The US prison system is bloated; we spend a huge amount of money to keep a large % of our population in prison. According to a mid 2008 census, 760 out of 100,000 people in the US are in prison. This may not seem like a lot until you realize that this is the highest rate in the world. St. Kitts and Nevis, located in the Caribbean, have the second highest rate in the world (as of Oct 2008) with 660 per 100,000. Russia, the third highest is at only 624 per 100,000. China and India, the two countries larger than ours have 119 and 33 respectively.
But the astonishing facts continue. Not only do we have the highest prison population rate in the world, but we have the largest prison population too! We have over 2.3 million people in prison. That’s nearly one million more than second place, which is China at 1.57 million people. The numbers drop off sharply from there to 880 thousand (Russia) and 470 thousand (Brazil). To look at it another way, China has more than four times the population of the US, but has 68% of the US’ prison population.
However, there is a significant portion of the US prison population that doesn't deserve to be there. Non-violent crimes for example, even more than that, drug users (that haven't hurt anyone else). Of course this is just my opinion (since it obviously isn't currently supported by the law). I have heard that there has been a recent push to legalize maraijuana which is sort of the first step in this line of reasoning. This is a sidetrack though, this blog is to reform the prison system, not the system for sentencing them to prison.
My idea (though not new) is this: have prisoners work. I would imagine that some prisoners wouldn’t want to work when they can’t really be forced to. For these people, I would say that they not be forced to work, but if they don’t then they don’t get the majority of comforts that prisoners do now.
The 2009 Department of Justice budget request for 2009 was for $25.36 billion. Now, assuming that 2.3 million prisoners were in prison the whole year and they all worked, each prisoner would only have to do work equal to $11 thousand to equal the 2009 budget request. Current minimum wage ($7.25/hr) fulltime (40hrs/week) for 50 weeks of a year (2 weeks off) is $14.5 thousand (before taxes). This means that with a tax rate of even 24% of income, the minimum wage worker would get more money than each prisoner would be required to make.
They would of course still get food, water, and a non-hazardous shelter, but little if anything else would be needed. As is, prisoners are being taken care of without earning any of this care, indeed, they have done the opposite.
Imagine, if you will, this scenario: You and your significant other are walking down the street after having enjoyed a pleasant meal. As you walk past an alley a homeless man threatens you with a knife for your money. The impatient and jumpy homeless man attacks you. In the scuffle your significant other is hurt badly, however the homeless man is subdued.
The aftermath of this situation would probably play out something like this: you and your significant other have to deal with recovery and possibly therapy as well as potential financial problems. Whereas the homeless man gets off essentially scott free, he now has a “home,” and regularly gets food. Meanwhile you pay for his lodging, food, and amenities. Does this outcome seem just or fair?
There are even possible reformation benefits from this solution regarding prison (reforming the prisoner, that is). Spending 10 years in prison working will prepare them for returning to society very well I would imagine. Some prisoners probably never had an honest job before being sent to prison, some of them might find that work is more tolerable then they had imagined and would come to enjoy working.
Now, off the bat I would say that any extra money that the prisoners make they get to keep, however, maybe still tax them or some similar system. For a prison system that would benefit society more, all the profits of the prisoners would go to the government, or for lowering taxes, however, I don’t think this is right. One of the main reasons is incentive. There would be no incentive for the prisoners to go beyond the bare minimum for what having prison amenities requires if all extra money is taken from them. Another reason is that it is the prisoner’s money, they earned it, they’re time in prison should be the punishment for their crime, not the removal of the right of what they earn is theirs.
International Centre for Prison Studies
King's College London
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/law/research/icps/worldbrief/
21 September 2009
US Department of Justice
FY2009 Budget and Performance Summary
http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/2009summary/
21 September 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Prison Reform D2
The US prison system is bloated; we spend a huge amount of money to keep a large % of our population in prison. According to a mid 2008 census, 760 out of 100,000 in the US are in prison. This may not seem like a lot until you realize that this is the highest rate in the world. St. Kitts and Nevis have the second highest rate in the world (as of Oct 2008) with 660. Russia, the third highest is at only 624 per 100,000. China and India, the two countries larger than ours have 119 and 33 respectively.
But the astonishing facts continue. Not only do we have the highest prison population rate in the world, but we have the largest prison population too! We have over 2.3 million people in prison. That’s nearly one million more than second place, which is China at 1.57 million people. The numbers drop off sharply from there to 880 thousand (Russia) and 470 thousand (Brazil). To look at it another way, China has more than four times the population of the US, but has 68% of the US’ prison population.
The 2009 DoJ budget request for 2009 was for $25.36 billion. Now, assuming that 2.3 million prisoners were in prison the whole year and they all worked, each prisoner would only have to do work equal to $11 thousand to equal the 2009 budget request. Current minimum wage ($7.25/hr) fulltime (40hrs/week) for 50 weeks of a year is $14.5 thousand (before taxes). Which, if my calculations are correct means that with a tax rate of even 24% of income, the minimum wage worker would get more money than each prisoner would be required to make.
Now, I know I’ve gotten ahead of myself some here, jumped straight into the facts supporting a conclusion when I haven’t even elaborated on it. My idea (though not new) is this: have prisoners work. I would imagine that some prisoners wouldn’t want to work when they can’t really be forced to. For these people, I would say that they not be forced to work, but if they don’t then they don’t get the majority of comforts that prisoners do now.
They would of course still get food, water, and a non-hazardous shelter, but little if anything else would be needed. As is, prisoners are being taken care of without earning any of this care, indeed, they have done the opposite.
