USA - Lawmakers push to curb overcrowding prisons

[Heretic.Ape.]

Lawmakers push to curb overcrowding in prisons

By Bob Johnson
Associated Press Writer
MONTGOMERY — Members of a legislative oversight committee on Thursday committed to push for legislation next year that would create more drug courts and enhance other programs aimed at reducing prison overcrowding.
But one legislator warned that such programs may be used against them by political opponents.
“They will charge that you are soft on crime,” said Sen. Pat Lindsey, D-Butler.
Members of the Legislature’s Joint Prison Oversight Committee agreed Thursday to meet once a month between now and the start of the 2008 regular session in February to come up with bills aimed at reducing prison overcrowding.
Prisons Commissioner Richard Allen said there are currently 24,500 inmates in state facilities, including 21,500 in permanent prisons, which he said were built to hold about 10,400. Allen said about a third of those inmates were charged with drug offenses, while 75 to 80 percent had drug problems that contributed to their crimes.
Critical problem
Committee chairman Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, said prison overcrowding is a critical problem lawmakers must address.
“If we don’t stop this thing, our budget for prisons is going to equal what we pay for education,” Rogers said.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb said drug court programs are currently in operation in 18 counties and on the state’s only federally recognized Indian reservation. She said programs are being developed in another 26 counties. Cobb said she hopes the Legislature will provide funding to have a drug court program in every county within three years.
In drug court programs, defendants charged with felony drug possession or other drug related crimes undergo an intensive program of treatment and testing supervised by a judge. If the defendant remains drug free for a year, the charges are dropped.
“We are trying to craft a judicial system for fixing people and not for filling prisons,” said Cobb, the only Democrat on the nine-member Supreme Court.
Committee members discussed other efforts that could reduce prison overcrowding — including creating additional community corrections programs, releasing elderly and chronically ill patients early and creating additional programs to help prisoners transition into the community from life behind bars.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturd...crowding.shtml

[Police Officer]

Drug Court is an excellent program. Its a no bullshit approach and it seems to work. Its for people who want to solve a problem. From what I see it works for those who want it to work.

This article otherwise is misleading IMO.

[Heretic.Ape.]

Would you care to elaborate on the misleading aspects PO? I'd really like to see you start fleshing out your opinions rather than simply stating them. That's what discussion is all about.

[Police Officer]

Originally Posted by Heretic.Ape.

Allen said about a third of those inmates were charged with drug offenses, while 75 to 80 percent had drug problems that contributed to their crimes.

"charged with drug offenses" makes it sound like every doper that gets popped is spending time in prison. Folks, people dont go to prison for possession beefs. Maybe you spend a day or two in the county jail, but thats it. Ask anyone thats been arrested for possession-misdemeanor or felony. Distribution, cultivation, and such crimes are a different story. And even then its still rare. It just dosent happen. A vast majority of cases are pled down from much more serious charges.

I do believe the second part of that sentence though.

[FuBai]

Originally Posted by Police Officer

"charged with drug offenses" makes it sound like every doper that gets popped is spending time in prison. Folks, people dont go to prison for possession beefs. Maybe you spend a day or two in the county jail, but thats it. Ask anyone thats been arrested for possession-misdemeanor or felony. Distribution, cultivation, and such crimes are a different story. And even then its still rare. It just dosent happen. A vast majority of cases are pled down from much more serious charges.

I do believe the second part of that sentence though.

"You can get over an addiction, but you'll never get over a conviction" says the man from LEAP. Do you think that simple drugs offenders should have a criminal record or a medical one? Do you think that simple possession should be a charge to land you with a conviction that will go with your for the rest of your life, limit you job prospects etc.?

[zera]

Police Officer,

I have heard you express many times that you think the proportion of people in prison on drug related charges only is unreasonably high because it is often the result of a plea bargain. But then why does America, which has a similar crime rate to some Western European nations or Australia, and a higher acquittal rate due to strong civil liberties protections, have more prisoners than these countries. Surely if all these people in there for drug charges had other violent crimes under their belt than our prison population should be somewhat equivalent to these other nations with similar crime rates?