[quote=FlyerInHi][quote=spdrun] Incarceration rates finally started falling after 2007-8, when states realized that prisons actually cost money.[/quote]
“Crime fighting” used to make money thanks to large Federal grants.
I personally think that “crime fighting” is more like crime creation in many ways. There was a report on how a large portion of the population is unable to be productive because of criminal records. The right sees that as an untapped business opportunity and the left sees that as giving people a second chance. Glad to see a meeting of the minds for criminal justice reform.
Marijuana legalization would be a first step.[/quote]
The growth in prisons, and the laws that produce this growth, are due in large part to the privatization of prisons.
We need to find better ways of dealing with people who have mental/emotional disorders, as I think that a sizable portion of the prison population suffers from some kind of mental or emotional problem.
We also need to decriminalize victimless crimes (though some would argue that pursuing drug crimes is one of the most effective ways of catching some really bad people who commit other heinous crimes, but cover them up very well).
But we also need to address the breakdown of the American family. It’s no wonder that black people have such a difficult time in life when the vast majority of them are born into unstable, financially vulnerable families. It’s not politically correct to discuss this, but there is no other way.
Finally, the way in which people participate in society — economically, socially, etc. — needs to be evaluated. Perhaps we could offer more flexible work schedules that would benefit workers, and support more on-the-job training, even if that means public support for this type of education.
