Have Prisons Become Big Business?

The U.S. leads the civilized world in the number of prison inmates. One in every 136 Americans is in jail or prison. We have a higher prison population than all of the European countries combined, including Russia. Nearly 8 million Americans are parolees, and future numbers are expected to rise.

Until a recent Supreme Court decision, judges were hampered by mandatory sentences, with no consideration of circumstances. A majority of prisoners are incarcerated because of non-violent offenses, most of them drug offenses.

Many prisons have been privatized and are paid by the governments for their expenses. In turn, prisoners are charged fees for their prison stays. Add this to fines, lawyer’s fees, etc., and many parolees are deeply in debt, with little hope of relief.
Should jail terms for minor drug offenses be shortened? Should some drugs be legalized? Should Rehab be considered for nonviolent drug offenses, rather than long prison terms?