$10 BILLION in tax dollars could and should be saved

The National Council on Crime and Delinquency has issued a report
that shows the foolishness and costliness of not utilizing proven, workable
alternatives to incarceration for non-violent crime and non-sexual crime
offenders.

Crime and Justice News summarizes the report this way:
A new report calculates potential cost savings
in four populous states: California could save
$1.4 billion, Texas $2.4 billion, New York $1.1 billion,
and Florida $271 million. The council contends
that as of 2008, 414,000 U.S. men and women
were incarcerated for nonviolent, nonsexual crimes
not involving significant property loss.

Most of these prisoners could be eligible for

effective and cost-saving sanctions such as

drug courts, drug treatment, electronic monitoring,

or work release programs. These alternatives to

prison and jail have been proved effective and

could be promptly expanded, NCCD maintains.

The costs and operations of the alternatives

are well documented - and served as a basis

for the report's cost comparison. These costs

were compared to the current costs of incarceration

for 80 percent of the likely eligible incarcerated population.

So the question that immediately pops up is why we are

not using these alternatives to maximum advantage.

One primary reason is probably the American public's

perception that alternatives are little more than a slap on

the wrist. It is imperative that our media begin to focus

on these alternatives as demanding but effective means of

preventing recidivism.

In addition because of the "if it bleeds, it leads" journalism

credo, few realize that most crimes are non-violent property

offenses whose perpetrators have abuse or mental problems

that need treatment. The public also needs to become aware

of the effectiveness of alternative treatments and be willing

to fund them.

Those who run for public office and advocate the alternatives

to incarceration must NOT be called soft on crime. The message

must be sent, loudly and clearly, that incarceration is not

effective as a means of preventing recidivism for non-violent,

non-sexual crime offenders. Prison beds should be reserved for

the true predators among us who need to be keep apart from

the rest of society.