Jim Webb on the "costs of mass incarceration" in America

By: Lowell
Published On: 10/4/2007 8:09:23 PM

See here for more on an important topic: "Mass Incarceration in the United States: At What Cost?"  It's utterly bizarre:

The United States has the highest reported incarceration rate in the world. The United States has five percent of the world's population, though it holds twenty-five percent of the world's prison population.  Although crime rates have decreased since 1991, the rate of imprisonment has increased by more than 50% since that time.

As Jim Webb says, "America's incarceration rate raises several serious questions."  That's a diplomatic way of putting it! :)

P.S. In other news, Jim Webb is part of a bipartisan group of Senators who have introduced a bill that would require the Bush Administration to report on Iraq redeployment planning.  Webb says, "I'm pleased to support this renewed bipartisan call for the Department of Defense to meet its Constitutional requirement of conferring with Congress on the status of its redeployment planning."

Key words: Constitutional requirement.  Thank goodness Jim Webb is in the U.S. Senate.

Comments



The rate is dramatic (dsvabeachdems - 10/4/2007 9:19:44 PM)
But the story only begins there. Look at who ends up incarcerated. Jails are fertile ground for future gang activity and crime. We are introducing people who have been stupid to dangerous criminals who will use their wit as leverage to manipulate the freshly disenfranchised. It isn't stupid that is contageous.


Webb is attacking a great problem here in the US (Dianne - 10/4/2007 10:11:41 PM)
I love this from Webb's opening statement and I so agree with it.  This makes me very happy that he is a Senator and our Senator.

We want to keep bad people off our streets.  We want to break the back of gangs, and we want to cut down on violent behavior.  But there's something else going on when we're locking up such a high percentage of our people, marking them at an early age and in many cases eliminating their chances for a productive life as full citizens.  It will take years of energy to address these problems.  But I am committed to working on a solution that is both responsive to our needs for law and order, and fairer to those ensnared by this system.


Awesome stuff (Catzmaw - 10/4/2007 10:13:18 PM)
I'm very excited about this initiative on Senator Webb's part and support it 100%.  It's frustrating to see young people destroyed for one or two bad decisions.  There was once a time when a young person, particularly a juvenile, could err but be forgiven and allowed another chance.  Now we have laws which make it impossible to leave behind even a juvenile's felony record.  Kids caught committing a felony, such as a drug sale, when they're 15 or 16, now face being labeled felons for the rest of their lives.


Mentally Ill (Alicia - 10/4/2007 11:44:38 PM)
Not to mention many mentally ill people who would be better served by good mental health care instead of being locked up...


Very good point (Catzmaw - 10/5/2007 7:25:32 AM)
It's no secret that we're using our criminal justice system as a substitute for absent mental health services. 


Today's NY Times editiorial (lumpkincharm - 10/7/2007 3:51:53 PM)
Today's New York Times editorial discusses this matter, offering some legislative advice - stuff I never thought about.