U.S. prison system a costly and harmful failure: report

I've log held the opinion that the road to putting someone in prison is a long one. If a person has a meaningful life, good job and above all: HOPE, then prison sentences aren't an issue. Many will disagree, but I believe an individual's sense of self worth is key. Liberal view? Probably. Naive? Maybe. The answers to avoiding prison are complicated. But, the prison system only treats the symptoms and not the causes of crime.

The state of the current prison system is rediculously outdated, not to mention completely ineffective. It has become more of an industrial complex for cheap labor as opposed to detention and rehabilitation centers. What's even worse is the social stigma of being an ex-convict and trying to rehabilitate yourself in a society that continues to punish you even after you've been freed.

I could talk about the other social and financial elements that contribute to the influx of prisoners, but that's another story. If prison was really in the business of helping people, then more convicts would be reformed citizens instead of repeat offenders.

Thanks JanforGore! Great posting.

I also think our legal system is wacko. The prisons themselves are bad enough: sincere, yes, but overcrowded, inefficient, and inadequate to the task.

Rather, ask the following question: "are the right people in prison for the right amount of time."

Are there are too many? -- far too many to be the 'right people' to be criminals.

And for too long? -- far too long for effective rehabilitation.

And what is the justification? That the victims can "feel they get justice"? Bah, If I lost a loved one, I would not feel justice if someone got thrown in the slammer. I want my loved one back. The legal system just can't give satisfaction. All the legal system gives is a pacifier for society to suck on.

That inability, along with an astounding number of death-row inmates that are actually innocent (even 1% would be far too high), I feel the justice system is about equal to our current executive branch in 'ability to underachieve.'

As far as "victimless," drug-related crimes: possession or use alone should be absolutely non-criminal. Jail time no, but maybe usage of crack, ice and the like should require mandatory therapy (but not with the present crop of therapists - we need something that can really instill hope and self esteem in users). Ice? yes. PCP? yes. Pot? no. Alcohol? no. 'shrooms? (Yeah, like those guys on 'shrooms are a threat to society....)

There are some initiatives that really do seem to work: increasing the number of cops on the street as we saw in the '90s did drive the crime rate down. That's OK. Crime rate down should equal less crime and less prisoners. That is an equation that I might support.

"MRSmithers:"

Not everyone in prison is a "scumbag" and your comment is so grossly ignorant I can't even begin to address it. Suffice it to say that the criminal "justice" system is anything but just for those who are people just like you and me who are in prison due to sentences not fitting their crimes, or sentences passed on them even though they are innocent. This isn't about being a "do gooder" this is about doing the right thing in regards to a just judicial and prison system. Your attiftude does nothing to advance that goal.

Let me put it into perspective for you ya'll, from personal experience;

A lot of police officers, court employees, correctional officers and on and on would be out of a job if stupid things weren't prosecuted and those people incarcerated.

Picture this: I was married, a father of two young children, the owner of a very successful new business marketing product nationally. I had several patents pending for tech I developed. Life was good.

Enter John Bohannon and Matt Miller of the San Fernando Valley, CA, Roderick Baca and John Nelson, also of Southern California.

I was drawn into Los Angeles' judicial system by way of John Bohannon who singled me out making many false accusations against me, then with the complicity of two California State employees who also bore false witness committing perjury and providing false and contradictory documents, and then with the complicity of the City Attorney who ignored ALL the many inconsistencies and worked very hard with smoke and mirrors to make it appear the preponderance of evidence was on his side.

Having my been threatened with murder and set up in a fake car crash (it appears by John Bohannon and one state employee) in connection to this case, we did not present not one witness, and one or two pieces of evidence (of the volume in my possession).

Needless to say, I was convicted of misdemeanors.

No one, I mean NO ONE cared that a group identified as a "terrorist group" threatened to murder me. Not the Los Angeles City Attorney, not the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, not the local police. The court did not care, the Judge did not care. They proceded as though nothing happened and that John Bohannon, despite evidence to impeach most everything he stated under oath - no one cared, no one did a thing.

In fact, after despite the OVERWHELMING evidence and witnesses to support impeachment of ALL the state's witnesses (save one), the appellate court in Los Angeles refuses to rule on my appeal after nearly five (5) years and counting.

What to draw from this? The system is corrupt with a capital "C" at all levels. It is just another self-perpetuating governmental bureaucracy in the mirror image of the corrupt and criminal Bush administration.

The state of California is more interested in relieving itself of liability than it is in justice.

Seriously, the system is run pathologically, by many pathological people. I don't mean and am not referring to those honest, hard working people in the system who have morals and are working for a better America. They know who they are.

