This mild movement for reform, a movement toward more sanity on the issue of prisons, is long overdue. Naturally, most of the right comes to the movement from the perspective of cost rather than decency, humanity or the economic benefits of productive, rather than idle, people.
We need to understand that five years or more in prison breaks people who were not previously mentally ill. It breaks them in ways that cannot be repaired in the lives of most people. Rare is the person who comes out of prison and leads a fully successful life. Families lose financial support, children lose guidance from fathers (yes, someone who has committed a crime can still love and provide help to their children) and communities suffer when a huge portion of the males are locked up.
There will come a time when long prison sentences, especially those for non-violent crimes, are viewed as most people now view the death penalty: barbaric. There will come a time when future generations look at ours the way we now look at slavery: how could a decent society allow such a thing? Until that day arrives, the goal should be to reduce prison populations as much as public safety will allow and to refrain from sending people to jail as a first recourse to problems that arise.
We need to understand that five years or more in prison breaks people who were not previously mentally ill. It breaks them in ways that cannot be repaired in the lives of most people. Rare is the person who comes out of prison and leads a fully successful life. Families lose financial support, children lose guidance from fathers (yes, someone who has committed a crime can still love and provide help to their children) and communities suffer when a huge portion of the males are locked up.
There will come a time when long prison sentences, especially those for non-violent crimes, are viewed as most people now view the death penalty: barbaric. There will come a time when future generations look at ours the way we now look at slavery: how could a decent society allow such a thing? Until that day arrives, the goal should be to reduce prison populations as much as public safety will allow and to refrain from sending people to jail as a first recourse to problems that arise.
16
'' Jailing people is really, really expensive. ''
The bill has come due and it is a whopper. That is the only reason that there is '' bipartisanship '' in this regards. Aye, I am cynical, bur republican reasons for reform are cost and Democratic reasons for reform are that it is morally wrong to jail so many for so long for such flimsy reasons.
The nanosecond that really starts digging into the private prison industry's bottom line ( huge republican supports\monetary givers ) then that is when the ''bipartisanship '' will stop.
Get as many out as we can until that happens.
The bill has come due and it is a whopper. That is the only reason that there is '' bipartisanship '' in this regards. Aye, I am cynical, bur republican reasons for reform are cost and Democratic reasons for reform are that it is morally wrong to jail so many for so long for such flimsy reasons.
The nanosecond that really starts digging into the private prison industry's bottom line ( huge republican supports\monetary givers ) then that is when the ''bipartisanship '' will stop.
Get as many out as we can until that happens.
13
I was present (taken by a politically powerful patient as a guest) at a small luncheon meeting with Governor Mark White -term:1983-87- where several prominent developers (some of whom were participants in the S&L debacle) discussed the logistics of private prison construction in Texas. The author fails to mention the role of profit and privatization in filling up Texas prisons with people of color. And then there has been the privatization of managed prison health care which further punished the incarcerated while making big contributors and political insiders rich. Is it any wonder that the two men who were recently charged with robbing a jewelry store in a San Antonio mall, and killing a bystander, got their criminal starts years ago in jail thanks to relatively minor drug offenses? Things are not as rosy here in Texas as the author contends. One thing she does get right: politicians of both major parties bear responsibility for making prisons and jails big business in Texas. We need to hold all the old "experts" on law and order accountable for their bankrupt ideas, profiting off minor drug offenses, and ruining the lives of the disadvantaged and mentally ill.
20
Huh? When we reduce violent crime, then and only then can we reduce incarceration.
3
If anyone has watched "13th" on Netflix, this information is not surprising. The real problem is that prisons are big business. Corporations that serve prisons have a vested interest in keeping them open.
And right, not only is treating these individuals CHEAPER, but it's the right thing to do. No one is born "bad" or even strives to become that way. Due to a number of, at times, uncontrollable circumstances, people learn to get their needs met or survive in the world in illegal ways.
And right, not only is treating these individuals CHEAPER, but it's the right thing to do. No one is born "bad" or even strives to become that way. Due to a number of, at times, uncontrollable circumstances, people learn to get their needs met or survive in the world in illegal ways.
8
Ah, the almighty dollar finally shows legislators the light. Pay to build enough extra prisons, each complete with a revolving door out front, or actually help the 80% with drug addiction or mental health issues. It's no surprise which is cheaper.
8
Heck, here in California, they just send the criminals to San Francisco or Los Angeles.
2
Sounds promising but: How do you respond when the president ignores fact? An engineering approach will work if you pay attention to facts. When has Trump demonstrated any attention to facts? The 'law and order' guy. Are you kidding?
Prison reform, criminal justice reform requires facts and the courage to act on them. Where in this mish-mash of tweets is it found?
I don't think that Sessions will be of much use. I don't really know. Maybe he isn't as bad, or dumb as he is portrayed. I won't be holding my breath.
Prison reform, criminal justice reform requires facts and the courage to act on them. Where in this mish-mash of tweets is it found?
I don't think that Sessions will be of much use. I don't really know. Maybe he isn't as bad, or dumb as he is portrayed. I won't be holding my breath.
7
I remember the 70s in New York City, when "progressives" repeatedly lectured us that there was nothing that could be done about crime, that it was a societal issue and people had to be "rehabilitated" etc. As a result the City was a hellhole. I remember people being advised to carry a second wallet or purse with them - containing less money than their real purse - as something to offer the inevitable mugger. Progressives now want to return to those days. And most of them live in nice houses are gated communities; they don't have to worry about gang-infected places like Chicago and other cities (where crime is rising by the way, not dropping). I'm always amazed at how progressives' sympathy for criminals is seemingly boundless; but not for the victims of crime. And the so-called "mass incarceration" issue is always expressed in racial terms, so that any opposition to their de-carceration plans is attacked as racist. The real racism is occurring in places like Chicago, where innocent blacks are shot in the street daily but the police aren't allowed to stop it. Oh, I forgot, that's painting a "dystonian" or "dark" portrait of the inner city, which is now also considered racist. Incredible.
