Friday, June 15, 2007

We're Too Busy Protecting Public Safety

The Agonist points to just one problem we're seeing more and more of due to the diversion of resources to prisons:

Let's See If I Understand . . .
. . . this correctly: we have tainted spinach, peanut butter, cat food and toothpaste. Right? So why then do they want to cut the FDA's budget?

Our debate in corr sent has always been warped by the insistence that the only "public safety" that is worth funding is that provided by more incarceration. Meanwhile, people suffer and die, and more will in the future, while we tunnel-vision and pretend we're doing all we can to keep people truly safe.

1 comment:

JSN said...

Why do they call it the department of corrections? What does it correct? They should be called Departments of Retribution.

In Iowa most of the prisoners with alcohol/drug abuse problems were never treated while they were in prison and their chances of being treated after they leave prison are small. If they suffer a relapse that all by itself is a parole violation. If they also commit a new offense while intoxicated they still a threat to public safety and can be returned to prison.

When state legislators say that public safety has the highest funding priority it is because they think that is what the voters want to hear. Recidivism is eating our lunch and it is long past time to put in place corrective action.