A Better Way to Deal with Crime -(by Arthur Jackson)
Current prison procedures have produced an unsustainable system where costs spiral out of control and ineffective structures make society worse rather than better.
However, new efforts at the Federal level are providing alternatives that not only drastically reduce costs, but are much more effective.
And, interestingly Texas is leading the way in prison reform and saving big bucks in the process (not to mention making their state safer with more effective
treatment of offenders).
If you would like to know more about this effort visit here (http://www.justicereinvestment.org/states) where they say the below:
“This section is intended for state policymakers, criminal justice practitioners, and other stakeholders responsible for determining corrections and sentencing policies.
“The Council of State Governments Justice Center is working with a handful of states to implement justice reinvestment strategies. These states are designing policies to manage the growth of the corrections system, improve the accountability and integration of resources concentrated in particular communities, and reinvest a portion of the savings generated from these efforts to make communities receiving the majority of people released from prison safer, stronger, and healthier. The justice reinvestment project is in the process of identifying other states to add to the select number of jurisdictions receiving technical assistance to pursue justice reinvestment strategies.”
This whole effort is something that Humanists need to support and help to advance an support.
(This article was submitted to the Humanist Community Blog by Arthur Jackson on 12/10/08)
Filed under: Discussion