3 ms·
You're doing that right now, with your tax dollars. It cost $81,203 _per year_ to house just one inmate in California[0]. I understand punishing sellers, but I
by syspec 6y ago
You're doing that right now, with your tax dollars. It cost $81,203 _per year_ to house just one inmate in California[0].
I understand punishing sellers, but I think the punishments for drug charges (and most charges in the US), are so draconian. 1 Year in prison for this guy should be enough. From what I've heard, prison is terrible, people do not want to spend 1 day in prison.
There is absolutely nothing he will learn in year 3, or year 4, or year 5, that will make him a better person when he comes out.
"Tough on crime" and "war on drugs" are just two huge mistakes we have made that we cannot retract, because it is politically unpopular to do so.
[0] https://lao.ca.gov/policyareas/cj/6_cj_inmatecost https://lao.ca.gov/policyareas/cj/6_cj_inmatecost
- dTal 6y agoThe dysfunctionality of the American penal system, as well as the propensity to treat it like a hammer for every problem's nail, warrants an entirely separate discussion. Hopefully there's a satisfactory middle ground between "locked up in harsh conditions for years" and "ain't nobody's business if you do".
- nip180 6y agoIt’s literally all about that $81k at this point. More time in prison, more people in prison, more lobbying dollars to encourage the use of the prison system. We have 2.5 million people in jail/prison.