The criminal system isn't about crime, or a safe society - that's BS at this point. The oft repeated idea that Americans want politicians and the judicial system to be tough on crime - IS pure propaganda.

Why and how can I say that? If the corrupt (yet to be prosecuted) corporate media actually reported the truth about our criminal system and how it fails in most respects, American's would not KNOWINGLY want nor seek more of a bad thing. If in fact, American's want harsh sentences and all that - it is only because they do not know the truth.

The criminal system, like meter maids and the Bush administration is like a parasitic insect drawing it's life from ours for it's own benefit.

My case? The appellate court SHOULD overturn my misdemeanor convictions and PROSECUTE John Bohannon, Matt Miller, Roderick Baca and John Nelson. As it is, it appears the state of California is waiting for the statute of limitations to run out before overturning my cases to prevent me from seeking punitive damages and forcing their prosecution.

Thanks Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senate Judiciary Memeber, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, Governor Arnold Scwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown.

I'll add - those who are complicit have gone to great lengths to prevent my recovering financially from this situation and bringing their FELONY offenses to light. I have been and continue to be harassed.

Anyone who believes that a good percentage of people locked up do not belong there has no idea what they are talking about - or that many many serious criminals are never prosecuted because of who they are - who they know, or even what religion they claim to belong.

There's such a simple way to solving crime, and it's in our hands to make it happen. Vote for decriminalization.

MRsmithers - dude - you think everyone in prison is a murderer or rapist? Get a clue.

If you knew what you were talking about - not just a reactionary person, you'd recognize those same personalities on the streets every day. You'd recognize that the people who run big oil companies and other corporations are EXACTLY like those you refer to, but dress nicer and live in big houses. You idolize one psychopath and demonize (sp?) the other. You need to get it straight before you can claim yourself knowledgeable here.

Think about it - you are suggesting 2.2 million people in prison are Aryon Brothers or some equivelent - that's not the case, by a very large margin. I am well aware of what the prison population is like.

As far as recidivism goes in our broken and senseless system in which we encourage criminality, there are two reasons for it being so high dude:

1) once the "system" gets you, they don't like to let go of you, so they essentially target those people - hence the high recidivism rate. You could argue that if they didn't do something wrong again, they wouldn't go back again - and as not smart as I think you are on the subject, I'll telly you that as you sit on the computer responding, I guarantee there are at least 50 to 100 laws you most likely are unaware of which you could right now be arrested for violating. Think about it smart guy.

2) sadly, there are some who feel more comfortable in the limited environment of the jail system than they do out in the real world where having no skills, no opportunity and no self-esteem feel the pressure to accomplish and provide for themselves, a wife, children and so forth - yet are totally unprepared by family or society to do so. I've watched them commit crimes to return as quickly as they've been released.

Until you understand people, until you understand yourself, until you understand the dynamic of the bigger picture - what of value have you got to say?

Such a screwed up system could only be of use to divide a society - question everything.

P.S. Mrsmithers - statistically, with our system as it is - you are very likely to go to jail before you are 50 years old.

I have been waiting to see an article like this surface. It is so obvious on how overcrowded and ridiculous these jails and prisons are getting. I know this is a divisive topic but in my "opinion" I think these criminals so to speak are a waste of space and OUR money.

For example, the people that are placed in these prisons for life because of their crime... I believe it is a waste of space and money. Why not practice executions? I know this sounds too radical but it is my honest opinions. Most of those scumbags that are placed there for life or whatever are those criminals who shouldn't even be given the time of day or use our precious tax money on them.

As for those drug addicts or dealers, I do believe that perhaps there could be more programs where they can receive the help that they need. Also, there are some individuals who are placed in these jails/prisons for "small" crimes and by placing them in these areas... they become "criminals" after all.

This is a long topic but these is part of my two cents.

we just need prisoners making our clothes instead of the chinese. problem solved

MRsmithers-

"It is against the law for inmate labor to compete in a free market. Yes inmates do work but they get paid."

Not in Texas. Texas inmates are not allowed wages for the work they do. Not only that, but the average prisoner only makes 20 to 30 percent in what they would actually make comparable to a normal worker(although the rest goes to the state and victim's family). It usually average out to about 20 cents to $1.50 an hour. It's basically a legalized form of a sweatshop.

Not only that, but it takes away manufacturing jobs that could be done by law-abiding Americans.

"Prisons are not in the buisness of helping and reforming"

You're right. And that's the problem, because that's what they are supposed to be doing. Why do you think the incarceration rate is so high? Because more people are being imprisioned for longer periods of time, and because of repeat offenders.

"prisons are cynically "human warehouses"
they protect the public from scumbags that want to rape your mother and kill you for 2 cigarettes."

