Dem Govs Look For Ways To Manage ‘Explosion’ Of Prisoners Leaving Jail
EmailABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: A group of Democratic governors warned Saturday that a dramatic rise in the number of prisoners coming home over the next few years is one of four sociological trends that threaten to engulf the United States in a new crime wave if steps are not taken at the state and federal levels.
"Each of us here is committed to sounding a national alarm that after a 14-year decline, crime is actually on the rise once again in America and each of us as governors is committed to getting ahead of this," said Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
The Kansas Democrat made her remarks at a news conference to announce the release of a report by Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank. She was joined by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen. The "reentry explosion" is one of four trends identified in Third Way’s report. The others are the "lengthening shadow of illegal immigration," the "sprawling parentless neighborhood of the Internet," and the surging youth population.
The enormous increase in the number of ex-cons coming home over the next five years is an outgrowth of the tough-on-crime policies followed over the last two decades. "Twenty years ago, fewer than 700,000 people populated the entire state and federal prison system," says the report. "Next year, 700,000 people will be released from prison and 3.5 million will be released over the next five years."
To address the "reentry explosion," Third Way recommends replacing "idleness with improvement" during each prisoner’s incarceration, reconnecting prisoners with the community when their time behind bars winds down, and reconceptualizing parole.
The report recommends that an individualized 40-hour per week curriculum be developed for each prisoner to address barriers to success. Components of such a curriculum would include things such as literacy education, acquiring a GED, English as a second language, earning a two-year or college degree, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, parenthood training, and work designed to increase marketable skills on the outside.
For prisoners in the final 12 to 18 months of their prison sentences, the report recommends a series of measures to initiate a productive return home. Those measures include prison savings accounts, employment certificates, and state ID cards for those who have no other form of identification. The report also suggests connecting prisoners with employment opportunities and the expansion of family reunification programs.
Finally, the report recommends rethinking parole from "a culture of ‘gotcha’ to one of case management across state agencies and risk assessment and reduction for the community."
At the federal level, the report calls on Congress to pass the Second Chance Act, which would provide states with more resources to reduce recidivism. The report also calls for expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (E.I.T.C.) for single males without children. At present, the maximum EITC benefit for a single person without children is approximately $400 per year. It is over $4,000 for a single person with two children. "This gap needs to be narrowed," says the report, "to encourage single males to enter the workplace and choose a productive, rather than destructive path."
In her home state of Kansas, Sebelius has been at the forefront in addressing prisoner re-entry.
After she was elected governor in 2002, it was anticipated that Kansas would have a prison population going up about 15 percent over a six year period of time, costing the state about $80 million in beds that it would have to add to its correction system.
"Because of the steps that we have taken both in terms of training in prison, looking at drug and alcohol programs, and partnering with communities’ re-entry programs in big cities, where most of the inmates are returning, we have now been successful in flattening our prison population," said Sebelius. "We actually have fewer inmates today than we did when I came into office five years ago."
Similar to the think tank’s work on issues such as national security and abortion, Third Way’s anti-crime proposals are designed to put progressive goals in a new centrist framework.
"This is not about blaming society. The direct question we are trying to answer is what to do in the here and now about the 700,000 prisoners coming out right now every year," Third Way’s Rachel Laser told ABC News. "And the answer there was turning prisons from idleness to productivity, a 40-hour work week … with class and counseling and the like, and a parole system that changes from ‘I gotcha’ to more of a graduated system that reacts appropriately and doesn’t just try to put people back in prison but strives towards a different goal. It strives to put people back in the communities."
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I like the ideas being proposed here.
However, it has to be remembered that prisoners who re-enter society have a lot of “baggage” that the average citizen does not have. In the case of family background, often it is very deficient. The important thing to keep in mind is to formulate a well thought-out approach, and then give this approach time to work. Make it an approach that won’t just change with administrations.
Harry
Posted by: Harry Toder | February 24, 2008, 5:59 pm 5:59 pm
I like the ideas being proposed here.
However, it has to be remembered that prisoners who re-enter society have a lot of “baggage” that the average citizen does not have. In the case of family background, often it is very deficient. The important thing to keep in mind is to formulate a well thought-out approach, and then give this approach time to work. Make it an approach that won’t just change with administrations.
