Have Prisons Become Big Business?

Question

The U.S. leads the civilized world in the number of prison inmates. One in every 136 Americans is in jail or prison. We have a higher prison population than all of the European countries combined, including Russia. Nearly 8 million Americans are parolees, and future numbers are expected to rise.

Until a recent Supreme Court decision, judges were hampered by mandatory sentences, with no consideration of circumstances. A majority of prisoners are incarcerated because of non-violent offenses, most of them drug offenses.

Many prisons have been privatized and are paid by the governments for their expenses. In turn, prisoners are charged fees for their prison stays. Add this to fines, lawyer's fees, etc., and many parolees are deeply in debt, with little hope of relief.
Should jail terms for minor drug offenses be shortened? Should some drugs be legalized? Should Rehab be considered for nonviolent drug offenses, rather than long prison terms?

Answer 1

There are 2.2 million people in prison in the USA as I type this. I went to prison in Okla-COMA for 20 months. I was guilty and I had to pay the price of my crime. Being there and not looking from a cops point of view, nor someone that hasn't done any time, the prison system is bad. It is not the answer. To warehouse people. I was in a min., prison. Mostly DWI, drugs and hot check writers. You can't expect anyone to come out as a new and improved person, it doesn't work that way. You are beaten down emotionally and mentally. Putting up with all the noise and homosexuallity. People screaming at each other and just total choas 24-7. People still assume that people get free education in prison.Your family has to pay for your college not the state.... dah... If you can't read or have your high school diploma - then you will before you get out. Thinking that this is going to make people hire ex - convicts. The stigma that our society puts on us is wrong. I didn't have a life of crime to fall back on when I got out. I have a college degree and can't find a decent job. It is one thing to punish people for their wrong doing. But, to ruin their life is not exceptable in my eyes. It takes more than a hot shower to get rid of - being held captivie. Eating food that is stamped on the box +FOR INMATE CONSUMPTION ONLY ! I can accept that I had to do time for my crime, but being labeled for the rest of my life is going to far! Society turns their head in regard to helping those in prison, until it happens to someone in their family it isn't going to matter to them one way or the other. Ignorance is bliss in this country.... shame isn't it?

Answer 2

Each prisoner costs the tax payer 50,000 a year. Naturally, that this will be exploited in a country with 3 Million of them. 60% are there because of drugs. 80% will get back behind bars, as soon as they get out. It's all very idiotic. This people should work productive in a program, to repay society.

Answer 3

Minor drug offenses involve a citation or Jail! For the Ignoramuses the pounded Kenneth with thumbs down, he is in fact correct. Major dealers or those in possession of hard drugs are the ones that end up in prison.

If these drug offenses are "Non-violent" why do I find guns on a lot of these offenders?


And a note to WTFever, How about you being the epitome of being a "Stupid person" for commiting the crime in the first place and not cooperating with the Police? I don't care what reasons or excuses you have, the only person responsible for you being an addict and you commiting the act of Forgery is YOU!


WTFever- Well obviously the Police were competent to do their job, they caught you. Funny how it's everyone else's fault, but in no way yours, that you went to prison. If you care for your children so much as you claim, why were you committing crimes with someone who would harm your children? Sorry, but I have no sympathy for you. Go look in a mirror and you might figure out why you went to prison. But get ready for a shock, because you won't see the Police or anyone else, just you.

Answer 4

i work in the federal prison system. the feds aren't going to privatize the system. they did a few tests by privatizing a few camps and low security joints. those institutions actually cost more to run than when the fed run them. its not cost effective to do this.

also all those programs are much more beneficial to have for the inmates than nothing. if inmates having nothing to do all day, they will just sit around and think of ways to escape and/or attack staff.

try to put things into perspective. although many inmates are in for drug crimes, child pornography is becoming a larger epidemic. if you strip the prisons of programs and lesson sentences, THOSE inmates will get out earlier and have more time on their hands. is that what you want running around your neighborhood?

i can speak from experience...these inmates in here...they ARE guilty. there is no doubt they deserved everything coming to them.

hope this helps.

Answer 5

yes, we have created a society bent on making as many criminals, and we think that by having the police arrest more that we are making a better place.
Actually we are creating a country with a rate of over 40 percent being labeled criminals. Thats is funny. To think that up to 40 percent of a country has been arrested and placed on probation of some kind, well that is a problem. If we are out to demote our citizens this way, how can it be for them If we spend our money on other countries problems not ours, if we care about others citizens not ours, and if we try to arrest all of our own for anything we can. Well that is not what Abraham Lincoln or George Washington had in mind.
We need to take care of our Homeless, get Medical for all of our own, then see what we have left to help the world. Next is we need to have more Mental Health available at NO COST to all whom need it. Then we would need less prisons. That would again save money as Doctors and clinics are cheaper than prisons, and crime would fall as less would be mentally handicapped and doing things illegal to either survive or because their mental state was wrong. We should be helping our own , not finding reasons for not helping. The addage well their drug addicts sux, as they are true, but what of a clinic to help? See the homeless, most have mental issues and no help! How can a druggy whom is probably also paranoid get help if an homeless family cannot?
That Druggy is seen by the world as a way most cops have forgotten, as an AMERICAN needing help. The help we give is lockup, and dishonor. That is not a great society.

Answer 6

How about people just stop selling dope and we wouldn't have to worry about this.

And I love the term "Nonviolent offender". When people hear that, they imagine a father of 2, caught with half a joint was thrown in jail for 10 years. Not the case. Most of these "non violent offenders" are drug users who have a rap sheet a mile long for violent crimes...they just finally got put away for dealing crack.

Answer 7

Yes, since the privatization of prisons the prison population has risen 1500%.

We now incarcerate a greatly percent of our population then any modern state; More than Hitler did, more than Stalin did, more than Mao did.

Answer 8

Yes, it is big business and has been for quite some time. Of course minor offenses should be shortened, but that's not good business. Our system is backwards whereas the violent are out on the streets in society and the people with nonviolent offenses are locked up and paying for it. If this was your business would you make it any different?

Answer 9

In a sense yes.

Answer 10

Well in all fairness we do have a higher population than Europe put together too. Were almost at the 400 million mark the UK is only at the 58million mark.