A Call For Help: Nebraska Prison Population

More than 3 years ago, at Tecumseh State Prison, a riot broke out between the inmate population and security guards.

One effect of an overcrowded population is the overwhelming amount of pressure. This didn’t happen overnight. The decades of neglect from state government helped fuel booming inmate populations, high overtime, turnover among prison staff, and a lawsuit alleging living conditions that violated prisoners’ constitutional rights. Therefore, a proposal to increase the prison budgets should be passed to reduce the population within Nebraska prisons by expanding additional prison space.

If the United States has been known to have one of the highest incarceration rates then Nebraska is part of the problem.

To further, Nebraska must have a prison population below 140 percent of capacity to avoid a prison overcrowding emergency. If the figure exceeds, state law requires the Board of Parole to immediately consider nearly all parole-eligible inmates for release. Given the present prison situation that has been caused by countless years of indecision and reactionary policies, it would certainly behoove the state to proactively prepare for this upcoming deadline.

However, the Board of Parole has already chosen this option since the state government refuses to help state prisons. The inmate population consists of murderers, child molesters, thieves, etc., so giving out parole isn’t the best idea as it could affect the citizens of Nebraska. The Board of Parole gives you an inside perspective of what the system is in these state prisons.

Even though overcrowding prisons has kept criminals off the streets, prisons will be criticized.

Money devoted to building additional prison space will benefit the overworked and underpaid staff. Prison employees indicate continuing concerns over safety and the general direction of prison conditions.

As maintaining the safety and security of a confined facility would be easier if prisons received a higher prison budget. A typical day for prison staff is counting the inmates, moving the inmates, ensuring no one was getting hurt, receiving contraband or escaping. Because of the overcrowding inmate population, prison employees can’t do their jobs resulting in mandatory overtime hours eventually leading to 301 vacant staff positions.

Many prison employees aren’t fully trained and still able to work without supervision. Staff is being pulled away from other facilities to assist with Nebraska’s facilities staffing issues.

The system just isn’t enough.

Nebraska Corrections Department stated it will add an additional 100 beds in September. However, additional beds are short-term answers until the prisons can add more space to their facilities. Even though overcrowding prisons is unethical, Nebraska still hasn’t found a solution to this problem.

Where will they sleep?

As this population grows, it would appear as though Nebraska prisons had to also turn to double bunking of inmates in restrictive housing settings in order to accommodate the significant increase in inmates who are being placed in a facility.

It creates hazards for correctional officers who must deal with prisoners who are living under those kinds of pressures.

Allow us to stand together as Nebraska citizens by considering a proposal to increase the prison budgets should be passed to reduce the population within Nebraska prisons by expanding additional prison space. Overcrowding population has affected the inmates, staff, and undeniable living conditions.

Nebraska has a problem. It’s not going away anytime soon without the help of citizens.

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