Cash-Strapped States Emptying Prisons

Reversing decades of tough-on-crime policies, including mandatory minimum prison sentences for some drug offenders, many cash-strapped states are embracing a view once dismissed as dangerously naive: It costs far less to let some felons go free than to keep them locked up.

It is a theory that has long been pushed by criminal justice advocates and liberal politicians -- that some felons, particularly those convicted of minor drug offenses, would be better served by treatment, parole or early release for good behavior. But the states' conversion to that view has less to do with a change of heart on crime than with stark fiscal realities. At a time of shrinking resources, prisons are eating up an increasing share of many state budgets.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[limelight]

Think what you will, I believe that we imprison just about as many people that need to be imprisoned to keep them from victimizing others. Take a look at the inverse relationship on the Department of Justice statistics between rate of incarceration and rate of victimization. I'm a Parole Officer and work with these folks in the community on a daily basis. Many of these "non-violent" drug offenders have past assault, stealing, burglary, and weapons charges. Most are in prison because they failed at community supervision previously.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a lifelong Democrat and somewhat radical in my economic views, but socioeconomic ills are no excuse for criminality. We imprison so much of our population because that portion is "criminal" in their thought process and actions, and WILL NOT stop being so unless they are imprisoned or the fear of being imprisoned makes following that lifestyle an unattractive choice.
What I have found in my job is that no matter what program or treatment you have to "help" the criminal change his or her life, they won't do it until they are ready. Most often this occurs due to nothing more than the operant conditioning resulting from the pain of long term incarceration. When it does occur, they need little in the way of help or "programs" and are often successful in completing their parole and changing their lives.
But why believe me, go on over to your nearest prison and take one home with you.

[Scytherius]

You judge a society by it's prisons. America is a joke.

[mellene]

They should empty them of all the minor drug offenders of which I'm sure there are many.

[Moshe]

Prisons are necessary to segregate persons that truly are harmful from the general public.

But there is absolutely no good reason to imprison non-violent offenders, and doing so does great harm to all.

It's long past time for the U.S. to get it's collective head out of it's a-s, and stop trying to substitute stupid slogans and cowboy rhetoric for a rational system of criminal justice.

And guess what: If we stopped wasting so damned many resources on relatively harmless bullsh-t, we would have far more resources for dealing with real crime and real criminals.

Look around my fellow Americans: From the economy to most every aspect of our common government, the wheels are coming off the wagon.

It's time to wise up and start using some common sense, and demand a government that will do the same.

[Irons]

Most likely, these prisons will free the violent criminals and keep the pot-heads incarcerated.

[comebackid]

In Part One of this Report, we found that an estimated 800,000 to one million Texans have used marijuana at least once. Only a tiny fraction of these have actually been convicted - the number is probably well below 20,000. The rest are free. In the contemplation of the law, however, they are merely unapprehended felons who should be incarcerated in Huntsville, Gatesville or another state facility. Were it possible for the law enforcement authorities to apprehend them all and sentence them to prison as the law provides, nearly one-tenth of the total population of the state of Texas would be put behind bars and supported at public expense by the remainder of the citizenry. The education of more than 200,000 Texas college students and more than 100,000 high school students would be continued, if at all, inside prison walls. The ranks of teachers, doctors, house wives, labor union members, lawyers, and even public officials would be visibly reduced. When the disparity between felonious conduct and actual social practice become as wide as this, it is necessary to remind ourselves that "the law is made for the people - not the other way around."

[JoeBlough]

Bush says the only way to get this situation under control is to cut taxes again.

[bitabingbitabangbitaboom]

Pay Back is Always a Bitch

[Mort]

If prisons were a deterrent to crime we wouldn't have so many prisoners. For many, life on the inside is so much easier than on the streets they keep trying to go back. The exception is Sheriff Arpaio's in Arizona. He's shown that prison can be humane but tough. He doesn't have the behavior problems of other places and those who get out don't want to go back.

[LiberalBuzz]

And as usual the pro "keep 'em locked up and throw away the keys for ANY violation of the law" are out with their usual lies and bullshit even though the governors have all said the same thing NON VIOLENT prisoners and YET as usual they lie about who is supposed to be released.

