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In the state most known for its prison population, Louisiana sheriff of Caddo Parish, Steve Prattor is making the case for the long delayed prison reform in his state. Louisiana has the unfortunate reputation of being one of the states with the largest prison populations in the United States and in an even more problematic condition because they depend on prison labor to keep costs down in the state.
His most recent statement has been made the case for prison reform better than almost anything written in the last five years:
“I don’t want state prisoners. They are a necessary evil to keep the doors open, that we keep a few, or keep some out there. And that’s the ones that you can work,” Prattor said earlier this month. “That’s the ones that can pick up trash, the work release programs. But guess what? Those are the ones that they are releasing. In addition to the bad ones … they are releasing some good ones that we use … to wash cars, to change oil in our cars to cook in the kitchen to do all that where we save money.”
The problem with his perspective is most of the prisoners he deems “good” are also in prison on nonviolent offenses. This is not as a result of more violent crimes, but with an increasingly broad range of sentencing options on the part of the judiciary. Since most of the inmates being held there are nonviolent, the excuse they should remain in prison as a function of keeping the society safer is inaccurate belying the state’s true intention: to continue to reap the benefits of the inmates nearly free labor.
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This is not a problem unique to Louisiana. In addition to state-run facilities, private prisons, which began in 1983 enjoyed a boom during the period called The War on Drugs. The largest private prison, Corrections Corporation of America has turned its 66,000 inmates into an industry making $1.9 billion in revenues and $221 million in net income.
As prison sentencing comes under fire and the cost of keeping prisoners continues to rise, many states are beginning to question their policies, particularly against keeping non-violent prisoners behind bars. New prison reforms are showing up in nearly every state with the largest states acting to reduce those populations.
California plans to free 9,500 inmates over the next four years reducing overcrowding. Prisoners can opt to reduce their sentences by taking classes, getting their GED or engaging in self-help programs such as drug counseling. This reduction in prisoners will save the state of California $600 million dollars.
Prison populations in the United States have exploded from 1978 to 2012. Nationwide, the overall population has risen from 300,000 to 1.5 million prisoners, with many states doubling their prison populations, and in a few, many times that number.
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What do you think?
Does prison still meet society’s standards of “paying a debt?” Is it time to consider looking at prison differently than we do now?
Should inmates be used as firefighters, for example, while not being paid for such dangerous work?
Has the explosion of prisoners in the early 21’s century changed our ideas of what prison is supposed to be accomplishing?
Should the nation rethink its policies on prisons, sentencing and the creation of private prisons?
Is it finally time to consider different ways of dealing with non-violent criminals who have become the fastest growing segment of the prison population?
Have you had any interaction with the penal-industrial complex? Do you feel prison brings any benefit to society overall?
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