Someone sent in a link to a very interesting graphic about the US incarceration rate and how that has increased with the introduction of privatized prisons. It's actually quite disturbing.
The United States has the highest prison incarceration rate per capita compared to any other country in the world. That is not a good model. Especially for the "free world." Part of the problem is the introduction of privatized prisons that are mandated to make a profit at taxpayers expense. Privatized prisons are a huge conflict of interest.
Some people interpret these statistics to mean the war on drugs is wrong. I disagree. The war on drugs isn't wrong. It's just that the CIA is on the wrong side of that war. I don't think 30 year prison sentences for nonviolent crime are the answer either. 3 months for selling not using crack is not excessive. 6 months for a second offense and a year for a third offense is not excessive. It is fair and reasonable.
The US has a program called three strikes and you're out. Although the US incarceration rate is not a positive model to follow, the Canadian model is on the opposite extreme when dealing with prolific offenders. The more crime a prolific offender commits in Canada the less time they serve in prison. The judges here have it completely backwards. The VPD launched a campaign called 30 strikes and your out. The sad thing is, they weren't kidding. Without going from one extreme to the other, this needs to change.
The entire US does not have "three strikes" laws, it's a state by state thing......27 out of 50 states have them, so just over half.....application varies by state, sometimes it's just 3 felonies, other times the felonies have to be violent ones, or committed while armed, etc..
ReplyDeleteAs far as privatization goes, the conflict of interest with the profit motive is obvious, and privatized prisons have had major issues. In many cases they haven't even saved money, which was the primary reason they were supposed to be such a good idea.
The government screws up most anything it touches to one degree or another, but there are some things that are best left in the hands of an elected government than a marginally accountable private company whose actions are ruled by contracts, and locking people up is one of them.
hey agent k, what is your e mail?
ReplyDeleteJust click on my profile. It's right there.
DeleteHere's a great example of this, check out this POS. One year is a joke for the damage he did, it should have been one year for each kid that got fucked over.....
ReplyDeletehttp://news.msn.com/crime-justice/builder-in-youth-jail-scandal-gets-year-in-prison