2013-05-25T03:03:38-04:00 Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=michael-j-mccarthy Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Michael J. McCarthy Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.855312 2011-04-29T13:30:14-04:00 2011-06-29T05:12:01-04:00

Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-j-mccarthy/
As the cyclist approached, I could tell he was actually on the front seat of a tandem bicycle. I assumed the woman on the rear seat was his wife. There was a sign attached to the front handlebars. In bold, apocalyptic lettering the sign read, "The End is Near!"

As the bike passed me, I had ample time to judge the message and the messengers as yet another example of end-time drivel.

In a millisecond I sized up the couple, their church and their belief system as perpetuating the fear of Chicken Little and a host of deranged prophets, that the sky is falling and the world is ending. My judgment was so swift and flawless it would have made a Pharisee blush.

The sign on the bike reminded me of a conversation I had with my own mother Easter morn on the telephone.

"Get right with the Lord, Michael," my mother warned, "He is coming soon, your stepfather read it in a letter from the Virgin (that the pope released) to the Knights of Columbus, and your uncle George (uncle teeth) heard it from Harold Camping who knows the exact date: May 21, 2011."

I joshed with my mother, "You mean I only have a few weeks left?"

There was lots of silence at that inquiry.

"Mom," I asked, "listen, if on Jan. 1, 2013, we are all still here eating bagels, will you tell your friends that your wayward son knew more than the Harold Camping, the Virgin and the pope combined?" At that my mother laughed and laughed.

Harold Camping and Family Radio

Camping's "Project Caravan" has sent teams of people across the United States with the message, "The End is Near." Only Camping's disciples are not on bicycles but in RVs.

Harold Camping's theology is plastered on the sides of the RVs. While his calculations are complex, Camping's message is simple: Christians will be raptured or caught up to heaven on May 21 of this year. After what can be described as nothing short of hell on earth, the end of the world will come on Oct. 21.

Never mind that misled people have been putting their money, possessions, families and lives on the line for end of the world predictions for as long as preachers could count, Camping's followers are sure that this year is the last year. "I know it is absolutely true, because the Bible is always absolutely true. If I were not faithful that would mean that I'm a hypocrite," claims Camping.

I doubt if many people in Japan have heard of Harold Camping or his RV caravans. Yet, I am certain that many Japanese thought the world was coming to an end just recently. For some it did.

Even for the larger world, the day was devastating. An earthquake and the succeeding tsunami moved Japan's coastline eight feet and shifted the Earth's axis by four inches. It felt like the end of the world.

Thousands died, more were missing and assumed dead. A half million people were in shelters. They were the fortunate ones. Even for a prepared nation like Japan, a 30-foot wall of water felt like the end of the world.

Still, the end of the world did not come, and it will not come Oct. 21 or even start May 21. Yet, that will not stop Harold Camping from saying so. He joins the infamous ranks of people who pretend to know what is unknowable and who see the Bible not as a story to be told, but as a mathematical equation to be solved.

Once, when Jesus was speaking with his disciples, he seemed to be talking about the end. "He said... 'For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.'" Then he added, "This is the beginning..." To us it looks like the end, but to God it is just the beginning.

As the couple on the tandem bicycle passed by me, I noticed the woman had a sign also attached to the back of her seat. After reading her husband's message on the front of the bike, "The End is Near," I could only imagine what kind of apocalyptic warning the back sign would carry. As she passed by me, I turned and read the sign below the seat. It read, "The End!"

I judged the cyclists wrong. They were not scary, only funny. After May 21, Harold Camping's message will be funny, too. I'm already snickering.

Michael J. McCarthy can be reached at: mjmccarthywrites@yahoo.com.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.849731 2011-04-15T15:59:09-04:00 2011-06-15T05:12:01-04:00

Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-j-mccarthy/
Perhaps you have seen him, with all of his belongings in plastic bags. He is a heavy-set, middle-aged, black man residing on the city bench, alongside the Tattered Cover Book Store, in Denver's LoDo district.

I certainly have.

I work as a district manager for Heart Check America. I come to work at eight am and go home at five pm.