Harry
Posted by: Harry Toder | February 24, 2008, 5:59 pm 5:59 pm
Why should the politicans care, convicts can’t vote? I mean so what if they’ve learned to be better criminals inside. It’s not like that’s ever gonna come back to bite…
Posted by: cba | February 24, 2008, 6:11 pm 6:11 pm
How can you possible just dump someone out of mind numbing prison back into society with $200 in his pocket and a so called “parole” plan that sends 70% back to prison. Everyone already knows this so we need to change. I can’t believe how government just keeps its head in the sand over this. As a taxpayer I want prisoners to learn productive and survival skills that puts them in a reasonable job the second week out with an ongoing social skills program that puts them right into a new path with new people. Also resources for mentally ill and drug abusers is key to success. Punishing and desocializing a disturbed person into a paranoid cynical sociopath and degrading their job skills and ruining their finances and then just dumping them back on society is truely counterproductive. The gangs love it because it leaves ex-prisoners with no other options but to rejoin the gang. We are actually helping the gangs with current policies.
Posted by: Brian | February 24, 2008, 6:12 pm 6:12 pm
Great Idea! I live in a pretty tough neighborhod and have seen these problems first hand. While som suburban folks probably are still favor just 100% punishment, this all come back to bite us without real rehab. Senator Obama has talked about this and I’m sure he would help move it forward once he’s elected.
Posted by: JayIn DC | February 24, 2008, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
The answer for these Governors and what to do about ex offenders is,
The Benefactor Project,
If you want to do something call a Governor and tell them about it.
Posted by: Tom Canavan | February 24, 2008, 6:33 pm 6:33 pm
Trade schools that offered job skills training, social skills and counseling setup within the neighborhoods many of these were sent back to worked in the past. Why not now? Of course, you have to have a competent staff of professionals involved, including psychologists to help with the transition. America dumped many of these low level lawbreakers into the prisons and just left them there to rot, especially during the crack craze of the 1980s and ’90s. They were placed alongside some of the deadliest and most dangerous criminals. So, for sure there’s going to be baggage some come out with. But I honestly don’t believe they will go on a national crime spree. If crime seems to increase, it will be at the cold hand manipulation of some unseen force working to impress and frighten people into to giving, once again, their most basic rights and freedoms.
Posted by: dont believe | February 24, 2008, 7:32 pm 7:32 pm
The idea is on point. As an ex sheriff I concur with the proposal. Some what similar to a proposal I submitted,creating a better person in preparation to their return to society. There is an agenda in the system but its not to reform. God bless her for havin the courage to stand on those issues. Truth be told once raw cocaine is purchased the recipient can do with it as they please. So the issue isn how crack effects the community but if the big wigs aren held accountable its not fair.
Posted by: ex-cook county sheriff | February 24, 2008, 7:59 pm 7:59 pm
Most people here agree we need to do something more productive with people than just imprison the. So why are we not doing that? I read where just a small percentage of persistent people drive the policy’s of criminal justice system including making ever more laws, like prison gaurd and police unions and special interest groups like MAD etc and a few politicos doing time as prosecutors. But the majority of the American people do want real change and why are we allowing ourselves to be handcuffed by the minority here? Especially when we are paying the bills and the price of failed policies? Yes there are antisocial people, but many could be turned around if we tried. Also its a mistake to cast this as solely a race issue as that will just turn off many who could help push for change and frankly its a people issue.
Posted by: Brian | February 24, 2008, 11:00 pm 11:00 pm
There are some good points here that I can agree with. This type of programming can work for petty criminals such as drug pushers who need some guidance, but hard core criminals need to be removed from society for the protection of society. How many times do we hear of ex-cons out on parole that rape or murder innocent people? Far too often for my taste. There needs to be a balance of punishment to deter crime and programming for those who appear capable of reform.
Posted by: Jim | February 24, 2008, 11:18 pm 11:18 pm
It was a couple of decades or so ago that conservatives began their “tough on crime” approach and liberal politicisn soon followed because it made for easy and successful campaign slogans. But now these silly policies have come back to haunt us. Instead of expanding prisons and making it nearly impossible for these men to re-enter society, we should have been expanding and reshaping our rehabilitaion programs and offering employers tax breaks to hire those who successfully completed rehad programs.
Posted by: frankiestage | February 24, 2008, 11:33 pm 11:33 pm
If a majority of prisoners are there because of addictive substances and behaviors, their main source of help must come from building a better spirit in them and not handing them more wasted tax dollars to bounce back in the system again. I have never been in prison, but I know I would probably be there if I didn’t go to AA or Alanon or other 12 Step programs. Convicts may better them on the inside with self knowledge or their punishment, but when they get on the outdide world they will face the same or worse realities before they were incarncerated. Even if you set up them with schooling or job placement, someone will confront them again offering drugs or booze or sex or something else, and when their problems build up where they are controlled by unresolved past events, they will eventually give in. If people are really concerned about our convicts they should go in the inside and personally guide them. It doesn’t require an organized or political entity to create this kind of action. Why give more money on earned income credit to single parents as this gives them justification to continue to be a single parent and their lost value system. Paying more taxes to support their way of life doesn’t change things. They just need to get off their butts and show some concern for life, create their way of life with what God gives them. I am tired of supporting a lazy non working society who wants to eat the fat of the cow and not plant its own crops and harvest their way of life. Get off your butts America, or not the next time you hop in your car drive to the cemetery and bury yourself next to the innocent victim that was murdered by you and not by your hands but with how you treated that person emotionally, spiritually, and financially.