Yes, because the non-violent drug user they just picked up was contemplating killing my mother for 2 cigarettes. It is complete idiocy to believe that every convict in prison today is a hardened criminal. About 60% of the people incarcerated in America today are in prison for drug-related offences. A decent percentage of people in prison are falsely accused and/or convicted. These are not the baby-eating maniacs that give you nightmares, they are the young adults who got caught with some drugs and will spend the rest of thier lives paying for that.

Your lack of symapthy scares me, and its the norm for overly-frightened people such as yourself to justify hard laws and steeper punishments because you think it helps you sleep better at night. Meanwhile, the person caught for posession is brutally raped and killed by his violent cellmate. Save the cages for the real monsters.

I agree with the report, it's imparative to corrent the system. They failed to mention all the mental illness going around in prisons that should be in an mental institution. Cost less to house a mental patient. Also, we have alot of dishonest guards and police staff, what do you proposed we do in their situations.

I happen to agree with rehabilitation of those that can be rehabilitated. I know that the Innocent group has assisted with more releases of people that never committed the crime(s) they were charged with. So tell me who pays them once discovered the were in fact not guilty?

the court system is rigged. one stupid act will get you a dozen trumped up charges.

Even though you jaywalked when no cars were in the area, you were chewing gum while walking. That's 4 misdimeanors and a potential class C felony for flipping the judge The Bird.

Welcome to the Reagan Legacy.

gopsux.com

I believe when the new generation becomes the new heads of state this will change.

Too much of our legal system is built around civil engineering. Violent criminals need to be put away certainly, but a huge percentage of US Federal inmates are there because of drug laws. Not a single Federal drug related law is Constitutional, as the US Constitution would require an ammendment to make drug use of any kind illegal in and of itself.
Suffice it to say MRsmithers is a total idiot and should be ignored. He is obviously a disgruntled prison guard, and if i were put in prison for some bullshit reason and he was giving me a hard time, I'm not sure how I would behave myself. The numbers are very clear. We dwarf the rest of the world in incarcerations. A reasoned legal system would be a huge step forward. Land of the free? Ha Ha Ha!

As always, great post and great data, Jan. Yet another piece to the puzzle as far as the reasons our nation is in the state it is in. I knew it was a lot of funds going into maintaining the prison system, but not that much. When you look at the whole quilt of the American experience, it is very disappointing to see where a large part of our collective resources are going. It's no surprise that education, health care, technology, etc are all going down hill. And now there is a very serious issue concerning food. It's like we can do better, but, quite frankly, we don't. It is high time we re-align our priorities.

So true.These are the issues we need to address in this country, but you never even hear it spoken of by political candidates running for president. It is always the same old polls about how many people want tthem, not discussion about what we can and must do as a nation to bring it back to us.

CarolynGillis posted a very interesting piece of information here. The effect of hunger, lack of nutrients, thirst, hopelessness on the human mind in corrolation with poverty, war, and now even the effects of climate change in regards to lack of food and water can lead to increases in crime. It is an inate human trait to survive, and when pushed beyond your limits you will do what you must do to survive. Now, I'm not saying all who are in prison don't deserve to be there, but I think this issue is more than the black and white way some wish to see it to validate their own apathy regarding it.

And too, those who are trained to work in these prisons are introduced to a judicial system that has strayed very far from being fair to being convenient for those running it.The level of corruption and greed is beyond comprehension, and yes, the funds going into it here are producing little for those incarcerated or the taxpayers but making big money for American prison corporations and are essentially taking funds away from those who could have proper healthcare, jobs, and those things that give us the physcial and psychological food we need to live the kind of life we were meant to live.

I suppose to believe this system having any vision to go beyond the status quo way of doing things is farfetched, but I hope we can. I have to try to find it, but I believe there was a prison in Norway or one of the Scandinavian countries that actually had prisoners designing the prison inside and using their creative talents in its daliy operations, and the rate of reformation went sky high.

Too many people have had their lives ruined by a system that cares little for circumstance and truth, and more concerned with how much they can make on each head. I think that has to change to see a great change in this country on the whole.

Do you realize that EVERYDAY the prison population hits an all time high?!

"The massive incarceration of young males from mostly poor- and working-class neighborhoods, and the taking of women from their families and jobs, has crippled their potential for forming healthy families and achieving economic gains"


this says it all..

Decriminalize drugs now!

Don't blame the forgiving Democrats. It's the "Law & Order" Republicans who are to blame.

Thank you Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Off welfare, into the prisons.

Prisons are another manifestation of the mistakes of our society. We are following mental maps of how we should behave from very young ages. We should be focusing on how we can raise our children so that they have a lot of love and support in the first few years of their life.

We might end up with happier people that way.