... often used by the media to describe various problems. They go on to state "In common parlance, the term 'crisis' denotes something severe but usually of short duration: sterling crisis, Suez crisis and so forth" (p 211). This would suggest that the prison system is in something more than a short-lived crisis. McLaughlin and Muncie (2001) also suggest that there are a number of problems with the penal system. These are, the rising prison population, costs, crowding and conditions, purpose and order. One of the major problems encountered by the penal system is the rise in the prison population. McLaughlin and Muncie (2001) state that the prison population in England and Wales has quadrupled in the period between the end of the Second World War and the end of the century. They state that the number of individuals incarcerated has increased from around 15,000 in 1946 to around 60,000 in 1999. ...

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