Posted by: Eric | February 25, 2008, 1:16 am 1:16 am
This is a joke. Unless these ex-felons are given back their voting rights they will not truly be integrated back into society. Otherwise they will always see theselves as second class citizens. Its a travesty that the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of ANY nation in the world. To think that all you have to do is give them some job skills and everything will be hunky dory is a fantasy. There has to be some systemic changes in the way our economy and society works for there to be any real hope. Under the free market system we have now there no jobs for these folks (or anyone else) to get even with training. We can start by taxing that 2% of the population that has over half the wealth. Then use those billions to create well paying jobs for EVERYONE.
Posted by: Mark from Atlanta | February 25, 2008, 2:04 am 2:04 am
CCA is building another prison in my state. Prison stock is always steady and constant even as other stocks drop. Wonder why? Go figure. Most of those prison guard, police unions, prosecutors, some politicians most likely have much of their invested stock in the prison system. Instead of building more prisons, they should be investing in more schoolings, Trade schools etc. But it’s money and stock options that drives the prison system in America. Just as the country once profitted from slavery, human bondage. Slavery never went away, people! The present prison system is nothing but a reincarnation of that bygone slave era that America came to depend on for its riches.
Posted by: Modern Day Slave System | February 25, 2008, 2:19 am 2:19 am
Probably most of the people who posted on these blogs could have ended up in prison for one reason or another if bad luck had broke their way. You say your an angel, I dunno. Maybe you didn’t accurately fill out your tax forms, maybe you smoked something, maybe you almost pushed a rude police officer or parking ticket maid with an attitude, maybe you lost your temper in an airport(lucky you didn’t end up like that Phoenix women left handcuffed unattended and worse dead). Maybe the swat team bursts in on your house one day and finds something. You don’t have to be a bank robber or drug dealer to end up in prison frankly. The justice system only catches some of the criminals and apparently for felons its their 10th crime. Well how many of you, including police officers commited one or another of something along the way. It could be as simple as going 70 in a 50 mph zone and hitting someone and getting involuntary manslaughter. It might be drinking one beer on an empty stomach and getting a dui, it might be a call girl in vegas, it might be defending yourself from spousal abuse. It happens. That is why we need to do all we can to keep prisoners on the good path and as you can see many would do very well with a rehabiliatory system over a punative one. We aren’t all Charles Mansons, but we can still get in trouble with the law and not be criminals, just clumsy or cheaters.
Posted by: Brian | February 25, 2008, 3:22 am 3:22 am
Once upon a time, we reformed our penal system to treat prisoners better andattempt to rehabilitate them, so that they’d have a better chance on the outside. It worked reasonably well. The COnservatives decided that this was a waste of time and that a prison should be a horrible place. They then started throwing people into them for the most petty of offenses – mostly minor drug offenses. Now prisoners come out hardened, bitter, and angry. Way to go, right wing. You sure improved things!
Posted by: Reform | February 25, 2008, 7:10 am 7:10 am
One thing is clear: Criminals should be hunted down by members of a civilized society. We need to realize that racial profiling DOES catch criminals–it’s not too difficult to see who we are talking about. Stop coddling and making excuses for criminal behavior.
Make prisons look and feel like prisons–not country clubs with gyms and the ability to assemble Solitary confinement, limited sunlight exposure, rations, unregulated temperatures in cells, limited medical care in prison, public beatings for infractions.
Criminals…don’t do crime in Cleveland, Ohio! go anywhere else, but not in Cleveland.
Posted by: Don't do crime in Cleveland, Ohio | February 25, 2008, 7:12 am 7:12 am
We also need to address the get tough issues that put a lot of these people in jail in the first place. These are not 700,000 felons that are being released. Some of these are people were non-violent offenders that are victims of mandatory sentencing.
Posted by: Louis | February 25, 2008, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
When prison population increases, crime goes down. When prisoners are released, crime will go up, and our neighborhoods will become battlegrounds. If we want safe streets we should support longer sentences. So called “nonviolent” crack heads are a myth. Don’t kid yourselves. We will pay a steep price for reducing the sentences of crack dealers and abusers.
Furthermore, “we” are not responsible for rehabilitating these felons. Their failure to reintegrate into society is on them. They are their own people and must bear the consequences of their actions.