Seven days a week, he sits with a defiant dignity -- in silent protest. Not once has this homeless man ever asked for any food or money. Nor have I ever witnessed him panhandling.

Oddly enough, at the very same location, a perfectly healthy, clean-cut boy, on a $500 bicycle relentlessly begged for spare change. I wanted to throw the little urchin's bike under the bus when he didn't take no for an answer.


Author Michael J. McCarthy and Alfonso Casson


No, the man on the green city metal bench was different. He was speaking to me, without saying a word.

I questioned my general manager about him.

He said that in all the years he has worked downtown, he never saw this man begging, not once.

All of the years, I thought.

With that response, I felt deep shame.

I felt shame not for this homeless man's situation, but for people not noticing; perhaps not caring. He has sat there for years and no one has helped.

Secretly, I believe, some folks wish he would just go away. They would rather he was invisible. So, they blank him out of their existence.

He has become one of society's invisible people.

These invisible people all too often have been deemed by society as "scum." Yet they are victims of urban plight and inner city decay -- the poor and the downtrodden. They include the homeless, mentally ill, unwed mothers on welfare, runaway teens, ex-offenders, the uneducated and unskilled, illegal immigrants, and residents of inner-city housing projects.

We forget that they are part of the human family. They are, like or not, included in the very fiber of the tapestry of life -- the fifth son who is not at the table. Their struggles affect the whole of humanity, our very way of life. In order for me to hold my head up high, the man on the green city park bench needs to be able to also.

As fate would have it, I joined the ranks of the less desirable and unwanted, back in September of 2005.

In Summit County Court, I pleaded guilty to theft. I received a three-year prison sentence. I'm presently serving the final months of that sentence on parole in Denver.

There is a stigma that comes with being an ex-offender writer and an activist. Some people ponder: who is this guy to tell us anything, just look at where he has been? What can he possibly know? A criminal giving advice?

I have to work twice as hard to get published and twice as hard to be heard.

I know now how this homeless man feels: disconnected.

Nevertheless, he has not given up. His vigilance and dignified behavior on the city bench (his home), says more about who he is, than all the people that whisk by him without a glance.

This man on the bench has staked out his own little piece of human triumph over great adversity, without saying a word.

We need to do the same. These invisible folks' struggles are our struggles. By helping those most in need we grow in love and humanity.

Today, I'm going to talk to this man on the city bench. Today, I'm going to help. Today, I'm going to listen and learn.

We should recognize and acknowledge the homeless. We should recognize and acknowledge the poor, the destitute, and the downtrodden -- the fifth son who is not at the table, society's invisible people.

Because if we don't, we'll lose ourselves in the process.



Michael J. McCarthy can be reached at mjmccarthywrites@yahoo.com
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.845360 2011-04-07T16:40:23-04:00 2011-06-07T05:12:01-04:00

Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-j-mccarthy/
Like any gift, one has to accept it, savor it and make it their own, or it becomes nothing but rubbish -- a meaningless ideal.

The years I spent in prison for a multitude of property crimes have taught me to look at things differently.

Sometimes a person needs to have his freedom taken away before he can fully appreciate the individual empowerment that freedom provides.

So many Americans sit at home and bemoan the state of government. They flick on the television, and do nothing to exercise the rights granted to them by the Constitution -- less than half the U.S. population even votes.

At least in this regard, I have to hand it to the American Latino community.

They understand the process by which freedom is earned and maintained.

If you recall, last summer, while the average American complained about cuts in the budget for pensions, education, Social Security, Medicare and the mounting war on terrorism, Latinos were in the streets protesting what they see as unfair immigration laws.

What is significant here is they played a proactive role in rectifying an injustice.

Why aren't the rest of us?

You are probably thinking, 'Well, what can I do? I can't change anything. I am fairly content with the way things are.'

But is that true?

Do you like big greedy corporations controlling your life, polluting our world, pandering to the rich and exploiting the poor? Do you like paying higher taxes to fund wars, international debt, corporate and political corruption? Do you like seeing your children's future being squandered away, as we destroy everything beautiful on the planet?