NO drug user should be sent to prison simply for getting high. Stupid stupid stuipid law.

Sheriff Joe is a NAZI and no one anyone should ever use as an example of how to run prisons. This is the U.S. NOT Nazi Germany. He is a disgrace to the justice system in America. Treating humans like animals is hardly what America is like.

To all those morons who cheer him on, FIRST go spend 6 months in his jail and THEN come out and tell us what a great place it is.

[LibRS]

Sheriff Joe is a saint! Wish they were all like him.

[Mort]

Don't like baloney sandwiches and pink underwear? Or having to work? Then just don't break the law!

[LiberalBuzz]

Like I said, GO THERE FIRST, then get back to me. That type of attitude is the same idiotic thinking that gave us 2 MILLION humans behind bars.

Go there first because until you do, you haven't got a clue and thus have no place to be speaking about it. My Son WAS there for a stupid stupid violation of the pot laws. I was THERE and saw it first hand.

Sheriff Joe is a disgrace to the justice system in America although I am sure he would be right at home under Josef Stalin or even modern Communist China. IF you think like he does, move to China where the place is full of Sheriff Joe's. I am sure you'd be very happy.

[Mort]

"...tell us what a great place it is."

It's not supposed to be nice and fun there!

[Mort]

I'm sorry about your son, but I HAVE been there, known convicts and several family members have been CO's. So contrary to your opinion, I DO have a clue!

What exactly don't you like about Sheriff Joe? Do you have something against simple, structured life, rules and work? Maybe you think prisons should be more like resorts.

[Felicty]

Someone should start a war on booze. Then we can sit back and watch the republicans enjoy their delerium tremens.

[tbone99]

Let me guess- if there's blow back from this in a few years ,it will be blamed on the Dems soft -on -crime policies, not Bush's break- the bank- to -profit -his friends policies.

[January]

Blowback? It will show that building and staffing prisons makes little to no difference, except to the bureaucrats who make a living off it. Put druggies in prison, where they cannot get their poison and they are EASY to deal with. It may not be easy for them. But it is easy for the Turnkeys.

And it is easy for conmen to get elected to public office by strutting around and crying for tough on crime laws. Doesn't matter that they do not work. Doesn't matter that they are part of what has busted our government budgets. Punish, punish, punish. That's what Americans believe it, and it even justifies the American Empire.

[blytzd]

Legalize it... and don't forget to tax the hell out of it too!

[Christopher1]

take away TV and the gym and other perks these crinimal get and you can house them like they belong in prison. I see only one Law enforcement man Go Sheriff Joe

[blytzd]

If they have nothing to do they will kill each other in an even more rapid fashion which only leads to more lawsuits. Besides a $100 TV is a cheap way to keep violent minds busy on other thoughts... kinda like how parents use it as a cheap babysitter. I would agree with getting rid of the gym, they can do push-ups and sit-ups without the equipment.

The main benefactors of this prison system are the corporate prison companies which I am more than glad to see go hungry. You wouldn't work/have investments in these companies would you?

[comebackid]

.................".and when they came for me there was no one left to turn to."

[johnmorgan]

What is their actual punishment?

1) Simply being locked in a prison for several years?

or

2) Being humiliated constantly while being locked in a prison for several years?

Too many Americans (usually Republicans) think the answer is number two.

Prisoners deserve some dignity too. It might be you someday.

[LibRS]

Best way to give them dignity is to teach them how to work. Coddling them accomplishes nothing.

[Mort]

Amen to that! Sheriff Joe has the right idea.

[hippynanainblingland]

Part two

In fact, I can almost guarantee that there will be armed forces recruiters, in the prisons themselves, promising God knows what... or recruiters for jobs no one else wants, of which the most promising will seem to be jobs supporting the war machine, such as weapons and munitions manufacture.

My cynicism almost cries out "BEWARE!!!" This is too pat, it seems almost to have been planned from the get go! And yet, what else is there to do? The prison population DOES need to be reduced, and justice needs to be served, even if too late.

