The Death Of A Brooklyn Shelter For Domestic Violence

Introduction Adriana, a 24 year old single mother in New York, found herself in a Brooklyn shelter for domestic violence victims with her infant daughter, not yet two. The separation from her abusive boyfriend left her with nothing. â€Å"I was trying to get a job, trying to get my life together,’’ she says. On the night of March 18, Adriana asked a friend to watch her daughter while she picked up some diapers from Target, but as she left the shelter, a staff member called the police since it was past curfew. Adriana was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, and the bail was set at $5,000. The prosecutor cited a history of violence and abuse, but failed to see that her boyfriend was responsible for the charges. Unfortunately, due to†¦show more content†¦Background and Evidence of the Problem One major problem facing American prisons are the extremely high incarceration rates. According to a report released by the National Research Council, â€Å"The US rate of incarceration, with nearly 1 of every 100 adults in prison or jail, is 5-to 10-times higher than rates in Western Europe and other democracies.† (Zurcher, 2014, para. 3) Based on this report it is clearly illustrated that the incarceration rates are absurdly high in comparison to other major countries. Furthermore, strict sentencing laws and minor drug offences are a major contributor to America’s prison population. Miller writes, the US prison population grew by 700 percent due to an influx of drug arrests and tough sentencing laws. As of now 1.6 million people are behind bars in federal and state prison, leaving America with the largest prison population in the world (para. 11). With a 700 percent increase in prison population one question comes to mind. Does America have an increase in criminal act ivity compared to other countries? Despite the massive increase in incarcerations, crime has not increased significantly increased over the years, and prison doors are still clanking at an exorbitant rate. The increasing prison population is a complete