We have a shortage of prison beds in North Carolina. This places us at risk of having criminals not serve their time, and instead be unleashed on the public prematurely.
Senator Phil Berger indicates in a news release:
(T)he legislature’s Fiscal Research Division provided a Prison Population Growth and Policy Issues briefing which included predictions for the number of prison beds needed over the next ten years; forecasts indicate that there is a serious prison bed shortage that will only get worse in the coming years if concessions are not made. North Carolina has approximately 418 prison beds per 100,000 people, which places the state third from the bottom in the Southeast. Only two states have fewer beds, West Virginia (276) and Tennessee (326). Adequate prison space is part of the state’s infrastructure that has been ignored for too long.
State resources have been diverted to other areas instead, such as charity health care and education. We have seen previously with deficiencies in our probation system that criminal justice takes a low priority in the state of North Carolina.
I wonder how many beds would open up if the General Assembly reduced the state's archaic marijuana laws to misdemeanors? This would, IMHO, be more proactive (and less expensive) than building more prisons (Sen. Berger), limiting free speech on the internet (Sen. Goss), limiting the number of charter schools (Jeffus) or attempting to reduce the budget shortfalls on the backs of the dwindling number of NC smokers (Holloman)!
Posted by: Touch | March 01, 2009 at 02:14 PM
Touch: too much sense. 45% of people in NC prisons have not encroached upon anyone or harmed anyone's property. prison/industrial complex is a large lobby group which feeds off of taxpayers.
Posted by: Beelzebubba | March 01, 2009 at 03:26 PM
Touch and Beelzebubba, this discussion partially is impacted by sentencing practices and guidelines. We have learned over the last couple of years about a number of dangerous folks who hurt others and infringe on people's property being out on probation.
If we are different than other states with respect to prison capacity and sentencing, we need to understand why. It could be the converse of what you are suggesting-- that too few are being sent to prison for long periods.
I am not suggesting that prison is the solution for every case. But we have to be very concerned about recidivists, and the more serious crimes-- and there are many.
Posted by: Joe Guarino | March 01, 2009 at 03:47 PM