Many states considering policy changes to allow early release of thousands of inmates

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I believe in prison reform, but what’s under consideration seems like dumping prisoners back into society without any rehabilitation. Sounds like a stupid way to try to save money.</p>

<p>"NEW YORK — Their budgets in crisis, governors, legislators and prison officials across the nation are making or considering policy changes that will likely remove tens of thousands of offenders from prisons and parole supervision.</p>

<p>Collectively, the pending and proposed initiatives could add up to one of biggest shifts ever in corrections policy, putting into place cost-saving reforms that have struggled to win political support in the tough-on-crime climate of recent decades.</p>

<p>“Prior to this fiscal crisis, legislators could tinker around the edges — but we’re now well past the tinkering stage,” said Marc Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project, which advocates alternatives to incarceration.</p>

<p>“Many political leaders who weren’t comfortable enough, politically, to do it before can now — under the guise of fiscal responsibility — implement programs and policies that would be win/win situations, saving money and improving corrections,” Mauer said</p>

<p>In California, faced with a projected $42 billion deficit and prison overcrowding that has triggered a federal lawsuit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to eliminate parole for all offenders not convicted of violent or sex-related crimes, reducing the parole population by about 70,000. He also wants to divert more petty criminals to county jails and grant early release to more inmates — steps that could trim the prison population by 15,000 over the next 18 months.</p>

<p>In Kentucky, where the inmate population had been soaring, even some murderers and other violent offenders are benefiting from a temporary cost-saving program that has granted early release to nearly 2,000 inmates…"
[FOXNews.com</a> - States Look to Prisons for Ways to Save Money, Including Letting Some Inmates Go - Crime | Murder | Illegal Drugs | Missing Kids | Illegal Aliens](<a href=“http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479102,00.html]FOXNews.com”>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479102,00.html)</p>

2

<p>Since the US places the highest percentage of its population in prison of any country in the world, then these measures are probably long overdue for non-violent offenders–except Bernie Madoff. Pell Grants & rehab training need to replace incarceration for many convicted persons. Parole, supervised release & similiar community based programs should be maintained, however. Apparently some good may result from the current financial crises.</p>

3

<p>I think the idea of rehabilitation has gone out the window. Longer mandated prison terms are in, but budget crunches haven’t provided more funding for building prisons. The prison overcrowding in CA is really bad, with medical care so substandard that the courts are involved.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I read about prisonsers in Michigan who didn’t want to be released from prison when their time was up. The economic times are so challenging that they didn’t want to give up 3 square meals a day and a roof over thier heads. Some have re-offended so they can get back into the system.</p>

<p>The real world is pretty tough to negotiate, especially for someone who has had someone else in charge of all the details of his life for years.</p>

4

<p>Difficult job environment to release people into. I think desperation might lead to more crime, others may have different opinions.</p>