More importantly, ask yourself: 'Am I happy?'

If the answer is no, the reason is: you are not an active participant in life, but a victim of it.

When a person does nothing but sits in front of the television, like a bump on a log, with a bag of chips, his or her passion shrivels up.

So too, does their desire to focus on what truly matters in life.

I will let you in on a little secret. What matters in life is not wealth, not stature, and not superficial entertainment but how we contribute to the world.

And by contribute; I'm talking about taking constructive action.

Now some folks would ask, "But what can I do? I feel so powerless?"

The first thing you can do is take back your power.

If 20 years ago, someone told me, I'd be writing newspaper columns on prison reform, social reform, the environment, cultural issues, racism, homelessness, etc., right from my prison cell, I would have laughed my ass off.

I knew nothing, never read a book, and could barely spell.

But here I am now, free from the bonds of prison, a contributing member of the press, holding down two jobs, and active in politics.

So the way I see it, if Michael J. McCarthy, multi-loser crook, could contribute from a 6-by-9 cell from the middle of a high-security prison, just imagine what you can do!

For me, it all started with a spark.

A teacher friend of mine suggested, "Michael, be yourself, comfortable in your own skin, flaws and all. However, do not let your selfish traits dictate your life. Funnel your energy on what you have to offer others. And if you ask me, that's your writing and your fertile mind."

How she knew I haven't a clue. She must have known that good things grow out of manure, because I sure was a (bleep)head at the time. Regardless, her insight was enough to get me started down a better road.

A perfect road?

There is no such thing.

The amazing part is even in prison, I was free. Free in my heart, mind and soul. I couldn't have published the columns that I did otherwise.

And you can be too.

Each person has his or her own passions and talents. I can't chart yours for you. You wouldn't want that. There are, of course, certain steps we all can take.

Here are a few examples:

• Volunteer your time.


• Teach study groups.


• Cut back on oil and gas consumption.


• Downsize your home, wardrobe, everything in life.


• Speak out whenever forums present themselves.


• Write letters to the editor.


• Vote for enlightened school boards, commissions, ordinances and politicians.


• Run for office.


• Protest against "free trade" agencies and sweatshops.


• Drink tap water (get the water company to do a better job, if necessary).


• Jog, meditate, get outside.


• Expand this list.

The idea is to get out there and really live.

Shout for joy. Go fly a kite. Volunteer your time. Run in the rain. Protest something you are not fond of.

You are free and alive, wherever you are, if you make it so.

Michael J. McCarthy can be contacted at: mjmccarthywrites@yahoo.com.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.844222 2011-04-04T17:17:23-04:00 2011-06-04T05:12:01-04:00

Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-j-mccarthy/
Quite often, a change of scenery helps give me a fresh perspective. I was expecting that perhaps an elephant munching some hand-held roasted peanuts might renew my faith in humanity.

Instead, the insight I sought came, unexpectedly, from a Middle Eastern boy outside the entrance gates.

He was about five years old, and his family was in a long line buying their admission tickets.

Off to the side of the admission windows are several marvelous sculptures.

The one that caught the boy's eye was of three stainless steel giraffes: a mother giraffe bending down to feed her baby, with the papa giraffe standing proudly nearby. The sculpture was enclosed by a single rope barrier.

The young boy got up close to the sculpture and, with an expression of joy and glee, he clapped his hands, laughed and danced around with unrestrained happiness. He was totally enthralled with the scene, as was I.

Like a trained art curator in a museum, he studied every facet of the giraffe display during the entire time his parents purchased their tickets. His whole posture was one of sheer joy.

Finally, his father said, "Come on, son, it's time to go." His parents, of course, meant, into the park.

They were about to enter and see all of the wonders inside the zoo.

However; apparently being his first visit to the zoo, the boy started to cry and held onto the rope surrounding the sculpture.

He yelled, "Won't go! No, papa, please! Won't go!" The boy expected to come to the zoo and stay for a while. It was so marvelous.

How could his father possibly want to leave?

You see, the boy thought that he had already arrived. This was it: the Denver Zoo.

He had no idea that there were live animals and so much more to explore beyond the entry way.

