"Budget problems are forcing states and the federal government to rethink their approach to prisons. More than 2 million people are incarcerated in the United States, and the cost is getting unbearable.
"Even conservatives who describe themselves as tough on crime are starting to call for the release of some inmates. That's in part because the numbers are speaking louder than ever.
States spend about $50 billion a year to house prisoners, and experts say incarceration is the fastest-growing expense in state budgets, except for Medicaid."
I've been saying it for years. Now they're finally listening!
It's an amazing fact that the US leads the world not only in its incarceration rate but also the number of people in prison! If there were an Olympics for incarceration, we'd win the gold medal! (someone should write a song about that ...)
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/15/133760412/budget-crunch-forces-a-new-approach-to-prisons
I constantly hear people discussing how deplorable prisons are, and how the prisoners are treated horrible, and it really upsets me. There are two causes that I believe are main causes for prison overcrowding, one of which goes along with what we are discussing in chapter 4.
ReplyDeleteIf Americans were to be as 'forgiving' or lenient towards African Americans as we are to white people, I believe that there would be fewer people in jail, because there would be fewer people arrested, charged, and incarcerated. We see criminals as black men, who are innately evil and who are the main source of crime, and so with this mind set, we aim to put all of these bad people behind bars. This is not good for the perception of crime, nor for our prison system.
The other main cause is the drug war. It is a known fact, at least around Dr. Robinson, that the drug war is ridiculous and that it needs to end. There are so many reasons for this, but the one pertaining to this is that thousands of people are in prison because of drug charges- charges that are over the top, and are way too extreme. When we started this 'war', we truly wanted to get rid of drugs. All I think we did was just start putting more people in prison, when what they really needed was help and support in other ways.
Maybe if stories such as this one continue to be seen, the truth behind our higher incarceration rate will be known by all, and maybe some new legislation can come about that will help reduce the number of people in prison, who do not really need to be there.
Sure, prisons and jails are extremely overcrowded which leads to a huge expense. Money that could be going to other things, like fixing roads in Boone. But these people broke the law and should be punished. However, there are other ways in which to punish people other than incarceration. Probation and house arrest just to name a few. Yes, the probation officer must be paid, but at a much reduced cost that what it normally costs to house a prisoner for an extended period of time.
ReplyDeleteI'm not 100% positive, but I think the reason other countries have lower inmate populations is due to the fact that they not only have the death penalty, but they also use it with some regularity. That not only opens up a spot in that prison, but it serves as both a specific and general deterrent.
Also, unless a person has done something particularly heinous, like Charles Manson, old, feeble people who have already served plenty of time could be released. Expenses go up considerably when the DOC must also pay for the medical expenses of their inmates.
A major problem with incarceration rate also starts at the front end with the defense of these criminals. The majority of people committing crimes can't afford the proper defense and with the public defenders that are appointed to them by the state, they are moved through the system at the convenience of the state and therefore cant receive a just outcome in all cases. Many people spend months in jail without even having seen a judge simply because they can't afford an attorney so they are unable to expedite the process like their more privileged counterparts. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? They are also less likely to get a favorable plea agreement, if in fact they are guilty, and end up facing a jail sentence instead of a more lenient punishment.
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