The author of the article goes on to say that people in the US are sentenced to do time for crimes that would not produce such a sentence in other countries. According to another article in the New York Times (2008), states spend close to ten percent of their budget on corrections (Liptak &, 2008). In 2007 alone, states spend close to $45 million tax dollars. Not only is simply housing an inmate costly, but healthcare also provides a financial burden. In 1998, the states paid a little over seven dollars a day per inmate for healthcare (Kinsella, 2004).
Everyone in society plays a particular role. Social justice advocates might be concerned about incarceration rates that show racial disproportions and a fiscally conservative taxpayer would also be worried about the cost of said “war on drugs.” State legislatures need new ideas and solutions to come out of the war on drugs, considering policy change is in their hands. The United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. The inmate population grew considerably by 1,849 prisoners a week in 1996; that is 264 people a day. One out of every 155 U.S. residents has been behind bars, putting the United States only second to Russia and it’s per person rate of incarceration.
Police chiefs recognize that death penalty cases are particularly burdensome in the early stages. Two-thirds of the police chiefs polled said that death penalty cases are hard to close and take up a lot of police time” (15). So in essence, the cost of man-power in capital cases is very high, however over time it costs millions less than keeping a criminal imprisoned for life. It is said that capital cases leading to the death penalty cost approximately sixty thousand dollars a year for six years while life imprisonment cases cost thirty-four thousand a year for around sixty years (Costanzo 15). Personally, I don’t want my hard earned tax money being used to keep a vicious criminal alive.
A death sentence brings finality to a horrible chapter in the lives of these family members. It would mean that the family members of the victim could then end all sadness of the crime committed and try to forget about it as best they can and know that justice has been served to the defendant. If it wasn’t for the various types of punishment there wouldn’t be a way to deter people from committing crime. The death penalty creates another form of crime deterrent. Prison time is an effective deterrent to a point, with some people more time is needed.
An article in the Los Angeles Daily News the County Chief Executive Officer Bill Fujioka said “the additional jail beds are “critically needed” because realignment required inmates diverted from state prisons to serve their entire sentence in county jails, leaving the Sheriff’s Department scrambling for space for its other inmates” (Para 5, 2013). Because of realignment the jails have also become overpopulated now so they are re-opening a jail in the city of Taft. This also means that the serious offenders that were released, re-offended and were put into jail are able to serve full sentences before being released early
The majority of the people voting for the age limit to drop to 18 are the people who are under 18 or who are 18. They feel that 18 year-olds are prepared to make responsible decisions about drinking (Amethyst Initiative). The Amethyst Initiative believes that lowering the drinking age will only make situations worse for society. But the fact is, these people are not thinking about the consequences and are only looking at the pleasure. “More than 1,700 college students in the U.S. are killed each year—about 4.65 a day—as a result of alcohol-related injuries” (The Marin Institute).
Judge Camille: Young man why are you in my court? Zayne: Your honour my grandmother needed a surgery which was very expensive and my family couldn’t afford it. So I decided to do an illegal job but I got caught in the act. Judge Camille: Where are your parents? Zayne: My father died in jail and my mother is a crack addict but I don’t live with her anymore.
Many criminals commit crimes because they know that their offenses have light sentences and in no time they will be out on the streets wreaking havoc once again. This bill would make it harder for armed robbers to be out in the streets soon after their conviction and highly discourage them to repeat their offense. If a criminal knows that he can commit an armed robbery and only get three months sentence I believe he will more likely repeat his offense. If a criminal knows that an armed robbery conviction would give him six months in prison I believe that would be more than enough for the criminal to think it over and over before committing armed robbery. Many criminals do think before Prison term policy recommendation proposal 4 they commit a crime.
These eye-popping numbers came about for many reasons: mandatory minimum sentences, three-strikes legislation, illegal drugs, gangs, immorality in all its modern forms, the war on drugs, the decline of marriage and families, high rates of recidivism, incarceration of the mentally ill, the decline of capital punishment, problems with the criminal justice system and all the forces pushing tough crime policies. Difficult economic times focus attention on the increasing costs of keeping all these people - 93% of them men - behind bars. Each prisoner costs about $32,000 per year, and the average prisoner does little to offset the cost of confinement. The social costs may be even higher. Breadwinners are lost, families destroyed, more kids grow up without fathers or mothers, welfare costs increase, the entire sex ratio is thrown out of balance and prisoners face grim prospects when released.
Some offenders don’t understand that a crime is a crime no matter how many times they have committed with or without being caught. I also feel that some habitual offenders keep committing the crime or crimes because when they go to court they only receive a slap on the wrist so they feel they can do it again without any severe repercussions. If the offender keeps committing the crime than as I previously discussed I feel that the sentencing should be more