SOME POINTS ON COSTS - 2013
SOME READINGS FOR THE FIRST WEEK (Data points):
There are currently, as of December, 2012, over 1.6 million adults in
Federal and state prisons, and very roughly 750,000 in county jails. This
means that over 2.5 million adults are behind bars as you read this.
(note: Declining somewhat, or at least not rising as fast, but
depends on the state).
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
We currently (2013 estimate) spend over $204 BILLION on law enforcement,
corrections, and courts in the United States. Of this, about $200 for every
person in the U.S. goes for state and local CORRECTIONS.
ILLINOIS (2013, approx) U.S. (2013, approx)
Annual cost: $1.27 Billion $70 Billion
Cost per month: $100 Million $5.8 Billion
Cost per day: $3.8 Million $158.9 million
Cost per hour: $158,000 $6,600,000
Cost per minute: $2,638 $111,000
Cost per second: $44 $1,833
ASK YOURSELF: If you could decrease correctional expenditures by just 10 PERCENT,
what could you do with the money to fight crime?
ARE WE 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.
FROM THE DEPT OF JUSTICE (ESTIMATED at end of Dec, 2012):
==============
State prisons: 1,340,000
Federal prisons: 197,050
Jails: 790,000
TOTAL: 2.33 million (down from2.66+ Million in 2009)
Probation: 4.3 million (approx)
Parole: 824,000 (approx)
TOTAL: About 7.8 million under some form of correctional supervision
About 3.2 percent of the nation's adult population, or 1 in every 30 of the ]
approximate 239 milliion adults in the U.S., are incarcerated, on probation,
or on parole at the start of 2009.
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:
--48,000+ in prison (approx)
--25,000 on parole
--Average sentence: About 4.1 years
--Average prison stay: About 1.2 years
--25 percent in for drug offenses (BUT: 42.3 percent of new admissions)
--Women are 6 percent of the population
--Black: 57 percent; Hispanic 23 percent; Whites: 30 percent; Other 2 pct
The average cost per prisoner in Illinois is estimated at about $21,622
annually (some estimates are higher), and about $70,000 for juvenile
institutions.
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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