[bigsigh]

I agree. The money is not there. In California 90% of the budget goes to employee salaries. Most of them are guards. The cost is now near 30,000 per year. The youth authority which has classes or work for all inmates has a budget of 40000 per. So if you add 10,000 per year per inmate (200,000+) to the budget for corrections it will further break the bank.

In general I don't see the public as interested in prisons. Mostly the attitude is "just don't let them escape). Only the most farsighted talk about what they'll be like when they are released. I'll give it 5 minutes before someone relies, then don't release them.

[marajade]

"In California 90% of the budget goes to employee salaries."

Link please. I believe the biggest expense is health care.

[Goodgirlinred]

Well, one thing that could be done is not to put nonviolent criminals in prison. They should have to work off their debt to society. Those ankle monitors would be good enough. Let them work and pay money back to the government. Use that money for the prisons for the violent prisoners. Now, of those, try to rehabilitate the ones that can be rehabilitated. The ones who can't, keep them in prison.

How is that?