Imagining a more effective, and humane, prison system
Talk Left’s TChris points to Julia Sudbury’s utopian imaginings of a world without prisons before acknowledging our prisons will remain a necessary evil. That said, he launches into a riff on what our criminal justice system absolutely should be:
Rather than devoting a larger share of our shrinking resources to incarceration, society’s dollars would be better spent on crime prevention. Reducing poverty and providing meaningful opportunities for a sound education, affordable housing, and well-paying jobs would help combat the despair and hopelessness that breeds crime. Helping parents learn to raise children in homes that are free from violence would also have a beneficial impact on crime rates. These are not easy or inexpensive solutions to implement, but they are more worthy of investment than supermax prisons.
Reserving incarceration for offenders who pose a true threat would also reduce the harm that imprisonment fosters. Punishment of nonviolent offenders should focus on restitution, rehabilitation, and community supervision, not on deprivation of liberty. We need to stop using the criminal justice system to battle social problems like drug abuse and prostitution and public drunkenness. Locking people up is a simple-minded response that doesn’t solve the underlying problem, and until the focus of society’s response is on the cause rather than the behavior, recidivism is almost inevitable. If anything, prisons only exacerbate lawlessness by assuring that new offenders are surrounded by veteran criminals who pass along their knowledge of ways to beat society’s rules.
Finally, to the extent that society needs to incarcerate the incorrigible to protect itself from harm, it has no right to dehumanize the confined. If we expect others to be respectful of our rights, we should show them the respect to which all people are entitled. Prisons should protect offenders from rape and intimidation. Prisons should provide decent health care, should screen for and treat mental illness. Prisons should not be warehouses. Prisons should provide opportunities for improvement so that offenders, upon release, will have the tools to change their lives.
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12 Responses to “Imagining a more effective, and humane, prison system”
Well I dont know. If it were me and I could embezzle millions and my potential punishment would be to “focus on restitution, rehabilitation, and community supervision, not on deprivation of liberty.” Then I just might be more inclined to embezzle millions.
However if they are going to put me in those nasty prisions then I might change my mind.
Once heard it said. Locks just keep honest people honest. Well thats pretty much what prisons do.
When liberals in California sued to state to force them to integrate the state prisons knowing that it would lead to more prison violence, they gave up the right to complain about prisons.
Of course, one of the issues that should be discussed about the coming Obama Administraiton is how does he balance his belief in no prisons and depolicing with the desire to improve economic opprotunities for Americas. If people can shoplift and steal with immunity, why would anyone be crazy enough to ever open a business?
Prisons were well on the way to being effectively reformed until the conservative revolution scrapped all efforts, abolished the concept of CORRECTIONAL facilities and adopted the vindictive mentaliry of 'lock 'em up and throw away the keys'.
Many fiscal conservatives tried to warn the onrushing tide about spending money wisely and productively, but they were brushed aside by the self-righteous emotional appeal of revenge punishment. The result is a burgeoning prison system gobbling up resources to house inmates in conditions that promote more crime and thus, necessitate the continuous enlargement of the system. It's a self-perpetuating monster feeding on itself and empoverishing the economy.
The logic escapes me. In business, everyone understands that wise investment, (as in labor saving technology) can reduce costs. When it comes to crime and imprisonment, however, that wisdom is discarded in spite of demonstrated evidence that certain programs are very effective in reducing recidivism and transforming dead enders into productive, tax-paying citizens both pre and post incarceration.
Instead of adopting cost-cutting measures, this society seems hell bent on increasing costs exponentially and then, after the horse has left the barn, grousing about the need to balance budgets and cut taxes.
My frugal grandmother taught me to plan ahead, spend wisely, and avoid waste and cost incurring steps, the basic one stitch in time that saves nine. Now, generations later, her wisdom has been reversed. Now it's save one stitch to spend nine.
So much easier to complain than to do anything about it, I guess.
You have references to Obama's belief in no Prisons? If you do I would like to see them.
Police is a primarily local issue.
Michael Milken
Milken was indicted on 98 counts of racketeering and securities fraud in 1989 as the result of an insider trading investigation. After a plea bargain, Milken pled guilty to six securities and reporting violations. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, but was released after less than two years.
Prison Games
“He is serving a life sentence after being convicted of a 'third strike' for stealing candy and cheese from a Los Angeles County grocery store,” author Don Thompson wrote. “The conviction in 2000 followed another petty theft and a string of robberies nearly 30 years ago.”
about the need to balance budgets and cut taxes.
Prisons are state run institutions. If you have a problem with your particular prison then look to the state in which you live. Perhaps your state needs to be taught some fiscal responsibility.
Mercy sakes alive.
Federal prisons and Homeland Security detention centers
Federal laws
Federal prison budget
Federal programs
Federal taxes
And
The same mentality applied to state prison systems
Don,
Senator Obama's one one concern about crime is that blacks go to prison at a much higher rate than whites. http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?i…
The only solution for the racial differences in crime is depolicing You may also want to look at crime rates. The U.S. hit its highest crime rate for violent crimes in 1980 after 30 years of liberals running the prison system. One of the reasons that the crime rate is less than half what it was in 1980 is that so many criminals are locked up. Senator Obama wants to change that.
I always find it odd that liberals constantly talk about the raical short hand that Republicans use while failing to understand the short hand that black politicians use.
The federal prison system only handles about 200k prisoners. The other 2 million are handled by the states.
The U.S. Justice Department estimated that 270,000 illegal immigrants served jail time nationally in 2003. Of those, 108,000 were in California. Some estimates show illegals now make up half of California's prison population, creating a massive criminal subculture that strains state budgets and creates a nightmare for local police forces.”
I see the only solution from the left is to make a lot less stuff crimes. Thats a good solution. Yeehaaa………everyone can drive drunk now, do drugs, sell it on the corner and become a legal prostitute……….our jails are too crowded.
That could only have been written by somebody who's never looked at the federal budget. “Shrinking resources”, indeed. Federal tax revenues continue to increase. GDP continues to increase.
The issue here is not that resources are shrinking but that they're not being directed in the way that the author wants them to be.
“The issue here is not that resources are shrinking but that they're not being directed in the way that the author wants them to be.”
Well, of course it's about how the money is spent. That's the whole point.
Resources are shrinking for all the things most important to sustain a stable society and are being wasted on items that only incease future costs. A chunk of tax revenues are spent to cover avoidable costs, which is wasted money..
BTW, I think it's past time to stop crowing about how great things are.
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Reply to SD withdrawn.
Waste of time.
BTW, I think it's past time to stop crowing about how great things are.
Actually other then the price of oil I think things here in this country are pretty great. Maybe its time we stopped crowing about how bad things are??