Alternatives to PrisonPrisons, facilities maintained to lock up people convicted of committing crimes, were used to rehabilitate offenders while keeping them isolated from the community. The Quakers built the first prison in 1790 to isolate criminal offenders from society to reflect on their wrongdoings and seek forgiveness in a caring and spiritual environment. (Inciardi 497)Currently, there are three types of prisons in the federal, state, and county governments. These are classified according to the degree of security they offer. Minimum security prisons, also called county jails, provide minimal supervision. These prisons are generally used as holding cells for offenders awaiting trial or release. Medium security and maximum security prisons are used for offenders serving prison time for their offenses. Their security levels and prison design are more intense than those of minimum security prisons. The effectiveness of prisons has declined due to progressive overcrowding and the lack of conclusive alternatives. The need for alternatives has grown significantly over the past decade. Nonetheless, state and federal governments are desperate for competent, less expensive solutions. The costs of keeping a prisoner in prison vary by state and facility. Each prisoner held in a minimum security prison typically costs us about $25,000 per year, while a prisoner held in a maximum security prison costs between $35,000 and $74,862 per year. (Smolowe 56) These costs include basic transportation to and from the prison, infirmaries, kitchens and dining hall, power plants used for electricity, sewage disposal, prison schools, buildings and work locations, as well as salaries of staff members. As prison costs rise, so do the risks of layoffs, which would ultimately lead to more violence and far less rehabilitation. In 1993, 21 correctional agencies opened 48 new facilities, adding 42,899 beds at an average cost of $47,153 per cell. (Jacobs et al. 120) “In an era of financial scarcity, spending on the construction and operation of prisons is increasing twice as fast as the growth in overall spending.” (Holmes 3) These increasing costs are another reason why alternatives to prison are sought. In 1980, the United States housed a total of 329,821 inmates in state and federal prisons. (Middle of document..., we should consider using these alternatives with less serious criminal offenders to prevent very violent criminals from being released from prison prematurely. Otherwise, everyone's safety will be at risk. and the criminal justice system will be beyond repair. Works Cited: Allen, Harry E and Clifford E. Simonsen Corrections in America: Prentice Hall, 1998. “Stricter Policies Lead to More Prison.” No. 13: p. 24. Holmes, Steven A. "Prison Boom Locks Up Lots of Loot." New York Times November 6, 1994, New York Late Edition, sec 4.:3. Inciardi, James A. Criminal Justice . Texas: Harcourt Brace, 1996. Jacobs, Nancy R, Mark A. Siegel, and Jacquelyn Quiriam, eds. Jails and Prisons: A Deterrent to Crime? Crime-A Serious American Problem. Texas: Information Plus, 1994. Katel, Peter “The Bust in Boot Camps.” Smolowe, Jill. "...And throw away the key." Time February 7, 1994: 54-59. " Of the, 18.