I could just imagine his expression when he finally realized that this wasn't the end, but the beginning. I could imagine his joy when he got to see the live giraffes and their babies frolicking about.

Instead, with great amusement, I got to witness his parents dragging him through the zoo entrance gates over his protests.

How many of us are like the boy? We believe we've already arrived, only to miss out on many of life's greatest experiences. We cling to our personal ropes of complacency.

We have been given this wonderful gift: life itself. It's so full of infinite discovery and wonder. Yet often we latch on to our televisions, iPods, computers, jobs, or a narrow set of views.

The good news is it doesn't take any money to change this mindset. It doesn't take a thick self-help book full of instructions, or a guru, either.

Just do something you always wanted to do but haven't. Take a barefoot walk in the rain. Go fly a kite with a child. Break the ice with someone you have always secretly admired. Or just go to the zoo. You never know what you might discover.

Michael J. McCarthy can be contact at: mjmccarthywrites@yahoo.com
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.839373 2011-03-29T12:40:30-04:00 2011-05-29T05:12:01-04:00

Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-j-mccarthy/ budget-balancing plan relies heavily on reducing funding to public schools. His cuts will result in the loss of over 3600 jobs; most of the eliminated positions will be school educators. I wonder like everyone else: what the heck is going on? Is this really necessary? I investigated the issue and the answer is: NO.

Now, you're probably asking yourself: Well who is to blame? Off with their heads!!!

However, we mustn't be too quick to judge, or we are liable to find our own heads in a basket, eyes staring aimlessly skyward, mouths agape, and gasping for air. Yeah that's right: We caused this you, I, and the Hick. I went out drinking with him, so I know his issues.

Who the hell am I? Well, as far as my social status goes, I'm several tiers below the average Joe. I'm an ex-con, overweight, single, middle-aged man, who enjoys strip clubs, unhealthy foods, reading, writing and politics. I'm like Al Bundy or Family Guy gone awry. Not the type of guy you would think would have a foothold on influencing policy. But I do.

And I say this not to toot my own horn, but just to say, more people need to get off of their sofas, turn off that idiot-box and get involved. Listen folks: 3,600 school district jobs, making an average of $56,000 a year, will be eliminated in Colorado in the near future. If that isn't worth getting out of your seats -- you're already dead where you sit. And your children are too!

Wisconsin's lawmakers, at least they got some chutzpah. In the not too distant future, Colorado's going to have to build four towers and a prison fence around the State, because the Colorado Department of Corrections will be the only thriving business; especially if we continue to let our State education system decline.

We've got Denver city officials with an average pay of $73,000 giving themselves a cost of living raise of 6.6 percent, while our kids get the short end of the stick.

The most significant and dramatic cuts in Hickenlooper's budget are in the area of K-12 education. The governor proposed an astounding reduction in program funding for public schools of $375 million.

So, where do we get the money to fund education?

There are only two ways: we need to find other areas of State government where we have excessive or wasteful spending and eliminate those expenditures. Then we could shift those savings back into education. And the second way is to increase revenue.

I have a background in corrections, one might josh. Nevertheless, I recognized major areas of wasteful spending in this department and have been addressing it with my State representatives and senators.

For example, our lawmakers could repeal the current mandatory parole law that governs state prisoners, which requires a period of parole in addition to an offender's sentence, to one of normal parole, which constitutes an early release within the confines of the sentence. This, alone; without jeopardizing public safety, would save Colorado $75 million. Colorado has over 9000 state prisoners past their parole eligibility dates.

Another area of wasteful spending in the Colorado Department of Corrections is that we hold our illegal immigrant prisoners longer than necessary. Let's deport the illegals earmarked for deportation the very first day they reach their parole eligibility date. To hold them longer at $30,000 a year per inmate defies logic. Every 40 prisoners held another year longer equates to $1.2 million that could go toward schools. Other states are deporting their illegal immigrant prisoners as soon as possible; Colorado needs to get on par.

And this is just what I can think of in corrections: Imagine what cost-saving idea others might be able to produce?