Imagine, if you will, this scenario. As you and your significant other are walking down the street after having enjoyed a pleasant meal. As you walk past an alley a homeless man threatens you with a knife for your money. The homeless man, being jumpy and you being supprised attacks you and in the scuffle your significant other is hurt badly, however the homeless man is subdued.
The aftermath of this situation would probably play out something like this: you and your significant other have to deal with recovery and possibly therapy as well as potential financial problems. Wheras the homeless man gets off essentially scott free, he now has a “home,” and regularly gets food. Meanwhile you pay for his lodging, food, and amenities. Does this outcome seem just or fair?
There are even possible reformation benefits from this solution regarding prison (reforming the prisoner, that is). Spending 10 years in prison working will prepare them for returning to society very well I would imagine. Some prisoners probably never had an honest job before being sent to prison, some of them might find that work is more tolerable then they had imagined and would come to enjoy working.
Now, off the bat I would say that any extra money that the prisoners make they get to keep, however, maybe still tax them or some similar system. For a prison system that would benefit society more, all the profits of the prisoners would go to the government, or for lowering taxes, however, I don’t think this is right. One of the main reasons is incentive. There would be no incentive for the prisoners to go beyond the bare minimum for what having prison amenities requires if all extra money is taken from them. Another reason is that it is the prisoner’s money, they earned it, they’re time in prison should be the punishment for their crime, not the removal of the right of what they earn is theirs.
Sources:
Prison Population
US DoJ
But the astonishing facts continue. Not only do we have the highest prison population rate in the world, but we have the largest prison population too! We have over 2.3 million people in prison. That’s nearly one million more than second place, which is China at 1.57 million people. The numbers drop off sharply from there to 880 thousand (Russia) and 470 thousand (Brazil). To look at it another way, China has more than four times the population of the US, but has 68% of the US’ prison population.
The 2009 DoJ budget request for 2009 was for $25.36 billion. Now, assuming that 2.3 million prisoners were in prison the whole year and they all worked, each prisoner would only have to do work equal to $11 thousand to equal the 2009 budget request. Current minimum wage ($7.25/hr) fulltime (40hrs/week) for 50 weeks of a year is $14.5 thousand (before taxes). Which, if my calculations are correct means that with a tax rate of even 24% of income, the minimum wage worker would get more money than each prisoner would be required to make.
Now, I know I’ve gotten ahead of myself some here, jumped straight into the facts supporting a conclusion when I haven’t even elaborated on it. My idea (though not new) is this: have prisoners work. I would imagine that some prisoners wouldn’t want to work when they can’t really be forced to. For these people, I would say that they not be forced to work, but if they don’t then they don’t get the majority of comforts that prisoners do now.
They would of course still get food, water, and a non-hazardous shelter, but little if anything else would be needed. As is, prisoners are being taken care of without earning any of this care, indeed, they have done the opposite.
Imagine, if you will, this scenario. As you and your significant other are walking down the street after having enjoyed a pleasant meal. As you walk past an alley a homeless man threatens you with a knife for your money. The homeless man, being jumpy and you being supprised attacks you and in the scuffle your significant other is hurt badly, however the homeless man is subdued.
The aftermath of this situation would probably play out something like this: you and your significant other have to deal with recovery and possibly therapy as well as potential financial problems. Wheras the homeless man gets off essentially scott free, he now has a “home,” and regularly gets food. Meanwhile you pay for his lodging, food, and amenities. Does this outcome seem just or fair?
There are even possible reformation benefits from this solution regarding prison (reforming the prisoner, that is). Spending 10 years in prison working will prepare them for returning to society very well I would imagine. Some prisoners probably never had an honest job before being sent to prison, some of them might find that work is more tolerable then they had imagined and would come to enjoy working.
Now, off the bat I would say that any extra money that the prisoners make they get to keep, however, maybe still tax them or some similar system. For a prison system that would benefit society more, all the profits of the prisoners would go to the government, or for lowering taxes, however, I don’t think this is right. One of the main reasons is incentive. There would be no incentive for the prisoners to go beyond the bare minimum for what having prison amenities requires if all extra money is taken from them. Another reason is that it is the prisoner’s money, they earned it, they’re time in prison should be the punishment for their crime, not the removal of the right of what they earn is theirs.
Sources:
Prison Population
US DoJ
Monday, September 21, 2009
Prison Reform D1
The US prison system is bloated; we spend a huge amount of money to keep a large % of our population in prison. According to a mid 2008 census, 760 out of 100,000 in the US are in prison. This may not seem like a lot until you realize that this is the highest rate in the world. St. Kitts and Nevis have the second highest rate in the world (as of Oct 2008) with 660. Russia, the third highest is at only 624 per 100,000. China and India, the two countries larger than ours have 119 and 33 respectively.
But the astonishing facts continue. Not only do we have the highest prison population rate in the world, but we have the largest prison population too! We have over 2.3 million people in prison. That’s nearly one million more than second place, which is China at 1.57 million people. The numbers drop off sharply from there to 880 thousand (Russia) and 470 thousand (Brazil). To look at it another way, China has more than four times the population of the US, but has 68% of the US’ prison population.
The 2009 DoJ budget request was for $25.36 billion.
Sources:
Prison Population
US DoJ
But the astonishing facts continue. Not only do we have the highest prison population rate in the world, but we have the largest prison population too! We have over 2.3 million people in prison. That’s nearly one million more than second place, which is China at 1.57 million people. The numbers drop off sharply from there to 880 thousand (Russia) and 470 thousand (Brazil). To look at it another way, China has more than four times the population of the US, but has 68% of the US’ prison population.
The 2009 DoJ budget request was for $25.36 billion.
Sources:
Prison Population
US DoJ
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