What is your opinion on how to handle overcrowding in our prison system?

Answer 1

Put all criminals on an island. Give them everything they need to survive. Then, stand back and watch them kill each other off in no time!

Answer 2

I don't think we can build our way out of the problem. Then we're just spending money for construction, maintenance and operations.

The problem is the United States has become one of the most punitive countries for incarceration. We put people in state prison for mere drug possession, petty property crimes and other victimless crimes alongside the violent criminals - then we wonder why those folks come out of prison as mean criminals.

Our sentences for some of the lesser offenses are way too long and totally ineffective. What is giving a kid who has had been convicted of crack cocaine and given 10 years going to do when he gets out? Go back to crack or go get a job?

There are many alternative placements for minor offenses that could make them decide that they don't want to live a life of crime, without sentencing them to state prison. A few examples are: house arrest, work project, fines, community service, victim restitution (for property crimes)

In California, they're talking about going on YET another prison building spree after building nearly two dozen in the past 20 years. We already have nearly 180,000 inmates in state prison in a system designed for no more than 75,000. The state spends nearly $8 billion annually on the California Department of Corrections. It's a waste, since experts say that about half are non-violent offenders. That would create a lot of space.

Three strikes need to be amended to allow the judge, and not the district attorney the authority t file three strikes cases. We're the state that imprisons people 25 to life for the third offense of stealing cookies, pizza, video tapes or golf clubs. Absolutely ridiculous.

We also need to go back to indeterminate sentences in which the judge decides the time, not the law.

Answer 3

Unfortunately (depending on how one looks at it) regardless of ideas on the problem, it will probably only get worse. A friend of mine that works at a federal pen said that with current numbers and a recidivism rate of @ 85-87%, it's expected that the prison population will get upwards of 3 mil no later than 2020.
With the numbers at hand, who can buck the power of the prison industrial complex? But, as another has suggested, if I could, I would make prison life less posh. It worked to reduce both crime and the local detention facility population in Maricopa Cty, Az.
While some may answer "build more prisons" (mostly from a police stance), those folks don't realize we're becomming the most imprisoned nation in the history of the planet. Much of our law enforcement efforts are failures, and the crime rate has remained essentially status quo while our streets are flooded with drugs and our prisons are overpopulated and can't be built fast enough. There's obviously no easy solution.

Answer 4

First pedophiles and anyone who commits a violent crime against a child needs to be executed. Then serial murderers and rapists. Let the white collar criminals out on the 'ankle bracelet' and they would need to do the 'menial tasks' jobs that the illegals are doing right now for their punishments (after all they didn't physically harm anyone) like cleaning waysides, shoveling pig poo etc. Let rival gang members have a free for all in 'yard' and we've probably cleared out 95% of the prisons. Clean them up and use the space as low rent apartments for the homeless people who need a place to live.

Adding: I didn't mention "murderers", but serial murders for a reason--I knew some prison guards whose job it was to guard the first degree murder row. Per the guards--these are the prisoners who are least likely to re-offend--and therefore after a lengthy prison sentence--they would probably be productive citizens.

Answer 5

Money criminal justice system depends on number of prisoners. Few long term prisoners are there for mariuana though armed robbers may smoke marijuana which is where they get the silly numbers that most prisoners are marijuana. Most prisoners are violent criminals only way to get to penitentiary at state level. More criminals, more money for corrections, courts and police. And the prisoners are all volunteers. Build more prisons is the answer. More money for people in criminal justice.

Answer 6

Change the drug laws, especially regarding marijuana. Save prison for violent offenders and repeat offenders. Bring back old fashioned chain gangs and hard labor. Prison farms can raise own crops and animals. Make military service, especially in war time, an option- WAY better than a draft...

Answer 7

Personally, I think that we're not using our system wisely, there are punks serving four year terms for beer runs and similar offenses..I think that we should fine all misdemeanors, and for those that can't pay the fines, they should be forced to walk along the interstate picking up trash......then those felony offenders should serve meaningful time, not four counts of 90 years...please, it's a joke, they should serve 10 good hard years, i mean, farming, dusk till dawn, no tv, no chance to earn a degree, I'm a cop cause I can't afford to get an engineering degree....you know?...WTF???

Answer 8

Lock up violent criminals and child molesters. All minor offenders should be held under house arrest and made to work with either cleaning freeways, doing maintenance usually done by state workers, and so forth. Those that fail to report for this 'work punishment' could then be housed in a minimum security detail. Trust me, putting someone in jail because they didn't pay their tickets or had dope might be a good thing, but it is the #1 cause of over-crowding. We'd save so much government money by having these types of criminals doing the road work and such.

Answer 9

Here is a thought; young black men stop dropping out of high school, stop taking illegal drugs, stop doing drive by shootings, stop breaking the law, get up every morning, go to work every day - ON TIME! - work a full day, without saying the words DISSING or RACIST to anyone who is not black, SPEAK ENGLISH, not ebonics, not mumble when you talk, no gold neck chains, no underware up out of your pants. No long shorts. No sleveless t-shirts. REALIZE you are NOT entertainers, rappers, or basketball players. Go to college, wear NORMAL CLOTHES (you know; clothes you call TOO WHITE), get married - STAY married, do not cheat on your wives, show your children that you can be a honest, normal person who never, never says you are an AFRICAN-AMERICAN. You are an AMERICAN.

I do not think this is possible. Especially the one about arriving to work on time. The ONLY people at my job who arrive to work LATE every day are the blacks. Why is that? Even the hispanics arrive on time.

PS Leave you cell phones at home and do not talk to your mother and sisters on the phone during working hours, all day long.

Answer 10

Take the archaic drug laws off the books, of course. Or, you could continue to build prisons until the majority of your population is behind bars, which is where we're headed. We live in a prison state, son. Over a third of black males aged between 18 and 30 are in prison as we speak. Most, for simple possession of marijuana.

Answer 11

1) First time offenders who've served more than 10 years in prison should be pardoned and set free.

2) Drug dealers (as in Pablo Escobar types) and repeat offenders of heinous and violent crimes should be given the death penalty.

3) Gang leaders who are repeat offenders and are known to instigate gang wars should be given multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole and denied communication to the outside world.

4) Hard-core repeat offenders should be placed in a gladitorial pit and do gladitorial combat. Survivors get pardoned. Losers die. (just an idea).

5) Confirmed child molesters and repeat offender rapists should be placed in a cell with a dozen inmates (at least 6'0" and 200 lbs) so they can be given a dose of their own medicine.

6) Drug addicts who are first-time offenders should be locked up and given rehab. Addicts who are repeat offenders should be given hard labor and beaten up occasionally.