Free world substance-abuse treatment is very expensive and not available to most people living in poverty. Last year funding for adult education programs in the free world was cut. Public schools in poor neighborhoods are bulging at the seams. Problems With a Rapidly-expanding Prison System Prisons cannot provide a safe atmosphere. The demand for security officers is great but there are not enough officers available.
Many inmates are older, wiser, and more educated than the officers.
These officers tend to be judgemental of others, unaware that they themselves also lack critical thinking skills and are therefore prone to misjudge situations and make unwise decisions, often actually provoking violent reactions from inmates. This creates an unsafe environment not only for inmates but for staff as well. In add ition, because officers are young and uneducated, they also make low salaries. This makes them vulnerable to bribes and blackmail. Inmates take advantage of the situation to get drugs.