Governors Highlight Importance of Criminal Justice Reform in State of the State Addresses

American Legislator ^ | 1-27-15 | Paige Lafortune

[ThethoughtsofGreg]

Criminal justice systems that return four in every ten of offenders behind bars within three years, yet spend over $50 billion at the state level every year, have led many states to consider legislation to deal with the ongoing problems of soaring budgetary costs, prison overcrowding and average recidivism rates of 40 percent. As governors across the country deliver their State of the State addresses, several have highlighted the important criminal justice reforms occurring in their states.

These remarks highlight the trend of criminal justice reforms that prioritize prison space for high-risk offenders, create rehabilitation programs for those with mental illness and drug addictions and implement sentencing changes to certain crimes. Leveraging corrections resources by reserving strict penalties that result in costly and lengthy prison stays for high-risk offenders, along with the creation of community-based supervision programs for nonviolent offenders, will provide the most public safety for every taxpayer dollar.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

By international law, “military field conditions” are *not* in any way unlawful. So the way to handle all these prisoners is Joe Arpaio style tent jails.

Importantly, this is not for prisoners who are troublesome, have health problems, or need to stay in the city for legal or health reasons. Rural tent jails are for trustees only. They are a reward for good behavior.

But they are much less expensive than brick prisons, alleviate overcrowding and thus reduce problems.

If the states properly plan things, the inmates in the field jails could do productive work like reforestation, ecological repair, and infrastructure improvements on Indian reservations, etc.

[expat2]

Excellent point.

[spintreebob]

Complex problem. No silver bullet.
One need is to require and enforce that attorneys, both sides, cannot lie. Go to court, civil or ciminal, and listen. Lawyers repeatedly lie. They lie in opening statement. They lie in questioning witnesses. They lie in closing statement. I’m not referring to opinion. I’m referring to verifiable fact.

The result of lawyer culture is that police officers, defendants, witnesses all feel the pressure..and green light, to lie. They have no respect for the system.

Coming down on lying lawyers will be a step in the right direction, even if it doesn’t solve all problems.

[ronnie raygun]

Liberal big cities are going overboard in giving every kind of comfort and entertainment to the inmate at the expense of the correction oficer and the civilian staff. “We can throw sh## and Pi## at them curse, verbaly abuse, threaten them and thier families and attack them phyically and they give us pizza if we promise to calm down, puppies in prison, yeah you heard it right puppies brought in to calm the beasts, flat screen tv’s, movies, three hots and a cot, telephone #’s to thier free legal aid lawyers when they are not happy with the service or they need to report a ficticious accident that will bring them some nice cash when they get out. This is bizzaro world we live in where the criminal is right and your are wrong