The Growing Inmate Population [Save your screen: don't drink coffee when reading this]

NY Times ^ | August 1, 2003 | NY Times Editorial Writers

[Pharmboy]

The nation's prison and jail population rose again last year, to 2,166,260, a record. The increase comes at a time when crime is falling and state and local governments are struggling to close budget deficits. The price of imprisoning so many Americans is too high, in scarce tax dollars and in wasted lives. Congress and state legislatures should find ways to reduce the number of people behind bars.

The population of federal and state prisons and local jails grew 2.6 percent last year, according to new Justice Department data. Since 1995, it has risen nearly 30 percent. By the end of last year, the proportion of United States residents who were behind bars was a staggering 1 in 143. The nation's incarceration rate is among the world's highest, 5 to 10 times as high as in many other industrialized nations.

Federal, state and local governments have been putting more people behind bars even though crime, including violent crime, is down sharply. The driving force has been an array of get-tough policies, many adopted in another era, when fear of crime was greater. In New York, the prisons are filled with nonviolent drug offenders, convicted under the draconian Rockefeller drug laws. In California, and other states with "three strikes and you're out" laws, prisoners are being given long sentences for relatively minor offenses. One Californian, whose sentence was upheld this year by the Supreme Court, got 25 years to life for shoplifting three golf clubs.

Getting tough on crime has long been an easy way to impress voters. But with government strapped for funds, it makes no sense to spend an average of $22,000 a year to keep people behind bars who do not need to be. Small-time criminals can be deterred by shorter sentences and kept from moving on to larger crimes by alternative sentencing programs. Minor drug offenders would be better served, at far less expense, by drug treatment. And special attention should be given to releasing older inmates, a fast-growing part of the prisoner population.

Congress and state legislatures should build more discretion into sentencing and look for ways to release prisoners who are no longer a threat to society. Locking the door and throwing away the key may make for good campaign sound bites, but it is a costly and inhumane crime policy.

[Pharmboy]

This was the lead editorial in the Times today. This convinced me beyond any doubt that the people who write these things are not merely driven by political issues, but are seriously stupid.

Not making the connection between reduced crime and increased incarceration is monumental idiocy.

I just wanted all Freepers to enjoy this...

[Iris7]

If the prisons are too full execution of the worst inmates will fix the problem. Keep the prisons quiet, too.

[Wonder Warthog]

"In California, and other states with "three strikes and you're out" laws, prisoners are being given long sentences for relatively minor offenses. One Californian, whose sentence was upheld this year by the Supreme Court, got 25 years to life for shoplifting three golf clubs."

ARRRGGHHH!!! The turkey got "25 years to life" not for shoplifting "three golf clubs", but for chronic criminal recidivism!!!!

[gcruse]

What about the connection between legalized abortion and the reduced crime rate?

" First, crime dropped sharply during the 1990s -- precisely the period in which the generation of children first affected by Roe v. Wade reached its peak of criminal activity.

" Second, the five states that legalized abortion in 1970, three years before the landmark abortion ruling, were the first to experience the drop in crime.

"Third, states with high abortion rates in the early 1970s experienced the biggest decline in crime, even after controlling for other factors usually associated with changes in the crime rate."

[FoxPro]

I am much more afraid of the police than I am of any criminal or drug user/dealer.

[goldstategop]

Keeping robbers, rapists, thugs, and murderers locked up saves on future criminal costs, saves victims' lives, and improves the overall quality of life in our nation's community. I guess the liberals at The New York Times are too "nuanced" to grasp how keep felons behind bars contributes to the well-being of our society.

[Steely Tom]

This exact (misdirected) argument was trotted out on NPR about three months ago. It seems to be part of the leftist mantra.

(steely)

[JohnnyZ]

I am much more afraid of the police than I am of any criminal or drug user/dealer.

Shhhh . . . the FBI's monitoring everything you write!

[Ed_in_NJ]

Anyone sentenced to 'life' - change it to 'death.'

AFTER that, release all prisoners over the age of 80 who have served 1/2 of their sentence.

[cinFLA]

Not making the connection between reduced crime and increased incarceration is monumental idiocy.

Shhhh ... Libertarians are lurking.

[Procyon]

Liberal solution to crime rate:

Free the prisoners and kill the children.

[El Gato]

AFTER that, release all prisoners over the age of 80 who have served 1/2 of their sentence.

That would never do. If you did that, the NYT would be whining about the "poor old codgers" put out on the street with no family support, etc, yada, bla, bla, bla....

[Alouette]

The increase comes at a time when crime is falling

Could it be because the perps are off the streets? Naw, that makes too much sense...

[onehipdad]

The population of federal and state prisons and local jails grew 2.6 percent last year, according to new Justice Department data.

Would there be a problem if executions went up 2.6% last year??

[Ed_in_NJ]

They could sleep in the doorway of the Times bldg.

[amused]

That argument is nauseating....even if it seems superficially logical.

[FoxPro]

I have some nut "law and order" judge that wants throw me in jail for a month because they finally linked up all the different counties computer systems and "found" an apparent probation violation from 17 years ago in Ohio, 17 YEARS AGO. I wasn’t even aware of it for all of these years. All of a sudden I find that my drivers license is suspended in every state. I wont be going to Ohio anytime soon.

You will probably not sleep very well knowing that this father of three, middle aged, law abiding, and employed homeowner is walking the streets.

This is seriously out of hand, and I should know, I write computer systems for arguably the busiest (and possibly most corrupt) court systems in the country.

[fourdeuce82d]

it makes no sense to spend an average of $22,000 a year

agreed. I bet if we sub-contracted it out to say...Liberia, the cost would go way, way down.

[gcruse]

If crooks aren't around,
The rates should go down...