You don’t have to look very far in the news headlines to see a state discussing changes to their sentencing laws or practices, favoring more treatment over incarceration. And while there is evidence that treatment can be more effective in reducing recidivism than incarceration (in the case of nonviolent drug offenses), much of these changes are being spurred by a simple lack of money.
When you live in the most incarcerated nation in the world, and that county and the states that make it up are struggling to pay their debts it makes sense to look to the prison system to save money. In most states, the corrections budget is one of the top two expenditures of total state spending. Cutting back on the corrections budget and doing it correctly offers states a chance to trim millions from the budget with minimal tax increases to the public.
Regardless of what’s motivating the change, it is a positive one under most circumstances.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Kentucky was the most recent state to make such changes, diverting money into rehabilitation programs and simultaneously reducing penalties for drug offenses, reducing the number of defendants that will be shuffled through the prison system.
While the War on Drugs and the “tough on crime” movements went hand in hand and contributed to the astronomical prison populations, lawmakers on the right and the left are supporting these reforms because the laws enacted to dole out the harshest penalties are simply costing too much—and money is an issue that crosses political lines.
Drug addiction is a disease and incarceration doesn’t really treat the disease, merely pauses it. And sometimes, depending on the prison, it doesn’t even do that. When someone who went to jail because of a drug problem is released, it’s pretty easy to fall right back into the same old routine. But, by treating the addiction rather than simply punishing the crime, you can reduce recidivism while increasing the chance that the offender will remain a productive member of society.
It seems no state is free from budgetary problems and many are looking to their corrections spending to reduce their debt. While some are reinstating old parole practices and working to release those already incarcerated, others are seeking to change the machine that sends so many into the prison system to begin with.
Alternatives to incarceration exist in all states, though they vary greatly. If you are facing criminal charges, you may be eligible for such programming. And if you struggle with drugs, there’s a good chance you could get help.
About David Matson