The Human Rights Watch World Report (www.hrw.org) states that 22 states are operating prisons at 100% capacity or higher.
Why has the prison population skyrocketed in the recent past?
Are there more bad people doing more bad things? Maybe, but most of the answer lies in harsher sentencing. In New York, for example, a 25-year-old law is in effect which states that any first-time offender convicted of selling two ounces of cocaine gets the same conviction as a person convicted of murder, which is 15 years to life in prison! There are too many people who actually deserve to go to jail for this long who get off of all their charges.
We all stared as Bill Clinton escaped his charges because he did not understand the definition of “is,” and America watched stunned as the infamous O.J. Simpson walked because his hand had swollen since the last time he wore his leather glove.
Politicians all over the country are scratching their heads over what to do about the present problems with prison overpopulation. All they have to do is reserve the prisons for violent criminals that society will be better off without.
According to the Human Rights Watch World Report, about 70% of the criminals in jail today are there not because they killed four innocent hikers, but because of non-violent property damage charges, drug offenses and public disorder offenses. I am not so nave as to think that laws covering drugs, property damage, and public order offenses will just not exist, but the laws should be revised and completely re-thought.
I can understand giving these criminals community service, a fine, or a combination, but jail time?
Is this the most reasonable solution?
Some of the criminals charged with the mentioned crimes are not the hard-core criminals often thought of as inmates. Unfortunately, some are just people who were obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time. Once these inmates are left to the confinement of their newfound, violent prison neighbors, they begin to take on the traits of a violent criminal.
When it is finally time for the once non-violent offender to be released, he has transformed into something not safe for society, thus completely rendering the prison penalty faulty. So, when will this stop? What can you do to help?
Unfortunately, no one knows when this will stop, but maybe we can slow down the process. The Workers Federation is just one of many organizations out there fighting for prison reform.
Contact their website (complete with links to many other organizations) at www.users.owt.com/cihawk to learn more.