Senator Webb Eyes Prison Reform

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_12/016225.php


WEBB EYES PRISON REFORM.... It's a crowded policy landscape, and it's daunting to consider which challenges to address first, but kudos to Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) for raising the importance of an issue that too often goes overlooked.



"I enjoy grabbing hold of really complex issues and boiling them down in a way that they can be understood by everyone," Webb told the Washington Post. "I think you can be a law-and-order leader and still understand that the criminal justice system as we understand it today is broken, unfair, locking up the wrong people in many cases and not locking up the right person in many cases."

Maybe it takes a decorated Marine veteran who served as Navy secretary under Reagan to avoid the "soft" label.



It may be a little while until we see progress on this front. This spring, Webb will introduce legislation to create a national panel on criminal justice reform. If a panel is created, it'll take a while for the members to conduct its research, and will take even more time before members of Congress are prepared to write and pass legislation.

But the process notwithstanding, Webb is not only right to tackle the issue, he's showing political courage in addressing a problem most would prefer to ignore. Good for him.

—Steve Benen

And one whose time is long, long overdue.

:thumbsup:

Unfortunately he is going to be running head long into the prison industry but then he hasn't ever let that sort of thing stop him before.

...the American Correctional Association's. Fortunes have been made off the prison industrial complex. Corporations who have made money off it have contributed to politicians who are willing to scare the populace into heinous "get-tough" policies. It's a hidden American festering boil.

Picking a fight over this is a good thing. That and he is doing it the right way. Suggesting that locking up non-violent drug offenders = murders back on the streets.

I wish him the best of luck.

Senator Webb has proven himself to be sturdy and insightful ... I am sure I am not the only one who asks why we house drug addicts in expensive prisons and let REAL criminals free due to 'overcrowding' ...

Drug use is no crime ... It is medical condition of considerable consequence ....

Decriminalize, make it retroactive, and spend the money that was to be used to EXPAND overcrowded prisons on drug treatments centers, along with mental health professionals who could help people overcome the primary causes of their drug use, and get them off for good ....

i hope the panel comes to that obvious conclusion. anyone know how webb feels about that?

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/23/america/23prison.php

Obscene.

And typically 20-25% of state prisoners.

Another few percentage points come back as parole violators for dirty drug tests.

About half of prisoners nationwide are in for non-violent offenses.

Prison should be reserved for those we're afraid of, not those we're just mad at.

:think:

Nobody else with any muscle has had the guts to take up these issues. I'm glad Webb took himself out of the running for VP; we need him in the Senate.

While this "war" on the US population continues, there can be no meaningful prison reform...

That would reduce the prison population by 500,000 right there.

And then we could go to work on sane sentencing policies instead of the horrid ones we have now. I think in most civilized countries nobody does 20 years even for murder, let alone for a few rocks of crack.

But there is a whole complex of institutional actors (law enforcement, prison guard unions, prosecutors, prison contractors and suppliers, drug testers) who benefit from the status quo, so this will be a tough fight.

Reform is really needed. CA's made some small steps with community based drug treatment programs instead of prison time for non-violent offenders, pre-release programs for parolees, etc. but we've just touched the surface.

I read a piece on an innovative state prison program that rewarded inmates with progressively greater free choice for use of their time inside for completing classes, job training programs, and generally "good" behavior, etc. It is targeted to 1. reinforce the day-to-day ability to make choices and act on them and 2. the ability to make good choices. It was really interesting.

A total turn around of the mind-numbing culture in many prisons.

If I can fish it up I'll cite the piece here.

as criminals... interesting.

Here's hoping the new crew is willing to listen...and act.