Concerning revenue, the State should shift to a graduated tax program -- a system where those who make the most money carry the greatest burden; since they can well afford it. Such a system if implemented could raise a painless extra $1 billion for Colorado, while giving the working poor more disposable cash. We could also impose a tax earmarked for education.

We have approx. 4.3 million people in Colorado, two million are adults over the age of 18, and if each adult was taxed $200 a year (that's about a $1.40 a day)... we'd have our $400 million for education. For those folks not willing to give a $1.40 a day to keep our education system afloat, then my advice to them is: start building that fence I talked about earlier -- because they are imprisoned already.

Right now the consequences of doing nothing are dire for our children's future; it is unbelievable that more folks aren't up in arms. When we live in a society where more people know what is going on in Charlie Sheen's life than their local government, we have a serious problem.

Tomorrow, rise up out of your chair, turn off that television: the Hick wants to buy you a beer and hear your ideas. If he doesn't: off with his head!

Michael J. McCarthy lives in Denver. He is a member of the Colorado Press Association and the Denver Press Club. Michael is presently working with several senators and representatives on prison reform bills. Contact at: mjmccarthywrites@yahoo.com
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.838769 2011-03-22T14:01:01-04:00 2011-05-25T18:40:24-04:00

Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-j-mccarthy/
More than 2.3 million people are now behind bars in America -- either in federal or state prisons or local jails -- a larger proportion of the population than in any other civilized nation and a 500% increase since 1980.

Another five million are under some kind of supervision, like parole, probation or house arrest, for a grand total of more than seven million human beings.

Responsible voices within the penal industry -- from wardens and corrections officials to cops, prosecutors and judges -- are saying publicly that locking up so many people doesn't improve public safety.

Since 1980, crime rates have gone up and then down -- violent crime rates have been plunging since 1993. No matter the trend, the prison numbers marched upward.

In 1980, we had 139 prisoners for every 100,000 people; by the end of 2007 the number had exploded to 506 per 100,000 and growing.

A disturbing racial imbalance pervades the penal system. As far back as 1997, federal statistics showed 9% of the black population under some form of correctional supervision, compared with 2% of whites.

Fast forward to 2009, and the numbers haven't much changed. Every stage of law enforcement targets blacks in grossly disproportionate numbers, from arrest to incarceration.

It's most obvious when you look at the war on drugs. Whites and blacks use hard drugs at roughly equal rates, but blacks are about three times more likely to be arrested for drug offenses.

When federal laws were passed that punish crack at significantly greater rates than powder cocaine, 80% of the defendants charged under the tough laws were black.

One well-known case, that of Kemba Smith, resulted in a 24-year sentence for a first offense. She was released after six years when President Bill Clinton commuted the sentence.

There is, unfortunately, a callous indifference in many sectors of society to the insanity of it all, the waste and futility and unfairness.

That's the bad news. The good news is there's a growing consensus that the nation has gone too far -- and that we must stop putting so much stress on our budgets and our morals.

Blizzards of books, papers, think tanks and forward-looking local officials have been pressing for reform over the last decade.

Colorado State Senators Morgan Carroll and Pat Steadman and Rep. Mark Ferrandino lead the way in introducing many new bills to induce cost-saving prison reform measures without jeopardizing public safety.

In these budget-crunching times savings induced from prison reform, can be utilized in other, more vital areas of state government, such as education.

I recently spent a lively evening in discussions among scholars, activists and formerly incarcerated people at a conference sponsored by Pew Institute and the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. The consensus among the experts is that change is not only overdue but inevitable. In many cases, it has already begun.

Take the case of felony disenfranchisement. Most states have a bewildering thicket of laws and rules that keep an estimated five million ex-prisoners from registering and voting -- even though they can in many cases. Florida is the worst offender of this practice; they just passed a law for all ex-felons to wait at least five years to have their voting rights reinstated.

But since 2009, 19 states have changed laws and procedures to make it easier for ex-prisoners to regain the right to vote.

Five states have created racial-disparity panels to examine whether, how and when defendants are being sentenced without regard to skin color.

New York leaders have begun poring over a thick report, published by a special state sentencing commission, which calls for a range of reform. After years of pressure, judges are getting more leeway to sentence drug-addicted offenders to treatment rather than prison.

Moreover, cash-strapped state governments are finally listening to reformers who say it's better -- and cheaper -- to pay for job and recreation programs than for prison cells.

The end is in sight for our nation's long, unhealthy love affair with mass incarceration. It's time to break the chains, and not a moment too soon.

Michael J. McCarthy lives in Denver. Michael is a member of the Colorado Press Association and the Denver Press Club. Contact at: mjmccarthywrites@yahoo.com

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.838805 2011-03-22T13:11:26-04:00 2011-05-25T18:40:24-04:00

Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-j-mccarthy/
While our nation is struggling, strippers -- yes, nude and scantily clad women -- earn more in one day than the average person earns in a week.

Businesses and churches are doing what they can to keep their doors open, yet, strip clubs are thriving.

What can we learn from these entrepreneurial dancers?

At the root of democracy is the slogan: WE THE PEOPLE.

A democracy isn't built upon conformists, but cherishes above all else that a person can put mustard, ketchup, or whatever they damn well please on their hot dog.

We vote, the majority rules, but we're still free to be ourselves. Many Americans have forgotten this, but not strippers.

If any man would honestly define society today, he could say: Society is a bunch of desponding whimperers. We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, and afraid of each other.

Strippers on the contrary are afraid of nothing. Moreover, they excel utilizing the bare necessities.

On any given Sunday afternoon a stripper might collect more from one of her patrons than he put in the collection plate at church.

While his plump wife is at home complaining and tallying up the family debt, her husband's lap dancer is showering him with attention and making more money than she can spend.

So, what are some stripper secrets that are applicable to government?

Minimal is good.

Not only is it good, they shake it around in your face.

Basically, they say here is what you get: BOOM, hiney.

Need a bailout? You get hiney. Money for war? More hiney. States need help? Hiney. Foreign countries need aid? Wait right there, here comes Pasha and Mercedes: Double hiney.

And all that, no new taxes, rhetoric, as they say in NYC, "Forget about it."

As the action gets heated up, the girls tax the guys from every angle. The government is broke and mama needs a new Gucci bag.

Wisely, the girls make sure the gentlemen reap the rewards of their tax dollars.

"Buy me a drink?" $10. "Lap Dance?" $30. "Head and neck massage at the table?" $10. "Cigar?" $10-$100. "Buy me off of the stage for an hour?" $450. "Meet after work?" Priceless.

And don't forget about the club's admission fee.

Why doesn't America charge an admission fee?

You want in? Fine, show us two years' worth of income to support yourself, and pay a flat $10,000 per hiney, because that's all you are getting until you've paid into the system for a while.

I know I'm being a bit facetious here, but it is apropos.

In today's society, if a young man flounders in his first enterprise people lose all heart. If a businessman fails they say he is ruined. However strippers are different.

If a beautiful young woman tries all the professions, who sways it, peddles it, farms it, and so forth, and always lands on her feet like a cat; she is worth a thousand of these naysayers.

She does not postpone her life, but lives it already. She has not one chance, but a hundred.

Our government could do the same, but we've left the spark of innovation to the chosen few. By and large, people refuse to do their part.

Take taxes for instance. Nobody wants to pay higher taxes.

Nevertheless: How does a prudent family manage their finances when things are tight?

They quit spending and try to earn more income. The government's income is our collective money, taxes, without which you don't even get hiney.

Without our tax dollars, not only America but the entire global community comes to a screeching halt.

We need more people like these brazen strippers who aren't afraid to put it all out there and break the mold.

A person is worth only as far as they serve. Complacency has our nation heading right down the toilet.

Ralph Waldo Emerson remarked, "A foolish complacency is the hobgoblin of little minds by little statesman."

With conformity a great soul has nothing to do but die.

Instead, stand for humanity, do your part, and at the very least dance your ass off trying.

