Changes to the Prison system

My changes to the prison system includes the downgrading of drug use to misdemeanors instead of felonies, and instead of facing jail time the convicted would only face different magnitudes of fines. These fines could either be paid off immediately or worked off. To work it off the convict would be required to find a job in a couple weeks time, once they have a job the government will only take a slight bit of their paychecks, such that they can still keep up with the standard of living. In this working off period the fine would be considered a low interest rate loan. If the person does not get a job, fails to pay the fine, or wishes to follow this option, they be sent to prison and work in a prison factory until their fines are paid. In addition, other low level crimes such that require sentence time, such as fraud could also work in prison factories. Where they would be award credits to buy such things as cell phones, cell minutes, TV, and special dinners. What they could purchase will vary upon their crimes and affliction. Higher ranking crimes will be treated the same as they are now.

 

Even better would be to legalize the stuff, but if that doesn't fly I guess this is an pretty ok alternative unless I'm missing something.

 

I agree, a fine system punishes the poor and the rich could care less, it's just a small fine to them

make the fine worth 50% of a persons net worth and it would be equal


.

 

Eventually I would imagen some of it could be made legal but until then I would imagen this would work better than what is currently in place.

 

Great thread with multiple fresh and innovative ideas.

However, i must ask....

What about drug crimes which are accompanied by and congruent with violent offesnses?

What about the drug dealer who sells to a minor?

 

Drug related crimes would be treated the same as drunk related crimes. Basically, the violent offenses will be treated the same while taking in the impact of being under the influence.
For example, a murder under the influence with no pre planning would be considered a 3rd degree homicide.

A drug dealer that sells to minors would only face an extra fine and probably about a month in a work prison. Basically, they would face drug dealing charges with its fines and times with a slightly addition time or fine amount probably $50-$1000 or simple the time it takes them in a work prison to pay off the fines, which will vary depending if they want to spend the credits they earn on getting out quicker or buying stuff in prison, such as T.V.s, special dinners,etc.

 

This is interesting.
Are you suggesting that dealers who sell to minors get an opportunity to work for materialistic posessions?
Are you suggesting they be rewarded in this way?

 

Pot legalization is not as good of an idea as you think

 

Altering the prison system so you can do drugs it foolish. The system should definitely be altered but it has a lot more problems than drugs and there is no quick and easy solution.

 

I like the direction of the plan, but there are a few problems I could see arising. One being would the unemployed convicted have to notify employers they were applying too that they were facing "factory" time if they don't get the job? Would anyone be likely to hire them if that was the case. First of all they've been convicted of fraud, or they may have problems with addiction, and second they may quit as soon as their fine is paid off.

Another problem is. Who is running the prison factory? Because most of the prisons are privately owned now. The only ones that aren't are the ones where they do executions, because that has to be done by the State. Not only would the privately owned prisons be prisons, but they would also be a bank, and a manufacturing facility? Will this be a subsidized corporation? Who would choose the board of directors. I can see lobbyist descending on this plan like zombies on a fat man who just got shot in the leg.

 

This plan only calls for lowering of drug use on the criminal scale, replacing jail time with fines.

 

I don't do drugs, yet many Americans do why it is multi million dollar industry. This solution is far from quick and simple just by estimates I would imagen it would take about 5-10 years to get up and running fully.

 

I would imagine the factory part would be easy to overcome, that being that the charge would not appear on the person's record until the end of the two week period giving them a chance to get a job without much trouble. The main goal this to encourage long time employment by only taking off a little of the person's paychecks such that they have to keep the job for a long time 6 months+. It is pretty the same as your basic mortgage where you cannot really pay it off at once but pay it off over time with interest except in this case the interest would be keep low.

I would assume that a deal could be made between a factory and a prison to install a small scale factory next to a prison or a small prison area next to a preexisting factory. Thus allowing the prisoners to be take over to the factory to work. The payments themselves would be handled by the factory company, which would use simple checks. The checks then would be handed over to a processing center, created and controlled by the state. Here the state will cash the checks and give each prisoner an credit amount, most likely on a card or other scan able device, after taking off how much the prisoner wants to pay of their fine. Then the cards would be delivered to the prisoners to use at the jail to purchase whatever the jail decides to offer.

 

Only for their time in jail, it is basically a comfort like some prisons do, yet this time they have to ability to work to get it if they cannot pay for it.

It is not really an award they are just working while in jail pumping more money into the system instead of sitting around doing nothing all day and sucking money out of the system. My hope is while in jail they will learn work skills and will to continue to work after jail instead of trying to sell drugs again.

 

As of now it is nothing more than a possible solution to a big problem. If it is decided to be acted apon then I am sure most of the details, the problems and solutions to those problems, will be found out.

 

Yeah, it's better

 

But sadly, the system is not set up that way. Most people who get out of jail will have court fees and fines to pay, often with only a 30-day window in which to make the 1st payment. The courts, probation officers and judges don't care that it's hard for someone to get a job straight out of jail, so ex-inmates are often faced with a choice: either go back to jail for failing to pay or sell drugs or steal something to make the payment.

The reality is that the justice system is used as a revenue stream for many counties and they set you up to keep you in the system.

 

Well by having the ability to work I would imagine that they could actually pay these fees and pay them off. As for getting a job right out of jail by working through their sentence I would imagine that in most cases the factory would allow them to keep their job there or would help them with a job later on. And with the lower of the crimes to misdemeanors instead of felonies it should be easier to get another job. Basically, the crime won't look so bad and they would have additional work experience, something that is better than what exist today.

 

Well then youre proposing a business plan For the private jail industry which would be reliant upon, and rewarding to, criminality.

 

Well, we already have a surplus of workers, there'd have to be tax incentives for businesses to participate. Work-release programs tend to flounder because not enough companies want to participate, and you're basically proposing just that, so I'm skeptical. Plus you're going against a lot of special interests that profit from keeping things the way they are

 

No, not at all it is more of a reform program so that they don't go back to crime out of jail, they will learn to live legally in jail such that they can continue out of jail instead of going back into jail over and over and over. Besides this plan does not change the rulings on higher crimes and times of those, only for the more petty crimes which cause the prison system to be overfilled. This plan would only exist for drug users, and lesser crimes like that which normally only have a 6 month or less sentence. So instead of sitting in jail for that sort time they would be able to work and figure out a way of life that is more legal. I would imagine too that others like drug dealers might be able to work such that they could purchase comforts, but also learn a way to make money that doesn't involve something that is illegal.

 

I don't think it's "rewarding" at all, but even if it is it's a nice idea, albeit a naive one. But this attitude that we can't "reward" criminality has in large part led us to where we are. There are basically ZERO helpful services for people in jail, which is bull(*)(*)(*)(*) because one of the highest contributing factors to recidivism is that it's nearly impossible to find a decent job once you've been in the system.

 

Trust me, i know that all too well.

 

By having these deals in between prisons and factories it probably would bring back factories since it would decrease production cost. Mostly due to the prisoners only being paid minimal wage instead of several dollars above it.
There will always be special interest groups that profit from something.

 

I just mentioned that work-release programs are failing because businesses don't want to be a part of them. How are we going to broker these deals for your idea and how are we going to fight the powerful speacial interests that will balk at changing something that, for them, is highly profitable?