7
Even in Texas... Ah, yes, bastardize the largest border state with our drug addled southern neighbor for wont of a modicum of achievement.
With better border security/enforcement the flow of drugs into the country (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Wharton-DA-Clever-... will continue to bring this prison number down.
With better border security/enforcement the flow of drugs into the country (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Wharton-DA-Clever-... will continue to bring this prison number down.
3
Unfortunately, this new fashion has coincided with the homicide rate in big cities shooting up about 25% over the last two years.
4
"What is proven to work to keep people out of prison?"
People not breaking the law comes to mind as one strong possibility.
People not breaking the law comes to mind as one strong possibility.
8
When "breaking the law" includes petty crimes like personal drug use and possession, the blame falls on the legal system.
12
No crime against me is "petty".
4
This article is especially encouraging because it shows a healing taking place. Of course progressives are generally willing to find a reasonable common ground. Maybe now that the ice is broken, conservatives will listen to other ideas such as preserving social security and Medicare. These programs are not expensive when the benefits to the economy and GDP on the back end are factored in. It's the government spending money to make money. And the win-win is that citizens' lives are improved.
24
Martin--They are not expensive when Rich People pay their fair share, and Congress doesn't borrow surpluses for other purposes. Also, allowing undocumented workers a path to citizenship will increase the tax base, something the GOOPS never talk about. These people currently contribute about $31 billion to the American economy, EVERY YEAR.
8
So, they won't put them in prison, but they also won't help them with treatment. Great.
7
Well yeah, these folks are all now felons and not allowed to vote, so it makes no sense for Texas or Georgia to keep paying for three slices of nutraloaf a day, a bed, and medical care. The desired goal has already be obtained.
14
In Texas a felon can vote once he is off parole.
8
Politicians ought to run on being "smart on crime".
No politician was eve elected for being soft on crime.
Being tough on crime is like spending monopoly money. There is an endless supply of monopoly money.
Judges need to wake up. When they sentence criminals they are spending real money. Give each judge a sentencing budget and let them spend it. When they run out of money, hello, welcome to the real world.
Running justice systems is more complicated than being tough on crime. There is no support for deterrence theory.
Look at the "school to prison pipeline" to see the link between school and community failure.
Police have absolutely no impact on this problem. Where is "smart policing"?
No politician was eve elected for being soft on crime.
Being tough on crime is like spending monopoly money. There is an endless supply of monopoly money.
Judges need to wake up. When they sentence criminals they are spending real money. Give each judge a sentencing budget and let them spend it. When they run out of money, hello, welcome to the real world.
Running justice systems is more complicated than being tough on crime. There is no support for deterrence theory.
Look at the "school to prison pipeline" to see the link between school and community failure.
Police have absolutely no impact on this problem. Where is "smart policing"?
6
One of the reasons argued for the precipitous drop in violent crime in most parts of America over more than a generation was the resolve to incarcerate large numbers of criminals for long durations ... basically keeping them off the streets and unable to prey on society generally.
There's the human argument, then there's the OTHER human one.
If by emptying our prisons and returning large numbers of criminals to the streets results in a material increase in that violent crime rate, expect a boomerang effect in our courts, and the RE-incarceration of the small minority of people in our society who disproportionately CAUSE predatory violence.
There's the human argument, then there's the OTHER human one.
If by emptying our prisons and returning large numbers of criminals to the streets results in a material increase in that violent crime rate, expect a boomerang effect in our courts, and the RE-incarceration of the small minority of people in our society who disproportionately CAUSE predatory violence.
6
This is a wonderful example of people finding common ground on an important issue. We should try to do it on other issues as well, and not just be sandbagged in our positions.
22
Imprisonment is not intended to deter crime or save money. It is simply a punishment system for those who have committed crimes, most often violent crimes. Those who think that nonviolent offenders heavily populate our prisons are making things up. Prisons are dangerous places populated by dangerous people. Ideally, 100% of violent offenders convicted over the last year should be imprisoned. And the discretionary spending on their behalf should be as high as possible, suggesting attention to their needs. Sound incarceration policy is to imprison the violent for at least a year and make the year constructive. As usual, when everyone agrees on prison policy, they're all wrong.
9
If the facts show that we can deter crime and save money by changing our approach, is that inherently a bad idea because it isn't in agreement with your notion that prisons exist to 'punish'? I submit that in understanding what motivates individuals to commit crimes we should keep those who will never be able to integrate into society safely in prison, no matter what the cost but follow the constitution to the extent practical, regarding 'no cruel and unusual punishment'. The mass incarceration of the prior decades was cruel and unusual for many, whose minor offenses meant jail time that resulted in criminalization, which punishes both them and us.
6
Do you have any evidence to back up your claim that there are not many non-violent drug offenders in prison?
6
Nobody has much evidence that there are a lot of nonviolent drug users in prison.
There are gangsters in prison on drug charges who were too scary to get testimony against them because they were likely to have witnesses murdered, like Al Capone went to Alcatraz for tax fraud. But that's not what people want to find.
There are gangsters in prison on drug charges who were too scary to get testimony against them because they were likely to have witnesses murdered, like Al Capone went to Alcatraz for tax fraud. But that's not what people want to find.
2
1. A criminal who is incarcerated commits far fewer crimes than if he were not incarcerated.
2. the lives of many crime victims are ruined
3. the costs to society to solve and prosecute crimes is enormous- the failure to jail criminals is far more expensive than jailing them
4. releasing felons prematurely to return to high crime areas will inevitably increase the already high crime rate