate to that of staff. This conflicting reality is a result of improper funding by the Mississippi legislature, failure of legislators to prioritize the issue of correctional reform on the agenda, and general disinterest from the public. Several recommendations are made in the final chapter to address why the legislature should increase funding and how the funds should be used when obtained to improve the incarcerated population’s quality of life and prepare them for, if eligible, a smooth transition back into society.
Recommended Citation
Williams, Ariel A., "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: Analyzing Inhumane Practices In Mississippi’s Correctional Institutions Due To Overcrowding, Understaffing, And Diminished Funding" (2021). Honors Theses. 1678.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1678
Accessibility Status
Searchable text
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Administrative Law Commons, African American Studies Commons, Agriculture Law Commons, Civil Procedure Commons, Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Constitutional Law Commons, Courts Commons, Criminal Law Commons, Criminal Procedure Commons, Food and Drug Law Commons, Fourteenth Amendment Commons, Government Contracts Commons, Health Law and Policy Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, Juvenile Law Commons, Labor and Employment Law Commons, Law and Economics Commons, Law and Philosophy Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Law and Psychology Commons, Law and Race Commons, Law and Society Commons, Law Enforcement and Corrections Commons, Legal Commons, Legal Education Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, Legal History Commons, Legal Profession Commons, Legal Remedies Commons, Legislation Commons, Litigation Commons, Organizations Law Commons, Political History Commons, Political Science Commons, Psychology Commons, Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Public History Commons, Public Law and Legal Theory Commons, Social Welfare Law Commons, State and Local Government Law Commons, Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons