ONE IN ONE HUDRED IN PRISON?

Yesterday I heard that one out of every one hundred people in the U.S. is incarcerated. What a stunning statistic! The report went on to say that, while crime rates remain relatively consistent, political sentiment has led to significantly stiffer sentencing, thereby increasing the number of people in prison.

There are so many things wrong with this picture, I scarcely know where to start. If there were any indication that stiffer sentencing actually led to a reduction in crime, I suppose that increased incarceration could be justified. Since locking more people up for longer periods of time does not seem to be keeping us safer, though, this policy makes no sense.

It seems that another approach to crime reduction may be in order. How about addressing some of the underlying social issues that lead to higher crime rates? Of course, adequate housing and community development is part of the solution, as is transportation, education, and other programs that are known to build strong communities. I believe that this is the time to make those investments, both to prevent incarceration, and to promote community re-entry.

The growing prison population is creating enormous cost burdens upon federal, state, and local governments. It seems that some of these resources could be redirected to supporting communities in creating and maintaining programs that will move some of our vulnerable citizens along a different path.