Lecture 1 - CLJ/355 (August 26)
SOME POINTS ON COSTS
Your instructor claims that the philosophy, goals, and practice of prisons must
be re-examined. The bottom line is that they "don't work" in an efficient or
effect way. The following are a few of the MANY reasons on which he bases this
judgment:
PRISONS ARE EXPENSIVE
Calculated the costs of prisons varies dramatically, depending on how
what costs are included. Most estimates suggest that, at the start of
and state prisons. (NOTE - these figures are down in recent years)
ILLINOIS (2009) U.S. (2010, est)
Annual cost: $1.1+ Billion $70 Billion
Cost per month: $91.6 Million $5.8 Billion
Cost per day: $249,315 $1.6 million
Cost per hour: $10,388 $66,600
Cost per minute: $173 $1,110
Cost per second: $2.89 $18.5
ANNUAL COST OF INCARCERATING A PRISONER IN ILLINOIS: $24,971
ASK YOURSELF: If you could decrease correctional expenditures by just TEN
PERCENT, what could you do with the money to fight crime?
WE ARE BECOMING A CARCERAL SOCIETY
Your instructor argues that both the rate and numbers of imprisonment in our
society are cause for concern. The facts appear to support this view.
==============
APPROXIMATE - AT YEAR'S END, 2009:
See USDOJ STATS
State prisons: 1,410,000
Federal prisons: 203,000
Jails: 775,000
TOTAL: 2.38+ Million
Probation: 4.5 million (approx)
Parole: 830,000 (approx)
TOTAL: 7.71 million under some form of correctional supervision
About 3.2 percent of the nation's adult population, or 1 in every 32 adult
residents, were incarcerated or on probation or parole in 2010.
As of last December 31, more than half of the probationers were white, 30
percent were black, 12 percent were Hispanic and 2 percent were of other races.
Women comprised 23 percent of all adults on probation.
IN ILLINOIS (approximate):
--45,000 in prison (approx) (increase from 38,352 in 1996 of about 15 pct)
--33,255 on parole
--Average sentence: About 4.1 years
--Average prison stay: About 1.0 years
--25 percent in for drug offenses (BUT: 42.3 percent of new admissions)
--Women are 6 percent of the population
--Black: 58 percent; Whites 28 percent; Hispanic: 13 percent; Other 2 pct
The average cost per prisoner in Illinois is estimated at about $21,622
annually, and about $70,000 for juvenile institutions. (note: this depends
on year and how calculated)
The US leads the world in incarceration rates, with 455 (per 100,000 residents)
in prison or jail. About 25 percent of Black males between 27-30 are in prison
or have been in prison. A young black male is far more likely to go to prison
than to college.
THE QUESTION POSED: What can be done to reduce the prison population while
simultaneously keeping society safe and meeting punishment goals?
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