We can all applaud the bi-partisan effort to reduce prison populations. But fewer prisoners in due course means fewer actual prisons, does it not? So which prisons will be kept and which closed down – the public or the private prisons? I am offering no prizes for anyone guessing which! Since politicians will not wish to offend their paymasters, the end result of what seems an intelligent, moderate and humane movement will be that the whole prison industry with end up in private hands.
The original idea of putting criminals away in prisons was correctional. You hoped that prisoners would reflect on their misdeeds and resolve to go straight once released. Private prisons can have only one objective, and that is profit. To imagine that they will “correct” anything is naive. Aside from anything else they are certain to use the cheapest employees they can find, and employ the fewest. This task of dealing with convicted criminals is the task of government.
Let us be careful what we wish for!
We should only close down prisons if at the same time, we reduce sentence lenghs. Now as far as non violent offences may go, this is mostly a good thing. I would go than Congress and legalise non violent drug offences altogether. But for those in prison for violent or property crime- the majority- reducing sentences may lead to more crime becuase there will be more criminals out on the streets. It’s very important to make the distinction between the two types of criminals: those who are a danger to society, and those who aren’t. Personally, I don’t think being more relaxed on violent crime is a good idea. Part of the reason why crime has fallen so dramatically in America over the past 40 years is becuase of the expanding prison population.
I don’t think anyone is advocating being soft on violent criminals. The huge rise in the prison population has been caused by criminalising things like possession of marijuana – that’s what we’re talking about, the stupid so-called “war on drugs” , which, I believe, was a slogan invented on the spur of the moment to win an election for Nixon. No one thought it through and it has cost untold expense and suffering..