Posted by: Leroy | February 25, 2008, 8:40 pm 8:40 pm
Really folks! Currently there are only 7 states that completely prohibit felons from voting ( some restrict for a certain period of time and others after the sentence is completed). However, it’s pretty appearant that since most of y’all don’t know this that the felons don’t either and don’t even try to vote. It is time that the US takes a look at what it is doing to it’s own population (Being the highest percentage of it’s own population that is incarcerated of any western nation). Both sides of this whole argument are valid at certain points. The main problem is the mixing of violent and non-violent offenders. I agree that for violent offenders, the time should be tough. Still, once they approach their release, they should be provided whatever is necessary for them to make a successful transition. This is not for their sake but for society’s. It is far less costly both monetarily and in terms of human pain and suffering to do this. Time for non-violent offenders should be more focused on meeting whatever need was lacking that brought them to this point. Still one of the best ways for society to keep the economy strong. When people have hope they are far less likely to participate in illegitimate activities.
Posted by: Nancy | February 26, 2008, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
I was dismayed to read this article, and the comments that follow, but not really surprised. This is the same old ACLU nonsense that’s been going on for years.
First off, Mr. Slavery, let me make this very clear to you: Slavery is forcing people to work for little or no pay against their will without merit. Slavery was abusive and racist and had to do with white people (and muslims and plenty of others) claiming ownership of other humans based on the inferiority of skin color (and the fact that they were being sold by their own as forced-laborers). PRISONS are places where Criminals go. If you need to look up what a crime is, I suggest you hurry before the police show up at your door for some “free expression” you participated in recently. The fact is, society is set up and functions because of law. Thomas Hobbes’ state of nature implies that every person is out for their own interests and as such there is no justice or moralism except by the consensus of the populace to maintain law. Under this definition, then, criminals are NOT a part of society. And I don’t care if you’re talking about a crackhead or someone who speeds. You do NOT commit crimes by accident. Involuntary manslaughter is a misnomer because it is still manslaughter, and the conviction is reached based on the fact that something you were WILLFULLY doing led you to the circumstance in which you accidentally killed someone. Even if it was something as simple as talking on the cell phone while driving, or going 10 mph over, you’re still demonstrating an impatience and disregard for regulation and law which is, in fact, criminal. You are a criminal.
And WHY on earth does everyone suddenly want to pay 1000-2000 more in taxes a year to pay Criminals, of all people, to have free education? This is typical Liberalistic nonsense- make people pay into the government and the government will fix everything, even criminals. EVERY criminal considers their actions and the risk before they commit a crime. I’m talking about murderers, rapists, drug dealers (perhaps especially drug dealers), crackheads, burglers, people who commit income tax fraud, EVERY CRIME. You are in jail because you are guilty, not because you’re misguided and made a mistake. The very idea that we should spend our tax dollars – and make no mistake, the government is pulling cash out of its ass for this – to educate criminals during their time in jail is as absurd as when an ivy league college a few years ago offered one of Al-Qaeda’s top leaders a full scholarship so that “by being integrated into western thought” he might become a good peaceful muslim and love the west and capitalism (highly ironic considering how much ivy league colleges seem to hate the democracy and capitalism that sustains them.)
You want to make criminals stop committing crimes? Make it extremely unprofitable! What on earth will stop a down-on-his-luck 19 year old from committing armed robbery now when he knows that he’ll serve maybe 5 years in jail, during which he’ll get FREE education, GUARANTEED job placement, and guaranteed paid work while in the slammer? I’m paying $17000 a year to go to college right now, and I tell ya, I could use some government handouts. Maybe I should go attack someone or rob a store so I can get free handouts?
Lets try sending a message to the criminals, instead, that “here’s your $200 and a parole officer, if you commit another crime we’re doubling the sentence”. It only makes sense after all…repeat offenses should have much higher crime-deterrent sentences on them. This way when Joe get out of the slammer, he’ll be scared straight by the prospect of double sentences if he does something bad, and he’ll maybe think “Hey I should be a responsible citizen and get a job and join society”.
THAT is the sort of solution that works.
Posted by: Kevin B | February 27, 2008, 11:44 am 11:44 am
Wow, I think this discussion has gone off the subject and on the personal end regarding government handouts! The topic again is the effects of the prisoners that are going to soon be released. It is going to happen people! So do you want a recently released convict as your next door neighbor that has been handed $200 and a parole officer with no kind of job skills and cannot be reintegrated into society? I know I would feel better knowing the they have been able to provide some kind of guidance to these people
Posted by: Bri | March 3, 2008, 5:07 pm 5:07 pm