Save money and more with alternatives to prison
We’ve all seen it on the news, read it in the headlines and have even heard it from President Barack Obama. Budgets. Deficits. States in financial problems. It’s no secret that the economic condition of the United States has seen better days. As leaders look to slash public spending, perhaps they should look at the prison system before they opt for the all-too-common cuts for education and Medicare.
Currently, the United States has the highest prison population in the world, with nearly 2.3 million people incarcerated; its prisons are at 110% capacity—yes, 10% more than prisons should handle (ICPS, 2010). Recent studies show that approximately 21% of prisoners are non-violent drug offenders and that drug offenses make up the bulk of the non-violent criminal prisoner population that has tripled since 1978 (The November Coalition, 2011).
According to the U.S. Justice Department, a violent crime is defined as homicide, rape, robbery or assault. Prison is still the best option for violent criminals. On the other hand, jail time for non-violent criminals has been met with debate over the past few decades. In fact, many cities and states around the country have already adopted alternatives to prison for non-violent crimes, citing it not only as more effective than prison, but also as a way to save taxpayer money.
Alternative sentences for drug offenders
Susan is a married woman and mother to two children. She leads what most outsiders would see as a normal American life, except for one thing. Susan is addicted to heroin. She doesn’t steal, she doesn’t sell drugs, but she uses and she gets caught. Now, Susan is faced with some hard time. Each year, the government will spend about $30,000 of taxpayers’ money to keep Susan incarcerated. Even worse, she’ll never get help for her addiction and will most likely continue using heroin when she’s released from prison (Whitley & Yip, 2006).
This scenario is an all-too-common occurrence in the American justice system. To take care of the real problem at hand, Kings County in New York has adopted a program called Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison (DTAP), in which non-violent drug addicts who qualify enter a guilty plea and get a deferred sentence that allows them to enroll in a residential drug-treatment program, ranging from 15 to 24 months. Offenders who successfully complete the program have their charges dismissed, while those who don’t complete the program are taken back to court and sentenced to prison time (David, 2006).
Another appealing aspect of these programs is that they cost much less than prison. At between $4,300 and $7,500 per person, that’s almost 75% cheaper than prison (Whitley & Yip, 2006). Lastly, graduates of DTAP were 87% less likely to return to prison (Kings County District Attorney's Office, n.d.).
Corporate criminals get some class
Corporate crime is another common, non-violent offense. But unlike the estimated $18 billion that crimes like burglary, larceny, arson and auto theft amount for, corporate crimes cost investors, employees and the public hundreds of billions of dollars every year. Examples of corporate crime include insider trading, fraud, price fixing and trade violations. Remember Enron? The collapse of Enron is one of the most widely known examples of corporate crime.
So what should the government do with these non-violent criminals and prison population already beyond capacity? Although it isn’t a reality yet, some proponents are suggesting that corporate criminals teach at low-income schools. After all, plenty of them have been educated at America’s finest schools. Of course, they’d need to be escorted to and from campuses to ensure they’re fulfilling their sentences, but it’d definitely help with the costs and population of prisons (David, 2006).
Commit a crime, get your name and face on a billboard
“You’re going to put me on a billboard? Wow!” Sounds great, right? Maybe not if next to your mug shot it read: In October, [your name here] was convicted of soliciting prostitution.
In an attempt to shame men into staying away from prostitutes, an association in Omaha began putting the names and faces on billboards. Each billboard also includes a warning that if you’re caught soliciting prostitution, you can expect to see yourself on a billboard (David, 2006).
Restorative justice
Sending people to prison as punishment for their crimes is referred to as retributive justice. This is the most common form of criminal justice in America. Recently, there has been a broader push for restorative justice, which focuses on the victims instead of the criminal.
Restorative justice, “emphasizes repairing the harm caused by crime” (PFI - CJR, n.d.). Enacting restorative justice brings together the offender, the victim and community leaders to sit down and discuss the harms and the best ways to bring about a resolution. Sometimes, the end results can be transformational.
According to Restorative Justice Online, restorative justice in North America has arisen out of various sources such as, “indigenous practices of First Nations people, a discontent with the justice system, and a need to meet the needs of victims.”
When it comes to criminals and sentencing them, prison is the first thing that comes to the mind of most Americans. But, it’s important for not only the public but also the government to consider other options that exist such as alternative sentencing for drug addicts and restorative justice. While some of the ideas may seem radical, some of them could actually work, saving money and easing financial woes across the country.
References
David, R. (2006, April 16). Ten alternatives to prison. Forbes.com.
The November Coalition. (2011). America imprisons over a million nonviolent offenders.
