Issue 3, September 2007

The United States has only five percent of the world's population, but nearly a quarter of its prisoners; a country that, because it has increased the length of sentences and virtually eliminated parole, has seen its prison population grow seven times larger than it was in 1970; a country that puts a larger percentage of its own citizens behind bars than any other country in the world. These statistics will surely take on added significance in the next several years, as the cost of housing the United States ' booming prison population continues to skyrocket.

It's easy to feel compassion for men and women who stare out from behind bars and jagged razor-wire—their wrinkled skin and gnarled hands restrained by chains, crutches and other smybols of frailty, positioned against cell doors. There are a staggering and imposing series of facts and statistics to support the argu­ment against lengthy prison incarceration and that the American penal system is not only cruel and vindictive, but also a huge waste of money. However, the popular perceptions about crime have blurred the boundaries between fact and politically expedient myth. The brutality, excessive cost, and ineffectiveness of prisons are well documented, but prosecutors and politicians alike know the mind-set of the general population demands these long sentences and their failure to secure them would mean losing their next election; so the gruesome practice continues,

A few questions must be posed to the general publics will locking up ever more people ultimately increase the number of sociopaths in our midst, as fewer than 10 percent of prisoners are sentenced to life, we can expect that more than 90 percent of the prison population will be released, if we fail in offering any form of meaningful rehabilitation and or education? There is the issue of critical mass. As you lock up a higher percentage of young men in a community, what happens when these men come out, in term of role models, crime, the safety of the community? Many will be lacking jobs upon release and having no access to state support, will resort to stealing just to eat. Many will also be homeless, with their best chance of finding shelter being to commit crimes and returning to jail or prison,

But the issue may not be the overcrowding and tremendous expense, the issue may be the prevention of crime in the United States . To prevent the mistakes and ignorance, the hostility and hopelessness, that condemn the young and often not-so-young to a lifetime of imprisonment. Rehabilitation and educational programs are far cheaper and more importantly, for the general population, more productive than the present system of "lockem up and throw away the key" programs of the present prison environment.

In the United States, six million students are on the verge of dropping out of high school. In a effort to get-tough-on crime, in 1994, Congress abolished the practice of awarding Pell Grants (federal education loans that do not need to be repaid) to prisoners, effectively ending chances for inmates to get a college education while incarcerated. This move met strong opposition from the Department of Education, which concluded that only one-tenth of one percent of the Pell Grant budget went to the education of prisoners. However, the grants were ended for prisoners, even though a number of studies concluded that post secondary education lowered recidivism rates.

The United States is the "world leader" in incarcerating its citizens. Let us be the "world leader" in education and rehabilitation of our incarcerated population, which in the end, will lead to a more productive and healthier country. Democracy and Common Sense are our most valuable tools, let's use them to change this system.