Michael J. McCarthy lives in Denver. Michael is a member of the Colorado Press Association and the Denver Press Club. Contact at: mjmccarthywrites@yahoo.com
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.826708 2011-02-22T15:00:17-05:00 2011-05-25T18:35:25-04:00

Michael J. McCarthy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-j-mccarthy/
Before Colorado lawmakers close another school, we need to take a closer look at the sensible cuts that could come from prison and sentencing reform. Dozens of states are saving tens of millions without jeopardizing public safety -- and we should too.

When one considers that the cost of housing a single state prisoner is on average $30,000 a year, the savings add up quickly by releasing non-violent offenders who are eligible. Every 40 prisoners equates to $1.2 million in savings. However, prison reformers are quick to point out that a prison must be closed to realize the savings. Colorado can do a lot better than just closing Ft. Lyons.

There is $75 - $100 million on the table if our lawmakers stop being so conservative in their approach to prison and sentencing reform. Unwarranted fear is costing our children dearly.

No one wants a free ride for criminals, but let's bring Colorado back in line with other civilized nations and states when it comes to doling out punishment. In a limited state budget excessive incarceration steals from other vital areas of state government.

Here are some examples of what other states are doing:

Programs in New York and Arizona aimed at cutting the prison sentences of certain immigrant inmates so they can be deported faster have federal officials urging other states to adopt similar policies.

Officials in the two states say they have saved millions of dollars by turning over for early deportation some non-violent immigrant criminals who have served at least half of their sentences. Colorado could do the same.

Lawmakers could create a bill that mandates the turning over of non-violent illegal immigrant prisoners past their parole eligibility dates to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE officials say the federal government also saves money when immigrant inmates get sent home early, and they hope to expand the programs in the next few months.

This program does not apply to rapists, murderers, or serious criminals.

It costs an average of $95 a day for the federal government to detain and house illegal immigrants before deportation. The accelerated deportation policy reduces the amount of time aliens are in our custody. It reduces the amount of time lawyers have to spend prosecuting cases in immigration court.

Under the accelerated deportation programs, only those inmates who are eligible for deportation and won't fight their removal from the USA can participate. If the deportee returns to the USA and is caught, the immigrant will serve the remainder of the original sentence plus prison time for any new criminal offenses.

The illegal immigrant may also face a separate felony conviction for returning after being deported and up to 20 years in prison.

It would be up to each state to iron out specific eligibility requirements, such as how much of the sentences must be served before inmates are eligible.

These people are going to be deported when they get done anyhow: Why not speed the process and get them out of here?

Since December 2005, Arizona turned 1,300 inmates over to ICE for deportation under the policy, says Nolberto Machiche, spokesman for the state Department of Corrections. He says the state has saved more than $17 million as a result because it no longer has to house the criminals.

New York's program began in 1995, says Erik Kriss, spokesman for New York State Department of Correctional Services. Through December, nearly 2,000 inmates had been deported under the program for a savings of $141 million.

The inmates were turned over to ICE for deportation an average of 27.4 months before completing their minimum sentences, he says.

Nevada has increased the amount of earned-time non-violent offenders can receive in prison up to sixty percent, and saved over $10 million dollars in the process. Colorado currently awards their compliant inmates 10 days for every 30 days served or 33 percent. This should be changed to 20 days.

California, Oregon, Indiana, Texas, Florida, etc... all have programs that mandate early discharge from parole of compliant non-violent prisoners who serve one year clean of parole. This would save Colorado tens of millions dollars; since technical parole violations are the number one reason offenders return to prison.

Finally, the state audit department needs to take a serious look at CDOC administrators' wages. The top 55 administrators all earn in excess of $100,000 a year -- 55 employees costing the state $6.2 million. Steven Green, warden of Delta, a 500-man minimum security prison, is earning $124,000 a year. A CDOC Private Prison Monitoring Unit Liaison is earning $110,000 a year. There are 55 people like this. It is outrageous.

Gov. Hickenlooper might have some tough choices to make, but he needs to be looking in the right direction. The answer is: Cut prison spending first, not schools.


Michael J. McCarthy lives in Denver. He is a member of the Colorado Press Association and the Denver Press Club. Contact at: mjmccarthywrites@yahoo.com]]>