Community | November 28, 2009 | 10 comments

31,000 a year to lock up a drug user

source: http://www.budlife420.com/pg3/v3e6index.html#scmed

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Ihatethemall
Most public spending decisions involve some measure of oversight. The criminal justice system is an exception. The cost of incarcerating one person in prison for a single year in California is nearly $31,000. Yet, in sentencing offenders to prison, judges are not expected to - indeed, they are not statutorily permitted to - consider cost.

Why should this be? After all, politicians are routinely grilled on how they intend to pay for proposals to expand healthcare, education or other social programs. In most spheres of government, it is understood that benefits have to be weighed against costs. But when it comes to criminal justice, safety and peace of mind are precious commodities, and the assumption is that they justify the expenditure not just of substantial sums but of whatever it takes.

The result is the $5.7-billion-a-year Department of Corrections, the largest state agency in California.

Granted, murderers, rapists and child molesters should be locked away at any cost. But should we really do the same in cases involving nonviolent crimes such as drug possession and theft?

Given the significant costs of incarceration and the demands of mandatory sentencing schemes such as three strikes, isn't it appropriate to give thought to introducing cost into the sentencing equation?
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