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Debate of sorts.....feeling?
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<blockquote data-quote="donna723" data-source="post: 242749" data-attributes="member: 1883"><p>As kind of an 'insider' to the prison system, I can see both sides. When something happens, everyone is so quick to say <em>'lock them up and throw away the key'</em>! But apparently they have never done the math to see how the prison population would multiply if they did this. Most states are in very deep financial trouble as it is and can barely afford to operate the prison systems that they have, much less to have their inmate population increase by leaps and bounds! Prisons are ungodly expensive to build, maintain and staff. It costs an unbelievable amount of money to house, feed, clothe and provide medical care for each inmate every year, much less any attempt at 'rehabilation'. To make it even worse, here at least, they are making cuts to mental health programs that might have kept some of them out of prison to start with.</p><p> </p><p>Quite honestly, I don't think the threat of increasing the length of time they would be required to do would have much of an affect. What might have an affect would be to know FOR SURE that certain offenses would be 100% certain to do significant time instead of the seemingly endless probations that some seem to get. They essentially know that nothing will really happen to them so they do it again and again and again. The inmates we have where I work, from maximum security down to trustees, I really don't think the threat of a longer sentence would have kept many of them from doing what they did to get there. I'm not sure of the statistics but I would be willing to bet that at least 50% of them are there because of drugs - either selling them, because of something they did while under the influence of drugs, or something they did to get the money to buy drugs! And by the same token, I do NOT agree with the 'three strikes' sentencing so popular today ... someone could end up doing a life sentence for something relatively minor. </p><p> </p><p>And I also do NOT agree with having mandatory life sentences for many crimes, even murder. You can't lump them all together. On one hand you have the ones that have no regard for human life at all, the gang members, the ones who rob and then kill the victim so they won't be identified. But there are others, decent people who were pushed to their limit and then snapped. I see guys every day who are doing life or very long sentences and no one gains anything at all by them still being in prison. We have some who made one horrible mistake when they were very young ... today they aren't even the same person they were then. They grew up, they matured, they mellowed out, maybe they overcame drugs or alcohol. They would do very well and have much to offer on the outside, but it will never happen.</p><p> </p><p>Here in Tennessee they say that our rate of recidivism has actually gone down slightly since they began pre-release programs several years ago to prepare them for life on the outside and to help them find a job - not easy these days. Of course, with all the budget problems in the state, these programs could end up being cut too!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="donna723, post: 242749, member: 1883"] As kind of an 'insider' to the prison system, I can see both sides. When something happens, everyone is so quick to say [I]'lock them up and throw away the key'[/I]! But apparently they have never done the math to see how the prison population would multiply if they did this. Most states are in very deep financial trouble as it is and can barely afford to operate the prison systems that they have, much less to have their inmate population increase by leaps and bounds! Prisons are ungodly expensive to build, maintain and staff. It costs an unbelievable amount of money to house, feed, clothe and provide medical care for each inmate every year, much less any attempt at 'rehabilation'. To make it even worse, here at least, they are making cuts to mental health programs that might have kept some of them out of prison to start with. Quite honestly, I don't think the threat of increasing the length of time they would be required to do would have much of an affect. What might have an affect would be to know FOR SURE that certain offenses would be 100% certain to do significant time instead of the seemingly endless probations that some seem to get. They essentially know that nothing will really happen to them so they do it again and again and again. The inmates we have where I work, from maximum security down to trustees, I really don't think the threat of a longer sentence would have kept many of them from doing what they did to get there. I'm not sure of the statistics but I would be willing to bet that at least 50% of them are there because of drugs - either selling them, because of something they did while under the influence of drugs, or something they did to get the money to buy drugs! And by the same token, I do NOT agree with the 'three strikes' sentencing so popular today ... someone could end up doing a life sentence for something relatively minor. And I also do NOT agree with having mandatory life sentences for many crimes, even murder. You can't lump them all together. On one hand you have the ones that have no regard for human life at all, the gang members, the ones who rob and then kill the victim so they won't be identified. But there are others, decent people who were pushed to their limit and then snapped. I see guys every day who are doing life or very long sentences and no one gains anything at all by them still being in prison. We have some who made one horrible mistake when they were very young ... today they aren't even the same person they were then. They grew up, they matured, they mellowed out, maybe they overcame drugs or alcohol. They would do very well and have much to offer on the outside, but it will never happen. Here in Tennessee they say that our rate of recidivism has actually gone down slightly since they began pre-release programs several years ago to prepare them for life on the outside and to help them find a job - not easy these days. Of course, with all the budget problems in the state, these programs could end up being cut too! [/QUOTE]
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