I still don’t understand why it costs so much to house an inmate.
Easy solution: Desert. Barbed Wire. Tents. Blankets. Bologna sandwiches.
There I just the cut the cost of PRK prisons by 50% and made it possible to expand ‘em quickly and indefinitely.
Thank the Drug Warriors for locking up people whose only “crime” was to ingest substances not sanctioned by the nanny state and providing a lucrative market to the criminal element.
So take a lesson from Sheriff Joe Arpaio and quit whining.
sounds like the premise for a new reality show:
We asked 5 inmates and 5 college sophomores to trade places for a week. Can the inmates make the grade? Can these ivy leaguers make it on the inside? Find out tonight on “going straight: the college years.”
Just put 'em all in a pen, and let them go at.
Major savings as numbers are reduced, AND, space for more of them to be brought in.
(Of course, with the ACLU and ambulance-chasers taking full advantage of an income opportunity, this method would not work in today's environment).
They’re both full of people who don’t like conservatives?.................
Try ending the "War on drugs".....
Time to outsource the sentencing phase of our correctional system to the Chinese.
It' not the state, it's liberal judges.
Cutting the taxpayer costs of prison is simple:
1. Stop illegal immigration by enforcing the laws against persona nd business who hire them, house them, and provide them credit and banking. Pay for it all through confiscation of proeprty and fines.
2. Hang rapists, murderers, and thieves.
3. Stop the badly executed war on drugs. There are better ways to reduce drug use without jailing 1% of the population. Prohibition didn’t work for alcohol and it isn’t working for the other drugs.
4. Stop making crimes out of everything. We’re not all felons who just happen to not have been caught yet.
Actually, I have a different perspective having done engineering projects in a number of correctional facilities.
My perspective is that litigation and fear of litigation have driven up the price of "supervising" inmates and protecting correction officers.
Color TV's, Internet, good food, etc. are ways to entertain the inmates and reduce stress on the Corrections officers. Personally the "crap" (literally) that Corrections officers have to put up with is beyond belief and has to wear on their mental health. The stress and danger they put up with when inmates are unhappy, is just not worth the money in my opinion. It is no surprise to me that Corrections officers push for more officers and for more pay.
On the the same side of the coin is the fear of lawsuits by Corrections officers if they are injured. Let's face it the kinds of injuries that can be sustained were just not envisioned when State workers compensation insurance programs were set up.
Speaking of litigation, the inmates have been given all kinds of rights and the ACLU is working hard to make it impossible to "restrain" or monitor an inmate. In Washington State we have had a convicted murder inmate who were too fat to be hanged as it would have been cruel and unusual punishment. In the Northwest, we have had inmates in for life get an organ medical transplant at the taxpayers expense. With Meth addition one of the side effects is loss of teeth. You wouldn't believe the dental expenses our correctional system is paying. And don't forget that if an inmate is "raped" he may be able to file a lawsuit claiming that there weren't enough correction officers to supervise him and protect him.
I am not surprised that to house an inmate and guard and monitor him 24/7 plus provide for all his needs costs as much as providing room, board and tuition at Harvard. We could change that if we backed off on the rights of prisoners and allowed for their harsher treatment, until then it will be very expensive, but worth it to society for all the other damage it prevents.
Remove all the students from Harvard and MIT and replace them with inmates put a wall around them. Force the professors to spend eight hours a day instructing them. See how long they remain liberal.
In a liberal state like the People’s Republic of Kalifornia, what else would you expect?
Pretty soon going to Harvard will make as much economic sense as running for President.
The tragic part is that most everyone is released from Harvard back into society.
If so, stopping illegals would, over time, significantly reduce the prison population.
Also, limit 3 strikes law to violent crimes (I prefer 2 strikes), force nonviolent prisoners to learn & work at a trade prior to release, & Stop the insane War on Drugs.