Another Study On Release Vs. Incarceration

[MJS]

Saw this in todays paper.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-pewprison0302.artmar03,0,7512692.story

A few things I thought were interesting:

"It costs an average of $79 a day to house an inmate in prison, compared to $3.42 per day to supervise those on probation and $7.47 a day for those on parole."

"Most states are facing serious budget deficits," said Susan Urahn, managing director of the Pew Center. "Every single one of them should be making smart investments in community corrections that will help them cut costs and improve outcomes."

Yes, while I fully understand that the world today is hurting, I don't feel that public safety should be put on the back burner because things cost alot.

"Lantz said Rell and the legislature resisted overreacting and provided the resources necessary to do the job. More parole officers were hired, the number of halfway house beds was increased and additional monitoring technology was purchased."

Perhaps my math is a bit off, but I'm wondering what the cost was to hire the extra people. Soooo....we're trying to cut costs and release these inmates on parole, rehab, halfway houses, etc., all to save money, but now we have to spend more money to get the people to watch all these released folks. Hmmm....

Of course, if we look at that article, it will show a few cases in which people on parole commited some very serious crimes. IMHO, I still feel that only those who want to be helped will actually do well with these programs. The 2 cases that we see in the article...well, obviously those guys were not interested in better their lives.

 

[Empty Hands]

Something is off about our system. We have the highest incarceration rate in the world, but not the highest crime rate nor the highest conviction rate. Perhaps a privatized prison system with its own lobbying arm has something to do with that.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I heard about a study on the radio that described 1 in 31 adults from the American population is either in prison, jail or on probation or parole.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I am sorry but I belive I was wrong and it was some thing like 1 in 13 Americans. :erg:

 

[MJS]

I heard about a study on the radio that described 1 in 31 adults from the American population is either in prison, jail or on probation or parole.

I am sorry but I belive I was wrong and it was some thing like 1 in 13 Americans. :erg:

According to the article I linked, it said 1 in 31.