The system fails…

(photo)wvgazette.com

The United States is home to the most massive prison system in the world. The system is so colossal in fact, that its estimated nearly $75 billion turnover excels the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of 133 nations. Perhaps most disconcerting, is the fact that it is the taxpayers who are  funding this tragic mess.

The American legal system has changed in the last 4 decades and has grown into quite a lucrative business. The 70’s introduced the nation-wide war on drugs under President Nixon.  Nixon was a shark for uncompromising , strict punishments for all drug related crimes. These crimes ranged from petty possession to international trafficking. This war on drugs was so intense, that New Yorkers, who were caught with as little as four ounces of narcotics, faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life in prison. This is about the same as a sentence for second-degree murder. Since the inception of this war on drugs, the prison population in the United States has increased by over 700%.

Who are these inmates? Who is paying for them? How much does it actually cost each year? What are the goals of such lengthy prison sentences? What happens to these prisoners while behind bars?What happens when these prisoners are released? These are just a few of the questions that desperately need to be addressed.

For the United States, like no other country, prison is a booming business. Taxpayers pay a mind-boggling $39 billion each year! Whereas the estimated cost of housing our more than 2.3 million prisoners falls just under $34 billion annually.

In order to comprehend just how ridiculous these numbers truly are, I think we should examine what landed these criminals where they are.   No one wants a child molester, rapist, or murderer living next door, but these are NOT the criminals who make up the majority of our prison population. Weapons violations, Public-oder or Property offenses, and Violent crimes account for just under 30% of inmates. The other 70% are primarily drug  or immigration violations.

It is a well believed myth, that the goal of our prisons’ is to rehabilitate these inmates and one day integrate them back into society, but considering that many inmates have never even written a job resume, ever, in their lives, it is clear that this is not the goal.