Reducing the prison population
By Nicole Bleidistel
Sun opinion editor
California has been in an uproar as unemployment, cost of living, and taxes rise while federal, state aid and quality of life fall. The state government has slashed nearly every socially benevolent service to the people including health care, Medicare and Medicaid, education, and now, prisons.
In yet another effort to balance its haunting budget deficits, the federal government has issued a court order to reduce the prison population by 30,000 inmates by July 2013.
Although the thought of criminals bursting out of prison doors bring about fears of hysteria and danger, it’s not the worst idea.
Prison is expensive. It costs approximately $47,102 to incarcerate one person for one year. As of July 2010, a reported 163,000 Californians are behind bars.
In addition, prisons are teeming with nonviolent, relatively minor and first time offenders. Only 58 percent of convicts are serving time for violent crimes.
At least California is being smart about who they free and why. According to the L.A. Times, inmate evictions are beginning with mothers convicted of nonviolent and nonsexual crimes, with fathers to follow in the future.
Women are most likely to be released first because they make up a miniscule 6 percent of the prison population. However, while reducing parents’ sentences is a good place to start, gender shouldn’t necessarily be a deterrent.
California’s prison doors should open for those who are least likely to end up back behind them. First time offenders, possession of marijuana, tax evaders, and other minor crimes should be considered regardless of gender.
Cutting back on inmates and their sentences can best be approached with ambivalence.
On one hand, without the fear of landing in prison for doing something stupid, it’s plausible that there will be less hesitation for doing minor crimes.
On the other hand, state and federal prison systems as a whole have long been questioned for locking up citizens either too long or not long enough and for simply not being effective in keeping criminals off the streets.
Regardless of the stigmas associated with prison, the system needs to change. Prison should be a place for serious, violent and dangerous criminals that are actually a danger to others. Minor crimes shouldn’t go unpunished, but should be met with community service that would actually benefit the state.
