Today, the first cracks of daylight on ending the War on Drugs and the Big Money behind private prisons happened in California. A Federal mandate is in place and has been upheld forcing the early release of 10,000 inmates in California prisons.
Overcrowding in the Golden State prison system has been around 150% of capacity for years and now the limits to growth in the Prison Industry may have reached the limits to what California taxpayers are willing to fund. The United States has for years been very hard on crime and willing to pay the price if incarceration for lengthy sentences. State legislators haven't been bashful about putting the costs squarely on the backs of taxpayers while they beat their chests about making the world a safer place. Forget about all the faux and real crime the War on Drugs has brought to the fore over the last 40 years and the insane costs of prosecuting this fiasco.
Idaho had a great opportunity to get a new prison built at no cost but the catch was the legislature had to promise to keep the place at 90% capacity for the next 20 years. The costs of incarceration for minor offences has escalated to the point taxpayers are less than willing to fund these kinds of dubious deals. Canyon County got a jail bond election shoved back at them three times during the administration of Sheriff Chris Smith.
With this latest ruling about overcrowding in California we may see the beginning of the end of the War on Drugs. They can start by dealing with marijuana convictions and letting those offenders out first.
Put the people who are a danger to society behind bars and figure out something else for minor offenders.
How many offenders are in canyon county jail?
ReplyDeleteHow many are minor offenders that don't belong there?
Not as many as there used to be before overcrowding and lack of maintenance was the focus of an ACLU lawsuit. My sources tell me there is a concerted effort as well as a degree of coordination between the Sheriff, Prosecutor and Judges with a keen eye to who really belongs in jail. A finite limit on jail space has forced the old ways to change a lot from the days when everyone went to jail for minor stuff.
DeleteThere are still too many people in prison and in jail in Idaho for things that would never warrant jail time or prison time elsewhere. I for one am happy to see what has happened in California. Prison and jail is not the right place for non-violent offenders. At some point a victory needs to be declared on the war on drugs. Too much has been spent for no perceivable improvement in anything as I see it.
ReplyDeleteMy stance on marijuana did a 180 degree turn after reading the book MAIJUANA NATION. It is a well written and documented book on marijuana and all sides of this plant that found its way into the drug war.
ReplyDelete