Study: Prison population on the rise

[LorDiego01]

WASHINGTON - Get-tough policies that lock up offenders for longer sentences are propelling a projected increase of nearly 200,000 in the nation's prison population in the next five years, according a private study released Wednesday.
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The increase — projected by the Pew Charitable Trusts study to be three times faster than overall population growth in the U.S. — is expected to cost states more than $27 billion.

"As a country, we have a problem," said Susan Urahn, managing director of policy initiatives for the Pew Charitable Trusts, which funded the study by its Public Safety Performance Project.

The study is the first of its kind to project prison populations in every state through 2011, based on state projections, current criminal justice policies and demographic trends.

Urahn said she hopes states use the study to prepare for the future — either by building more prisons or by adopting policies to slow the growth through alternative forms of punishment.

The projections, she said, are not inevitable. They can be altered by state policies as well as economic and cultural changes.

"What we have seen is there are a growing number of states really focused, not on being tough on crime or soft on crime, but on being smart about crime," Urahn said. "Every state faces unique circumstance and challenges."

There are more than 1.5 million inmates in the nation's state and federal prisons, a number that is projected to grow to more than 1.7 million by the end of 2011, a 13 percent increase. The nation's population, by comparison, is projected to grow by 4.5 percent in that time.

States are projected to spend up to $27.5 billion on the new inmates, including $12.5 billion in construction costs, according to the study.

Men far outnumber women in prison — nearly 14 to 1. But in the next five years, the number of women inmates is projected to increase by 16 percent compared with a 12 percent increase for men.

Florida is projected to add the most prisoners, about 16,000, followed by California, Texas, Arizona and Ohio.

New York, Connecticut and Delaware are the only states with no projected growth in the number of inmates. All three are projected to have stable inmate populations.

Florida's prison population has been growing since the 1980s, when many inmates had to be released early because of crowding problems, said William Bales, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida State University.

Since then, the state has eased crowding by building more prisons and changing the way it sentences offenders, Bales said. The state eliminated parole and other forms of early release, but only 20 percent of those eligible for prison are sent there, he said. Instead, many lesser offenders are sentenced to home confinement and required to wear electronic monitoring devices.

"But if you go to prison, you will go for a long time," Bales said.

In Connecticut, the state reversed years of crowding problems in part by investing in programs for inmates who are about to re-enter society. The state also increased the number of probation officers to monitor those who have been released.

"Truth in sentencing, three strikes and you're out — it looks great on paper, but try to make it work," said Connecticut Rep. Michael Lawlor, a Democrat and co-chairman of the state legislature's Judiciary Committee.

Lawlor, a former prosecutor, said Connecticut lawmakers focused on ways to reduce recidivism rather than campaign pledges to get tough on criminals. As a result, he said, crime rates have dropped along with incarceration rates.

"There's a pretty long list of people who deserve to be locked up forever, but it's not the majority of people in prison," Lawlor said. "If you can get people into a room instead of a campaign debate it's really easy to come to consensus."

Questions..

1) Is it true that the majority of prisons are privately run??
2) The US is already the country with the most people in jail. Shouldn't we try a reinstitution program instead? or at least not give time for victimless crime?
3)Does it seem like this goverment just wants to put everybody in some sort of jail/electronic monitoring/ect?

[Zach]

It's a travesty. The prison population has quadroupled since 1980, almost entirely as a result of manditory sentencing stemming from the "war on drugs." 57% of the people in prison are there on drug charges. The idea of totally stripping away someone's freedom for years at a time because they sold coke... what kind of nazi do you have to be to get behind that?

[billamj]

Please define "victimless crime" for me. I've heard this phrase used sooooooo many times but I have never heard the same definition twice. As for Zach's "The idea of totally stripping away someone's freedom for years at a time because they sold coke... what kind of nazi do you have to be to get behind that?" I'm seriously hoping that it was meant tongue in cheeck, but one never knows.

[D-FENS]

An action punishable by law in which no other person, outside of the actor, is harmed.

That would be my definition of a victimless crime. I don't think "enabling" counts as causing harm, IMO.

[KeithPA]

Are jails/prisons are far over their capicity because of the get tough on crime policy. You see terrorists, or even murders in other countries that get convicted adn they spend 6-15ish years in prison. Here in the US they are in for life. This obviously causes over population. We also send many end drug users to prison. Get rid of WOD and that would probably cut the prison population significantly. If you ever watched MSNBC "Lockup" probably 1/3 to 1/4 are drug crimes.

[billamj]

OK, so DUI/DWI would be considered a "victimless crime?" Sorry but that doesn't cut it in my book. It may be because I've had friends killed by people who were driving while they were high, or it may be because I have relatives who have been injured by drunk drivers. Doesn't matter, victimless is often only because there is no other person nearby.

[LorDiego01]

OK, so DUI/DWI would be considered a "victimless crime?" Sorry but that doesn't cut it in my book. It may be because I've had friends killed by people who were driving while they were high, or it may be because I have relatives who have been injured by drunk drivers. Doesn't matter, victimless is often only because there is no other person nearby.

You are confusing yoruself. a DUI/DWI is most certaily NOT a victimless crime. Moreso if other people get hurt. Thats the thing. If somebody breaks a law and doesnt hurt another person, then its a victimles crime.

[TonyF]

Part of the problem is politicians politicizing crime. Another problem is the Congress federalizing crimes that should be the domain of the states.

However, I have no problem with the *three strikes and you're out* programs.

I do have a problem with spending billions of tax dollars to build high tech prisons. Sheriff Joe Arpaio has the solution.

There's a reason people used to be sentenced to *hard labor*. It's supposed to be a PUNISHMENT. Another term is "negative reinforcement".

[ChamberedRound]

There's a reason people used to be sentenced to *hard labor*. It's supposed to be a PUNISHMENT. Another term is "negative reinforcement".

Amen brother. One example of this idea in practice today is Angola Farm Prison in Louisiana:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisia...e_Penitentiary

It has a brutal history, but the current warden has instituted a lot of reform and runs the prison respectably. If you've ever seen the HBO special "The Farm", you'll see that it's definitely not a country club, but it's also not a place where inmates can sit around and figure out how to kill each other all day long. I recommend this documentary for anyone interested in the subject of prisons in America, even though I'm not a fan of Rory Kennedy. Here's a quick synopsis from the production company's website:

http://www.moxiefirecracker.com/the_farm.html

The inmates work the farm for something like $0.15/hr. The prison uses the proceeds from crop sales to offset operational costs. Working the fields is THE hardest job there, and if an inmate wants to be "promoted" to another job that gets them out of the field, pays more money, and gives them additional privileges (like being able to walk around certain areas of the prison and not be locked up all day), then they need to work hard and prove they're capable without degenerating into a criminal.

[The Drew]

OK, so DUI/DWI would be considered a "victimless crime?" Sorry but that doesn't cut it in my book. It may be because I've had friends killed by people who were driving while they were high, or it may be because I have relatives who have been injured by drunk drivers. Doesn't matter, victimless is often only because there is no other person nearby.

DUI in and of itself certainly IS a victimless crime. The crime would be if someone who is drunk wrecks their car and cause property damage, injury and/or death.

Back to the original topic... The reality is that with government making more and more criminals out of good people, the only logical conclusion of that is for prison populations to rise...