[sharkcity]

Non violent drug offenders should be a civil matter at worst. Maybe medical-if there's a problem. Most Americans don't have problems with drug usage. Prescription drugs are the most widely used illegal. I know lots of high functioning people that enjoy pot. Mayor Bloomberg said he enjoyed it. Clearly these folks do not belong in jail. I had my share of the 70's and turned out fine.

[hippynanainblingland]

Part One

While I can't be at all disapproving of reducing our prison population, my first thought turns out to be "and where are the jobs waiting for this vast number of (mostly) unskilled men?" (including the prison guards!) And lacking jobs, where are the training facilities to give them better chances at succeeding in life?

Not only that, but these (drug dealers and users) are people who've been unjustly incarcerated, and have had to endure hellish conditions in prison for many years, ergo, will have worse attitudes guiding them than when their liberty was taken away... not to mention the years of training by fellow inmates in ever subtler ways to try to beat the system, and the greater availability of weapons in the civilian population than before they went in.

Drugs are not about to be legalized anytime soon, which means that the profit motive will not have been removed, which in turn means that, lacking better things to do with their lives, many of these former inmates will end up choosing the dealer's and user's path again, for lack of something better to do... and many will, no doubt, be suckered into the armed services, to become cannon fodder for a country that didn't give a shit about them to begin with.

[comebackid]

It's called, "the chickens coming home to roost!"

[comebackid]

I read the article. It is obvious to me that the system is designed to feed the prison industry. If we are inflating prison budgets and cutting back on education this is one perfect formula made to insure a greater number of "customers" for the human warehouseing industry within the next generation.

Due to the high profit in black market drugs, prison guards bring them into prisons. For this reason drugs in prison are as available as they are on the street. The theory that one can "dry up" in prison is a myth. Drugs are more plentiful on the street today than they were 40 years ago. They are more plentiful today than they were 5 years ago. It is easier for middle school kids to score a hard drug than it is to acquire alcohol or nicotine.

They war on drugs is a catastrophic failure!

[LibRS]

I agree. I say hand out crack and meth and herion out of the back of semi trucks buffet style. Then film the addicts as their condition deteriorates and put it on tv and films for the schools. If they the addicts break the law, throw them in a fenced in area and let them roll around in their own waste and puke. Let the kids come around and take a look at them in the fenced in area and maybe they can make up their mind if they want to take that path but with the understanding that if they become an addict, they are on their own. Bleeding heart folks can come to the fenced in areas and nurse and feed or whatever they THINK they want to do. Or better yet, let the hollywood elite come nurse the addicts (see how far that flies). I really dont care if addicts kill themselves, i just don't want them to waste my tax dollars doing it.

[comebackid]

Number one, don't worry about wasting your tax dollars, your prez has done that for you, 9 trillion dollars.

Number two, you are an obvious troll who spews hatred without any answers, just ignorance!

Number three, you watch way to much television. Get a life!

[sdskelton03]

I am a conservative, and I can't agree with you more regarding the war on drugs.

Drug use should not be treated as a criminal problem, it should be considered a public health problem.

Let's end the "war" on drugs. And while we are at it, let's just stop declaring "war" on our social problems and instead consider solutions that have a better shot at working/

[comebackid]

Yes! America is so addicted to war we have even declared war on addictions!

[TitanicExplorer]

This is why prisons should be privatized, and also why the death penalty is needed- If we truly want to clean house, liquidate all the killers, pedophiles and rapists-Kill them 100 at a time if need be...

[johnmorgan]

This is NOT why prisons should be privatized. After they're privatized, they still get their revenue from the government.

[johnmorgan]

What a great Christian you are! Who would Jesus tell you to kill?

[wndrwrthg]

And what would you do about those, who, after decades of incarceration have been found innocent?

[Felicty]

He'd probably still kill them just for being black.

[beekeeper]

Oh and one more thing, most prisons are private money making machines... uh where is the mone for the states in this? Another case of the Halliburton type greed

[wndrwrthg]

Moms bush has invested in private prisons.