For example, the lowest level minimum risk prisoners, such as alcoholics and drug addicts, belong in rehabilitation centers rather than prison. Drug offenders represent the greatest concentration, comprise, “59% of all prisoners (Faces of HR95, 1).
In 2004, “40% of state and 49%” participated in drug abuse treatment programs since their admission to prison (OJP, 1). All other non-violent minimum-security prisoners who pose the least threat to public safety belong in jail rather than prison. Approximately, “50%” of all arrests constitute victim less crimes (Bowman Kearney, 437).
In fact, the U.S. nonviolent prisoner population exceeds combined populations of, “Wyoming and Alaska,” (Irwin, John, 4). Unfortunately, among all the “1.2 million” drug offenders in prison only “200,000 individuals represent non-user drug dealers (Washington Monthly, 1). The others represent drug addicts.
Most of the other 1 million drug offenders represent non-violent drug addicts who belong in rehabilitative centers. Indeed, violent offenders in prison proved, “50% less likely,” than drug and property offenders to consume drugs during the month preceding their offense (OJP, 1).
These individuals pose no threat to society other than the potential effects of their substance addiction. Why not remove the non-violent drug abusers from prison? After all, public officials expect the cumulative cost of housing for methamphetamine offenders to exceed, “$340 million” (Public Safety, 11). The prison system requires a more efficient classification hierarchy of prisoners based upon criminal severity.
If public officials only removed minimum threat prisoners and supplanted them with more culpable criminals, we might resolve overpopulation. Why not transfer the non-violent drug addicts who currently cost unnecessary space and expense to rehabilitative centers for treatment? Why waste excessive tax money without representation?
They suffer from a non-violent addiction that requires psychological attention. Perhaps drug-dealers who sell death to others belong with murders either in maximum-security prisons or possibly serving capital punishment.
To further diminish prison overpopulation, the prison population requires removal of illegal immigrants. Approximately “27%” of the prison population harbors illegal aliens. As non-citizens, these individuals deserve no place even in American prisons (Faces of HR95).
They illegal entrance to America alone entails a felony. Roughly 2 million illegal aliens annually infiltrate U.S. borders, exacerbating crime, destabilizing the economy, predisposing the nation to additional terrorism, and ultimately, polluting our culture with malfeasance.
They alone cost the government billions of dollars in social subsidized programs. “Senate expenditures for amnesty estimate a combined "$50 billion" annually directed toward, "entitlements, Medicaid, Social Security Income, Earned Income Tax Credit, the WIC program, food stamps, public housing, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and federally funded legal representation," (Phillips, 1).
Many refuse to learn English. Must we accommodate them? Deportation appears the only solution. Obliterating “27%” of the prison population considerably reduces superfluous space and expenses.
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