Good news for a change! Behind-bars population actually dropping.
This Pew Center report indicates that the number of people in state penitentiaries has actually decreased for the first time in 38 years. Some states, however, have moved in the opposite direction, and the federal prison population increased slightly. Overall, however, it looks to me like a move in the right direction. Less "gittin' tuff" on crime and more getting smart.
PrisonCount.pdf
Do I favor the death penalty?
Serious question that I've thought about a lot. Here's my opinion, as published on my blogsite, ThusSayethMe.com.
DeathPenalty.pdf
Huge savings in pre-school intervention.
This long-term study shows that comprehensive early intervention with at-risk children pays for itself many times over, most notably in slashing the likelihood of criminal behavior years later. It's worth reading in detail.
Why should you care about recidivism?
If nothing else, because it hits you in the pocketbook! This article by me appeared in the April, 2009, Get Connected newspaper.
Is rehabilitation cost effective?
The Washington Study is a meta-analysis of various types of intervention around the nation. Especially relevant to the cost-effectiveness issue is the table which reports the gain (or loss) to taxpayers for each participant in each such program studied. If you’re not used to reading and sorting through such articles, you may want to confer with someone who is. Preferably, at least a second year college student majoring one of the sciences.
Why is America the "incarceration nation"?
Because we have a higher percentage of our citizens behind bars than any other nation on earth, and the costs to taxpayers are staggering! Read the details in this Pew Center report.
Do the people who run prisons care? Or do they just want to keep people locked up?
I’m happy to say that it looks to me as though prison administrators are increasingly aware of their greater responsibility, beyond simply keeping prisoners locked up. This report from the Association of State Correctional Administrators reveals intensive efforts to find ways to prepare inmates to lead socially responsible lives. Hundreds of pages of hard data on recidivism reduction and resources. BE PATIENT! This is a large document and it may not open quickly!
What's it mean? Legal terms.
A short list of those that I've found are most often misunderstood.
The high cost of our love affair with guns.
Guns are more readily available in America than in any other advanced nation. Contrary to the arguments of those who refer to the 2nd Amendment at every opportunity, this doesn't make us safer. In fact, the statistics on firearm deaths and injuries in the U.S. is mind boggling:
Firearm Injury 2009.pdf