Some Election Day Thoughts
“Let’s get tough on crime!” We continue to hear this in political campaigns. However, how often do we think about what this really means? In the Anne Arundel County political race for Prosecutor, the challenger complained that a 55 year sentence was too lenient. A 55 year sentence would mean that the defendant in that case would be roughly eighty four years old at the time of his release. Too lenient?
From a pure economic viewpoint, lengthy prison sentences make no sense. “[America’s]… imprisoned population, at 2.3m, exceeds that of 15 of its states. No other rich country is nearly as punitive as the Land of the Free. The rate of incarceration is a fifth of America’s level in Britain, a ninth in Germany and a twelfth in Japan.” (The Economist, July 22, 2010 http://www.economist.com/node/16640389). Here in Maryland, the latest report available on the Department of Corrections website celebrates a reduction in correctional officer overtime. The overtime alone for fiscal year 2009 is listed at $41,979,780! (http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/publicinfo/publications/pdfs/DPSCS-SecretaryReport-2009.pdf)
From a justice viewpoint, caging folks for years is hardly a fair way of dealing with crime. For those of us that do this work for a living, we know that lengthy incarceration just makes things worse. Criminal defense lawyers will often refer to jails and prisons as “Gladiator Schools” – a place for our clients to learn more about crime.
I visited my local library last week. I walked past an onslaught of political signs during the early voting process. After I entered, I looked upon the shelves of magazines and one after another spot had a sign in the place where the magazine used to be. It explained that due to the budget cuts, the library could no longer afford to have these magazines. I used to be able to take my kids to the library on a Sunday. Not anymore. We do not have unlimited state and federal budgets. We need to not be afraid to speak up. After the election dust settles, please call, write and e-mail your representatives and tell them to stop wasting money on mass incarceration.
